Park # 272/401 St Paul's Church NHS Mt Vernon NY August 30, 2013

This was the last stop of our tour today, and by this time we were all dragging a bit! 

We had taken a cab from the Hamilton Grange Site over to the subway at 145th and St Nicholas Ave, and rode up to Yankee Stadium, then took a downtown 4 train one stop to get to an uptown 5 train, then rode it to the last stop on the line-   We then found a gypsy cab to take us the mile or so on up to the site.  7.00. 

This is the site of one of the older churches in the area, dating back to the early 1700's. 

The interior very much reminds me of the Old North Church in Boston, with the high pews and
"plainness" of the interior.  You were here for church, and that was it- although this one did have a nice organ dating back to 1830, that had been installed later. 

This is a view of the church as how it looks today-  It sat on a 5 acre plot, which originally included a "village green", sort of a town hall meeting place without the structures. 

 Here is a postcard from 1907-  not much has changed!

 

We watched a movie about the site, and then did a quick tour, led by a very sharp young docent, who was a rising senior in high school-  She really knew her stuff!  During the tour, NP Trekker made a joke about playing a concert for us on the organ, and the church organist did come and play us a brief few bars of Beethoven's Ode to Joy!  Quite a treat since the organ dated since the 1830's. 

 

Got one of the two stamps that were listed for this location- 

 

 

This was a significant stop for me, I have now completed all the National Park sites for the North Atlantic Region!