897 South Columbus Ave, Mount Vernon, NY 10550
Phone: 914-667-4116
Fax: 914-667-3024
Open All Year
Overview. This church was founded in 1665 when ten families settled in an area that came to be known as Eastchester. Construction on the church began in 1763 and continued until 1805. In 1733 the village green, which lay across from the present church structure, was the site of one of the many controversies that set the tone for the Revolutionary War 40 years later. It was in that year that elections were held for the county assemblyman. One of the candidates was a supporter of the colonial governor, William Cosby; the other candidate was an opponent of Cosby. The British officials who organized the election made it necessary to swear a sacred oath before voting. They did this because they knew that the Quakers who made up a good part of the anticolonial constituency would never swear due to their religious convictions. The Quakers later took the case to court, fighting for the right to vote without pledging an oath, and won their case--an early victory in America's fight for freedom of religion. During the Revolutionary War, British and Hessian troops used the half-completed church as a hospital, and many of the soldiers who died there were buried in the cemetery behind the church. The original structure was destroyed sometime in the early to mid-1700s, and a Georgian Revival structure was built in its place between 1763 and 1787. The church is composed of brick, timber, and fieldstone. Henry Erben constructed the church organ in 1830, and it is considered to be one of the oldest working organs in the U.S. Saint Paul's bell is the "sister" of the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, and was cast by Lester and Pack in the London-based Whitechapel Foundry. What to see and do. The church houses a museum, where you can view exhibits about old Eastchester, the Revolutionary War, and the church itself. You can stop by the village green or tour the historic cemetery. You can also take a self-guided tour of the church and museum. The site is open Monday to Friday from 9 AM to 5 PM; call ahead for an appointment. Cemetery tours are given on the last Sunday of each month between April and October at 2 PM. If you're planning to visit with a group of five or more, call in advance for these Sunday tours. Take Rte 95 north to the Conner Street Exit. Follow Rte 22 to Saint Paul's.
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