Preserving An Important Chapter in Our Nation’s History
Established: July 5, 1943; National Park Service administration November 10, 1978
Location: 897 South Columbus Avenue, Mount Vernon, New York 10550.
Overview: Construction of this authentic 18th-century stone church was begun by colonial masons in 1763 and completed by American craftsmen in 1788. It was used as a military field hospital, by both sides, during the Revolutionary War, and the church grounds were the scene of many military engagements from 1776-1783. The adjoining cemetery, one of America’s oldest burial yards, contains legible gravestones from 1704. Located at the center of the historic town of Eastchester, the church was the scene of the landmark Election of 1733, which raised in unprecedented ways issues of freedom or religion and the press.
More than 260 years ago, in 1758, the Church of England minister at St. Paul’s, Rev. Thomas Standard, gifted a bell for the church from London’s Whitechapel Foundry (which also cast the “Liberty Bell”). It was suspended in the town’s original church -- a small wooden meetinghouse -- but was removed at the beginning of the Revolutionary War to prevent its confiscation for military purposes. During the war, the wooden church was dismantled by armies who used the materials for fuel. When the war ended in 1783 the bell was returned and hung in the present stone church. It remains intact and is still rung for the celebration of American Independence on July 4th.
Exhibits/Tours: The museum gallery offers exhibits exploring topics in national and local history. The current feature exhibition is, “The Emergence of a National Historic Site: St. Paul’s between the world wars.” The Battle of Pell’s Point is commemorated each October with an encampment that features re-enactments, talks, performances and demonstrations recalling the important battle of October 18, 1776, and the era of the American Revolution. The site also offers a wide array of lectures, concerts, commemorations, and other activities throughout the year.
Visitor Information: (914) 667-4116
Web Site: www.nps.gov/sapa
