Note: This page is still under construction and will be updated when the information becomes available.
This beautiful church that you are looking at is now a parking lot! It is also the parish that I belong to which saddens me deeply. This magnificent, but simplistic structure was built in 1883, during the time that the Greater Utica area's Catholic population was growing rapidly. Churches were being built all over the city, as well as in small villages such as Whitesboro. It stood for nearly 90 years before it was replaced with a much larger but less ornate church. The parish had grown by a large number during the 1950's forcing additional Masses to be held in the newly built school (1956). A new, larger church was needed to accommodate all of these people (too bad we don't still have this problem...).
Below are some more pictures of this lost piece of history:
Though not as ornate as many of the beautiful churches in our area, St. Paul's still possessed a very simplistic beauty. The Sanctuary was adorned with beautiful woodwork, a marble altar and side altars, large painted statues of various saints, wonderful stained glass windows and beautiful Stations of the Cross (one of the few things that was put into the new church).
This is a close-up picture of the altar. On the left side is a great statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The other side is the statue of the church's patron, St. Paul. The High Altar appears to be made of marble and contains the Pascal Lamb on the front. Above the Tabernacle is a gold Crucifix. And you certainly can't miss that large Rose Window. The center circle of it was actually saved (why not the whole window???) and installed in the new church about 10 years ago. The paneled arched ceiling over the altar also gives it a lot of character. It's interesting to note that the wooden lectern (not very old) in the left side of the picture was saved for the new church and the altar installed in accordance with Vatican II (mid-60's) appears to be the one that's now used in the chapel. Why didn't they save these great statues or other old pieces when they saved the newer pieces that I mentioned above? The church wasn't destroyed (in a sense it was), so why couldn't they have saved more from it?
This picture is of the right front side of the church. It shows the statues of St. Joseph and St. Anthony as well as the Stations of the Cross that I mentioned. It appears that they were painted in color in this picture which they are not now. You can also see the supports for the roof which were not only structural, but added to the beauty. Metal bars spanned across the church between the beams for added support.
This picture is of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the left front side of the church. The Infant of Prague appears to be one of the only statues that was used in the new church.
Here's a picture taken from the park directly in front of the old church. What a great building, it's a shame it could not be saved.
This is an artist's rendering of the new St. Paul's Church. It simply doesn't have the character of the original. The appendage on the side was the proposed new rectory. Thank God they ran out of money because it saved the beautiful old Victorian Rectory from being torn down. It is still used today and is an awesome home for our pastor. The new church is not bad for a modern church. At least it looks like a church. But like any newer building, it simply lacks the character and history that older buildings have to offer. I feel bad that I never saw the original church as the new church was built in 1972, 10 years before I was born. This is a wonderful parish with many great people, so regardless I am happy to call this parish home.
© 2002