St. Paul's Lutheran Church
1715 Bull Street

Built in 1913, St. Paul's Lutheran Church sanctuary reflects the Gothic Revival style, a form that drew its inspiration from medieval European architecture. While enjoying popularity among many American designers from 1830-1870, the Gothic Revival style remained a fashionable church form well into the twentieth century as it had become increasingly identified with religious architecture.

The stone sanctuary features a four-centered arch over its entrance and a larger, similar arch centered on its façade amidst five traceried windows. A rose window adorns the rectangular chancel and the many stained glass windows, original to the building and reportedly from Germany, depict intricately painted scenes. The sanctuary's interior is highlighted by false beams on a vaulted ceiling, which are actually plaster pieces created to mimic exposed rafters.

The congregation's original sanctuary, constructed in 1886, once stood where the church's current 1960s-era fellowship hall rests today. A 1950s educational building is nestled on the west side of the property, creating an almost continuous stone structure on this busy corner lot. As the second oldest Lutheran church in Columbia, St. Paul's has continued to grow over the years, blending the church's historic structures with modern facilities that have maintained the historic character of the neighborhood.

Staci Richey and John Sherrer

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