Financial District in Manhattan in New York County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Standing Against All Odds
St. Pauls 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. Pauls parish home). The community saved St. Pauls by forming a bucket brigade and dousing the Chapel with water. With Trinity in ruins, St. Pauls 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. Pauls left Lower Manhattan and St. Pauls churchyard littered with debris. Miraculously there was no physical damage to the Chapel itself. For nine months after the attacks, St. Pauls 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 • Disasters • Religion & Religious Structures. A significant historical year for this entry is 2001.
Location. 40° 42.695′ N, 74° 0.59′ W.
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Regionally, this marker is in New York City. It is also in the American Northeast and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Netherland and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
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
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 585 times since then and 15 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.
