St. Paul’s Episcopal Church is home to the oldest Episcopal congregation in the state. The year 2008 marks the 141st anniversary of the first Episcopal services held in Montana by Bishop Daniel Sylvester Tuttle, who was assigned the territories of Montana, Idaho, and Utah.

Bishop Tuttle built an active congregation which first met in vacant store buildings during 1867. In the fall of 1868, the congregation purchased an unfinished frame structure, begun earlier in the year by the Methodists. The frame building was completed and used until 1902, when Mary B. Elling donated the entire cost of a new stone church building and decorated it in beautiful style. The new structure was completed and dedicated in July, 1904, as a memorial to her late husband, Henry Elling, who was a prominent Montana businessman and banker. The building was designed by Fennell and Grove, Architects, of Butte, MT, and was built by James Emslie, a local carpenter famous for his fine craftsmanship.

The exterior (on the basement level) is native gray stone from the town quarry, and above this, pink stone from east of town.

Local legend says that the large stained glass windows at either end of the church, as well as the two smaller windows in the sanctuary and the window above the main door, were made by Tiffany Studios, New York. This claim, however, has recently been challenged. It now is believed that the windows are what is known as "Munich-style" and are a product of the Mayer-Zettler Studios, possibly coming out of Chicago.

A sample of that style can be seen here: Franz Mayer of Munich, Inc., sample window

Today, the church interior features an Estey pneumatic action pipe organ, beautiful brass accessories and electric light fixtures – all original to the 1904 building. The baptismal font and handmade native cedar altar were moved from the original 1868 building to this new structure. The Estey organ was declared “historic” by the Pipe Organ Foundation in 2003. Except for the addition of a new kitchen and restroom in 1991 (the first time there had been such facilities in the building), ceiling fans, a wrought iron hand rail on the front steps (duplicating the design of the original iron fence), landscaping of native trees, a staircase connecting the sacristy to the basement and new carpet, St. Paul’s looks exactly the same today as it did when consecrated on July 20, 1904.

In June 2008, St. Paul's began a major refurbishing project.  The nave and chancel areas were repainted, the floors refinished, and new carpet (replacing the original Axminster carpet of 1902) was laid.  The painting was done by Hardy's Painting of Sheridan, MT.  Roedell Floor Care of Ennis, MT, refinished the floors.  The carpet is a product of Royalty Mills, was purchased through Western Flooring of Missoula, MT and installed by Bond Floor Covering of Sheridan, MT.  The project was completed July 18, 2008.  Pictures of the project can be viewed on our Photo Album page.

On July 19, 2008, St. Paul's hosted "Tuttle Days," both in honor of the first bishop of Montana and to celebrate the completion of the project.  The event featured several door prizes, a bbq dinner, and an Evensong service.  The service was the first official service after the refurbishing and was officiated by the Rev. Jane Schmoetzer, Vicar of the Yellowstone Episcopal Ministries (serving churches in Laurel, Absarokee, Joliet and Red Lodge, MT).

July 18, 2004, saw the 100th anniversary of the church’s consecration. The event was celebrated with St. Paul's new Vicar, the Rev. Todd Young. Montana’s ninth, and current, Bishop, the Rt. Rev. C. Franklin Brookhart, presided, while Fr. Todd preached the sermon.

St. Paul’s Church is an active and living tribute to over a century of careful maintenance and love.

Updated from the original paper by John D. Ellingson, Virginia City Historian.