Our History
The mission of every Church is to know God and make him known. St. Paul’s has been faithfully trying to do just that since its founding in 1706.
The Early days
The history of St. Paul’s Church in Wickford goes back to the early days of colonial Rhode Island.
By 1702, the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts (SPG), the missionary arm of the Anglican Church based in London, had received several petitions to establish a church in the Narragansett Country – what is roughly today the geographic area of South County, but so-called at that time because it was inhabited by the Indigenous Narragansett people.
In 1706, the Society answered the call and the St. Paul’s congregation was formed.
By 1702, the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts (SPG), the missionary arm of the Anglican Church based in London, had received several petitions to establish a church in the Narragansett Country – what is roughly today the geographic area of South County, but so-called at that time because it was inhabited by the Indigenous Narragansett people.
In 1706, the Society answered the call and the St. Paul’s congregation was formed.
a space to worship
The first church building was built in 1707 about five miles southwest of Wickford. Today, it is known as The Old Narragansett Church – the oldest church building in Rhode Island and very likely the oldest Episcopal Church building north of the Potomac River.
When the population shifted, The Old Narragansett Church was moved to the growing commercial and social center of Wickford in 1800 – likely disassembled and transported with great difficulty. Upon reassembly in its new home on Church Lane, the bench-style seating was replaced with 30 subscription pews that rented for $1 each per year. From 1811 to 1866, the church also had a steeple attached to its western end. Structurally, the steeple was not designed to support the weight of the swinging bell, which eventually caused its collapse.
When the population shifted, The Old Narragansett Church was moved to the growing commercial and social center of Wickford in 1800 – likely disassembled and transported with great difficulty. Upon reassembly in its new home on Church Lane, the bench-style seating was replaced with 30 subscription pews that rented for $1 each per year. From 1811 to 1866, the church also had a steeple attached to its western end. Structurally, the steeple was not designed to support the weight of the swinging bell, which eventually caused its collapse.
a growing parish
Over almost half a century, St. Paul’s Church in Wickford prospered, so much so that a new church was constructed in the village in 1847 to accommodate the growth.
Even after the new church was built, services, meetings, weddings, and conventions continued to be held within the ancient walls of the Old Narragansett Church. In 1915, the Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island officially accepted ownership and responsibility for this important historic structure, where summer services continue to be held to this day.
Today, these two church buildings stand as bookends of the faith and courage that have characterized this parish and its congregation for well over 300 years. Located on opposite sides of Main Street in Wickford, the two properties are connected by a flagstone path along the Greeneway, a shaded walking path also owned and maintained by the Episcopal Diocese of R.I. The flagstones chronicle the history of the parish, bearing the names of the early missionaries and the rectors of the parish from 1706 forward.
Even after the new church was built, services, meetings, weddings, and conventions continued to be held within the ancient walls of the Old Narragansett Church. In 1915, the Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island officially accepted ownership and responsibility for this important historic structure, where summer services continue to be held to this day.
Today, these two church buildings stand as bookends of the faith and courage that have characterized this parish and its congregation for well over 300 years. Located on opposite sides of Main Street in Wickford, the two properties are connected by a flagstone path along the Greeneway, a shaded walking path also owned and maintained by the Episcopal Diocese of R.I. The flagstones chronicle the history of the parish, bearing the names of the early missionaries and the rectors of the parish from 1706 forward.
the episcopal church
The Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island is a gathering of 52 Episcopal churches statewide, served by the current bishop, the Right Rev. W. Nicholas Knisely, Jr., who was consecrated the 13th Bishop of Rhode Island in 2012.
Learn more about the church locally and globally:
Learn more about the church locally and globally:
Resources for further reading about the history of St. Paul’s:
- Saint Paul's Parish in the Narragansett Country edited by the Rev. John Hall and Patricia Belden Carlson and published by St. Paul's Wickford in 2007.
- A History of The Episcopal Church in Narragansett, Rhode Island by Wilkins Updike. Printed and Published by D.B. Updike, The Merrymount Press, 1907.