The Oldest Church In Key West © Hoodie

St. Paul's Episcopal Church is the oldest church in Key West. It held its first service in 1832. The church was destroyed several times by both hurricanes and fires, but the current structure has weathered the elements since 1919. The building you see before you is the fourth church structure built by St. Paul's parishioners within an 80 year period between the 1800s and early 1900s. In 1831, a mere nine years after the founding of Key West in 1822, St. Paul's church was formed by an official act of the Key West City Council. A signed petition was sent to the Episcopalian Bishop of New York requesting a priest be sent to the island and the Parish of St. Paul's be established. The original church, made of coral rock was completed i...