St. Pauls Episcopal Church

St. Paul's Episcopal Church enjoys a prominent location on Key West's busy Duval Street. But even without this enviable property, the church would be hard to miss. On sunny days, the white facade stands out brilliantly against the bright blue Key West sky. Inside, you'll find a peaceful sanctuary from the bustling city.

In 1831, St. Paul's Church was organized in Key West. The first service was held by the Reverend Sanson K. Brunot on Christmas Eve 1832 at the County Courthouse. In 1839 the first church building was completed, which was completely destroyed by a hurricane in October 1846. In 1848 the first service was held in the newly built church. The wooden structure was destroyed in the Great Key West Fire of March 1886. A third church house, again built of wood, was opened in 1887. In 1890 it was decided to acquire a bell ringing which was the first ringing to be heard in Florida on Palm Sunday 1891 in Key West. However, this building was also destroyed by a hurricane in October 1909. From then on, services were held in the parish hall built in 1904, which fortunately had been preserved.

In 1911 building plans were approved for a new church building on the corner of Duval Street and Eaton Street. The first service was held here on June 8th, 1919. The beautiful stained glass windows were installed in 1920. In 1931 the church got an organ, which could be played for the first time at Christmas in the same year.

Wind, salty sea water and sand had taken its toll on the building over the years, so that reconstruction work in 1991 was supposed to save it from complete decay. The renovations took two years and cost almost a million dollars. Unfortunately, the church tower and especially the construction around the bell ringing are still in such a bad condition that the bells are not allowed to ring (as of 2023).

The church is open to visitors. Worship services are held daily in the mornings and evenings. Those who visit the church around midday may be lucky enough to hear the cantor playing the organ.

Church and community information: stpaulskeywest.org

Very beautiful church with a wooden ceiling and colorful windows. Well worth a visit.