St. Paul’s Chapel: The Miracle That Survived 9/11

St. Paul's Chapel (1766) has become one of the most symbolic landmarks in New York because it came through the Twin Towers attack untouched, without a single broken pane of glass (and it sits right next to the WTC!). People call it «the little chapel that stood.»

It's one of the places you should see while exploring the World Trade Center.

Beyond being a symbol of the city, it's the only colonial-era church still standing in Manhattan. Inside, George Washington prayed after his inauguration as the first president of the United States in 1789 (if you want to dig deeper into U.S. history, go visit Washington DC!).

The miracle of St. Paul's Chapel

This little chapel came through 9/11 intact –the Little Chapel That Stood, as it's known- which is why it's seen as a symbol of life over barbarism.

What's astonishing is that this old Georgian-style church stands remarkably close to the World Trade Center, and unlike newer buildings nearby, not one window broke.

For many people, that was plainly a miracle.

Because it was so close to the tragedy and in such good shape, it was used as a shelter for firefighters and volunteers who spent eight months working at the Twin Towers site, searching for victims and helping clear the debris.

A memorial to those lost on 9/11

For that reason, St. Paul's Chapel became a memorial honoring the victims, firefighters, rescue workers and volunteers of 9/11. A room inside was in fact dedicated as a Memorial Chapel.

There you'll see photographs of victims and tributes sent from all over the world (like a panel of origami flowers folded as a sign of peace by preschoolers in Japan).

When I visited St. Paul's a couple of years after 9/11, it gave me more perspective than almost anything else on the senselessness that took more than 3,000 lives.

If you want to grasp the scale of a tragedy still fresh in the city's memory, visit the 9/11 Memorial Museum, the 9/11 Memorial and One World Trade Center, all just steps from the chapel.

The St. Paul's Chapel graveyard

Another remarkable thing about this historic landmark is that it's the only colonial-era church still standing in Manhattan.

When you walk through the graveyard beside the chapel, you'll notice how the 18th century froze in place in this corner of Manhattan. While New York's great skyscrapers rose around it, the remains of Revolutionary-era heroes kept resting exactly as they always had.

Step up to the headstones to read how old the inscriptions are, and take in the contrast between this block and the frenzy of the street outside.

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Address

209 Broadway, between Fulton and Vesey Streets

Getting there

Subway A, C, 2, 3. Broadway-Nassau St station
Subway 4 and 5. Fulton Street station
Subway E. Chambers Street station
Subway 6. Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall station
Subway N, R. Cortlandt St station

Hours

Monday to Friday 10 am to 6 pm

Chapel
Saturdays 10 am to 4 pm
Sundays 7 am to 9 pm
Graveyard
Monday to Saturday 10 am to 4 pm
Sundays 7am to 3:30pm

Check the latest details before visiting St. Paul's Chapel on its official site.