St. Paul's Church National Historic Site
Why it's listed
St. Paul's Church in Mount Vernon, New York, is a colonial fieldstone church begun in 1763-1765 using local fieldstone and timber, with mortar made from Eastchester Creek shells, Long Island lime and churchyard sand. It replaced an earlier parish structure, with the parish dating to 1665. The site is linked to early American freedoms. The Great Election of 1733 was held on the adjoining village green, and printer John Peter Zenger's account of it led to his trial and the principle of a free press. During the Revolution, Hessian soldiers wounded at the Battle of Pell's Point in 1776 were sheltered here, and many are buried in the churchyard. The building later served as a courthouse where Aaron Burr practiced. Declared a National Historic Site in 1943, it was restored to colonial appearance, passed to the National Park Service in 1980, and now includes a Bill of Rights Museum in the former carriage shed.
Significance in brief: It is tied to the development of Bill of Rights freedoms, including the 1733 Eastchester election that led to John Peter Zenger's press-freedom trial. It also served as a hospital after the 1776 Battle of Pell's Point and as a courthouse. It was declared a National Historic Site in 1943.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 66000580, listed October 15, 1966. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence low).
Key facts
| Address | Eastchester, Mount Vernon |
|---|---|
| County | Westchester County |
| Listed | October 15, 1966 |
| Reference number | 66000580 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Areas of significance | Law, Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | A brochure states the building is a restored colonial church that no longer holds services and houses a Bill of Rights Museum in its former carriage shed. The National Park Service took ownership in 1980 and the site is operated under a cooperative agreement. |
| Acreage | 6.1 |
| Coordinates | 40.89327, -73.82560 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Religious properties are listed for their architectural or historical significance, not their religious use. Listing is honorary and does not restrict the congregation's use of the building. The federal rehabilitation credit is generally unavailable unless part of the building is income-producing; some state programmes and preservation grants do cover religious buildings. Federal funding or permits trigger Section 106 review.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 66000580.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7402012
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.