A rarely visited Tombstone, Arizona landmark sits on the corner of 3rd and Safford St.: St Pauls Episcopal Church. Situated just one block from the location where the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral actually happened, most dont pay it a visit. Even for the non-church-goer, St. Pauls holds enough history to fill its brick walls that have stood since 1882. A young man, Endicott Peabody came to Tombstone in January of 1882. He served the first and oldest Episcopal Church in Arizona, administering services, holding Sunday school, giving several funeral services at Boot Hill, starting Tombstones first baseball team and rubbing elbows with many of the Earp sympathizers. Peabody made note of the the first service held in St. Pauls in his diary dated Sunday, June 18, 1882: Church looking bright and pleasant. Large congregation, nearly all the seats filled. Church looks well lighted up...sang & had a heart filled service. I think we shall more general interest taken than ever before. The day was a bright one. I trust it was in some way a helpful one. In 1905 Peabody became part of history again, officiating the marriage of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt. You can visit the church he built in 1882 on the corner of 3rd and Safford. It is just one of the many landmarks here in Tombstone that hold the stories just waiting for you to discover. Photo courtesy of Michael Paul PhotoWorks©. Visit the Tombstone Archives for information and records on St. Pauls or any of Tombstones landmarks from the documentation dating back to 1879.
Posted on: Tue, 03 Jun 2014 23:58:42 +0000