Financial District in Manhattan in New York County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Standing Against All Odds
St. Paul’s Chapel has withstood adversity throughout its many years. On September 21, 1776, ten years after the Chapel opened, a raging fire swept through Lower Manhattan, destroying a quarter of the city, including Trinity Church (St. Paul’s parish home). The community saved St. Paul’s by forming a bucket brigade and dousing the Chapel with water. With Trinity in ruins, St. Paul’s became the primary church until 1790.
225 years later, another tragedy struck on September 11, 2001. The collapse of the World Trade Center buildings across the street from St. Paul’s left Lower Manhattan and St. Paul’s churchyard littered with debris. Miraculously there was no physical damage to the Chapel itself. For nine months after the attacks, St. Paul’s offered Ground Zero recovery workers a place to rest, eat, and receive medical care. On November 3, 2003, more than two years later, the churchyard reopened to the public.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Churches & Religion • Disasters. A significant historical year for this entry is 2001.
Location. 40° 42.695′ N, 74° 0.59′ W. Marker is in Manhattan, New York, in New York County. It is in the Financial District. Marker can be reached from the intersection of Broadway and
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Majors Job Sumner and John Lucas (here, next to this marker); St. Paul's Chapel - the Building (a few steps from this marker); Lt. Col. E.M. Bechet, Sieur de Rochefontaine (a few steps from this marker); The Fence (a few steps from this marker); The Building (a few steps from this marker); George Frederick Cooke (a few steps from this marker); A Historic Landmark (within shouting distance of this marker); The Churchyard (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Manhattan.
More about this marker. The marker is in the St. Paul's Chapel graveyard.
Photographed By Larry Gertner, December 1995
3. St. Paul's Chapel steeple and the Twin Towers beyond
Photographed By Larry Gertner, November 2001
4. St. Paul's Chapel steeple, alone
Photographed By Larry Gertner, 2017
5. The 9-11 Memorial Pew
When all the pews were removed during a recent renovation, this one was preserved as it had been used by Ground Zero workers.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 31, 2023. It was originally submitted on March 29, 2018, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. This page has been viewed 295 times since then and 18 times this year. Last updated on February 3, 2019, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 6, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 3, 4, 5. submitted on March 29, 2018, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
