History and Architecture

The Church and its History

The site at Westminster Place and Taylor Avenue is the third location of Second Presbyterian Church, founded in 1838. From 1840 to 1870 it was housed in a Greek Revival structure at Fifth (Broadway) and Walnut Streets. In 1870 it relocated to the western end of fashionable Lucas Place at Seventeenth Street. (The home of member Robert Campbell is the only surviving structure of that once fine neighborhood.) In 1896 the first building on Westminster - the chapel - was completed. Morning services were held there until late in 1900, when the sanctuary was dedicated. By 1929 the Sunday School had outgrown its quarters in the chapel building and plans were made to erect an educational building to the west.

A successful fund-raising campaign (which coincided with the stock market crash of that year) resulted in the third building on the site. The years following World War II brought a declining neighborhood and loss of membership as members moved to the suburbs. After two unsuccessful attempts to find another location the congregation voted in 1961 to stay on its corner and be a city church. With the historic preservation movement of the 1970s came a realization of the architectural and artistic significance of the buildings. Plans for renovation were made but could not be carried out until 1985-87. A recent capital campaign effort has made possible further building improvements.

The chapel and sanctuary are Romanesque Revival style, which had its origins in medieval Spain and France who in turn had borrowed it from the ancient Romans. It enjoyed a revival in the last half of the nineteenth century brought about by the great Boston architect, Henry Hobson Richardson (1838-1886), a leading exponent of the style. His great masterpiece is Trinity Church in Boston, listed on the American Institute of Architects list of the 10 most interesting buildings in the US. Characteristic of the style is the use of heavy rounded arches set on low piers, massive cut stone, recessed windows and doorways, intricate stone carvings, and rounded or four-sided turrets and towers. Second Presbyterian is considered a prime example of the pure style: it closely resembles Trinity Church but on a much smaller, more restrained, scale.

Following Richardson's death in 1886 at the age of 47, his firm became Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge. Shepley had strong ties to St. Louis and had opened an office here. It was to this firm that the church turned for its architect. The chapel was completed in 1896 and housed the "Lecture Room," Sunday School, offices, janitors' quarters, and a dining room and kitchen. In 1930 the construction of the educational building largely obscured the exterior so that only the south and a portion of the east facades are visible. The "Lecture Room" was also remodeled and no trace of the original remains.

In 1899 the Shepley firm was no longer active in St. Louis and the church turned to Theodore Link of St. Louis to design the sanctuary. His most famous work is the St. Louis Union Station (1894).

By 1929 the Sunday School had outgrown its quarters and other improvements were needed as well. The new facility was completed in 1930 and included new offices, a pastor's study, a gymnasium on the fourth floor and a new kitchen and dining room. An especially attractive feature is a wood-paneled room called the "Portrait Lounge" where oil paintings of former pastors hang.

The renovation efforts of 1985-87 focused on creating large spaces for creative, corporate usage. The chancel area of the sanctuary was extended and thrust forward; pew seating was reconfigured; acoustical tile was removed from the ceiling; new lighting was installed; and walls were colored to enhance the colors of the collection of Tiffany windows. Pews and cork flooring were removed from the chapel to create a flexible space for church and community functions. In 1995, the chapel was renamed Niccolls Hall to commemorate the 50 years of service of Pastor Samuel Niccolls (1865-1915). In 2004 much needed repairs were been made to the facility's cooling plant.