St. Paul's Episcopal Church

St. Paul's Episcopal Church. . , "He had been in Alton scarcely a year when he began the building with his own funds, of a neat stone church on the corner of Third and Market Street and offered the building for use of all organized religious bodies in the town. From that time on until his death in 1862, there were but few important civic enterprises under-taken in Alton that did not have the active support of Capt. Godfrey." - Guy Study, History of St. Paul's Church, 1943, Benjamin Godfrey built the first church building in Alton in 1834 on the northeast corner of Third and Market streets. The large limestone building followed a severe type of Greek-Colonial architecture popular at the time. Godfrey retained ownership of the building but offered it for use by both Baptist and Presbyterian congregations and as a public meeting hall. The congregation of St. Paul's Episcopal Church purchased the property in 1846. Around 1850, the church was razed and rebuilt, but portions of the original structure remain. A tornado badly damaged the building in 1860, but repairs were made and the church is still used by the congregation to this day., (photo caption:), View of Alton with first church building. Painting by Blair-Riley, circa 1838