St Paul's Chapel and the new 1 World Trade Center

St Paul's was completed in 1766 as a chapel of Trinity Church in New York.

When opened it stood in a field some distance from the growing British port-city of New York to the south. It was modelled after St Martin-in-the-Fields in London.

New York having lead at the start of the American Revolution in 1776, was occupied by British Forces until 1783, when Washington re-entered the City to the delight of the population.

George Washington worshipped at St Peter's on his Presidential Inauguration Day in 1789 and he attended services here during the two years that New York City was the capital of the new United States. His original pew is preserved here.

The rear of St Paul's faces Church Street opposite World Trade Center. After the 9/11 terrorist attack and the collapse of the Twin Towers, St Paul's Chapel was a place of rest and refuge for recovery workers. Amazingly the Chapel was undamaged. For eight months afterwards volunteers worked 12 hour shifts looking after the fire-fighters, construction workers and police. Many of the memorial banners from this time have been preserved in the Chapel, and visiting is an emotional experience.

Behind the spire of St Paul's rises the new Freedom Tower, One World Trade Center. On completion later this year, the 104 storey skyscraper will be the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere. The spire will bring the height to 1,776 feet, symbolic of the date of the signing of the US Declaration of Independence.