Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church – An Architectural Gem!

The thoughtfully renovated church has been recognized as an outstanding feat of architectural excellence.

If you find yourself walking to and from a daily errand, out for a cup of coffee, or just strolling with friends in Uptown near 1st Avenue North and West Roy Street – be sure to take in the stunning view of the dramatic new roof of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, soaring upward to the sky! This is one of many recent renovations made to this neighborhood mainstay as a result of a major Capital Campaign they launched in 2023, resulting in the completed renovation of the building and grounds this year.

St. Paul’s has been an active neighborhood church since it was first built in 1903. It has gone through a myriad of renovations since then, the most dramatic in 1963 when the sanctuary that we see today was built with its distinct mid-century architectural style. The sanctuary measures 80 feet by 50 feet and rises to 60 feet in height. It was designed by the architectural firm Steinhart, Theriault & Anderson; all three were University of Washington graduates. This new church was meant to include a copper roof, but due to budget constraints a composition roof was installed instead. Inside the church, a fully suspended tracker action organ built by the German firm Gebruder Späth was installed, and is hanging from the ceiling with cables from Boeing that are used to hoist airplanes.

Other renovations and additions throughout the years include the beautiful iron fence with paper cutout designs by Deborah Mersky installed in 1998; it has the same patina copper color as the roof and the design of the fence is filled with symbolic imagery that reflects the life of the parish community. In 2003, a Labyrinth Garden modeled after the one at Chartres Cathedral in France was created, which provides a peaceful respite for all to enjoy. In 2011, the interior of the sanctuary was renovated to return to its mid-century roots.

In honor of the original intent of the 1963 structure, the newly renovated roof -- though still not copper -- is made of interlocking diamond shaped metal tiles, with a special natural antique copper color coating applied. It required six stories of scaffolding on the west side and 120 foot boom lifts on the east side for access. Each tile was individually attached with a custom tool specially designed for this purpose. The steep and seemingly folded roof is supported by an inventive and geometrically complex timber structure. Because the roof has so many angles, the layout of each portion was different and required extensive planning to find the best way to overlap the tiles. It took nearly a year to install!

The thoughtfully renovated church has been recognized as an outstanding feat of architectural excellence – St. Paul’s has received a Merit Award from the Faith & Form International Awards Program; was the AIA Seattle Project of the Month; and received Historic Seattle’s Exemplary Stewardship Award.

The Queen Anne Historical Society has also recognized St. Paul’s, awarding it the 2025 Outstanding Renovation. Meanwhile, the QA Historical Society is planning a guided tour of the church in early 2026. Check out their website at that time for updates, at: https://www.qahistory.org/