A handsome 18th-century church and graveyard, and a museum on local events
that helped shape the nation, are featured at St. Paul's Church National
Historic Site.
The Georgian-style church, built of stone with brick
quoins, was begun in 1763 but was not finished at the onset of the American
Revolution. After the October 1776 battle of Pell's Point, in which 750
American soldiers held off 4,000 British and Hessian troops attempting to
cut off the retreat of George Washington's Continental Army, it was used as
a hospital by the Hessians. Located in the "neutral ground" between British
and American lines, the building served throughout the war as a hospital,
supply depot, and barracks for both armies. It began being used for church
services in 1787, although it was not completely finished until 1805. The
National Park Service assumed ownership of the church in 1980.
The
church's interior, with its high box pews, looks much as it did in the 18th
century, thanks to a careful 1940s restoration. Its original bell, cast at
the same London foundry as the Liberty Bell, still peals occasionally, while
its 19th-century organ is played at recitals. An adjacent museum features
displays on the region's role in the Revolution, the church, and its
surrounding graveyard. The picturesque cemetery, with stones dating back to
1704, contains excellent examples of gravestone carvings from the 18th and
19th centuries.
St. Paul's Church National Historic Site, at 897
South Columbus Avenue in Mount Vernon, is open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri.; it
is closed on Federal holidays. Guided tours. Free admission. 914-667-4116