Effort underway to save historic steeple on Summit Avenue

St. Paul church hopes to save its steeple

For more than 100 years, this church on the corner of Summit Avenue and Saratoga Street in St. Paul has been a neighborhood landmark. Now the pinnacle of the limestone brick building is getting a facelift.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - For more than 100 years, this church on the corner of Summit Avenue and Saratoga Street in St. Paul has been a neighborhood landmark. Now the pinnacle of the limestone brick building is getting a facelift.

"The steeple is really central to the architecture. It's meant to be a beacon of hope. We think the work we are going to do is going to restore the steeple to its original glory," said Cities Church Lead Pastor Jonathan Parnell.

Cities Church, which bought the building a few years ago, is trying to raise $1.2 million to save the steeple. Church officials say the money is needed to replace the mortar and some stones on the 125-foot-tall structure and to put in lighting to make the steeple more prominent at night.

"So it has been historically a landmark on an iconic street so we want to restore that former brilliance," said Parnell.

Cities Church, which bought the building a few years ago, is trying to raise $1.2 million to save the steeple. (FOX 9)

The former St Paul's Church On The Hill was built in 1912 by an Episcopal congregation that formed in the mid-1850s before Minnesota was a state.

Church officials say the building was designed by architect Emmanuel Masqueray, who also designed the St. Paul Cathedral and the Basilica Of St. Mary, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

"We feel a responsibility to steward this building well to honor his legacy and what he's meant to the Twin Cities," said Parnell.

Church officials say work on the restoration project started in February and could finish as early as July, preserving the past while also laying the foundation for the future.

"We want the community, the Twin Cities, and others, who may have an interest in historic preservation to know about the project. We think its something many people will want to know about and be a part of," said Parnell.

For more about the Save Our Steeple campaign, click here.

Cities Church will also host an open house for community members to learn more about the steeple restoration on Sunday, June 9 at 4 p.m. The address is 1524 Summit Avenue.