St. Paul's Methodist Episcopal Church

The story

Written by AI from this property's National Register nomination and the record above; every sentence is checked against its sources before it appears here. Corrections: privacy@treealive.com

St. Paul's Methodist Episcopal Church is a church building at 5501 Main St. in Houston, Harris County. Construction began in 1929, and its cornerstone was laid in 1930, when the first service was held in the sanctuary. It was built in the Late Gothic Revival style, attributed to architect Alfred C. Finn.

Why it's listed

It was listed in the National Register in 2019 under Criterion C, with Criteria Consideration A for religious properties, with local-level significance in architecture. Its period of significance is 1930, when its cornerstone was laid.

Physical character

The exterior walls are Indiana limestone and cast stone under a slate tile roof, with a bell tower. Inside, marble wainscoting, carved oak moldings and iron spiral stairwells accompany a coffered ceiling and a choir loft with hand-carved angels. A 1965 addition was built at the rear, and the entrance approach was graded to a slope in 1975.

Historical context

The congregation was established in 1906 with 153 charter members; an earlier downtown building begun in 1907 opened in 1909. Windows in that building are attributed to the Kansas City Stained-glass Works, and windows in the 1930 sanctuary are attributed to the St. Joseph Art Glass Works. The congregation bought its current site in 1928.