PRESERVE ST. PAUL
A Legacy Worth Preserving
For more than 150 years, St. Paul United Methodist Church has been a spiritual home for Black Dallas. Today, the land beneath our sanctuary is some of the most valuable in the city. What we do now will decide whether St. Paul is still here for the next generation.
SINCE 1873 ◆ FAITH ◆ HISTORY ◆ LEGACY ◆ PRESERVE ST. PAUL ◆
WHY IT MATTERS
The Building Is Part of the Record
Few architect designed African American churches from the early twentieth century are still standing, and fewer still hold an active congregation. St. Paul is both. The sanctuary is where generations of this community have worshiped, married, mourned, and organized, and it sits today in the largest contiguous urban arts district in the nation.
Preservation work keeps that story alive, not just remembered.
FREEDMAN'S TOWN
What Was Lost
Freedman’s Town no longer exists. Its homes, businesses, and gathering places were demolished to make way for what is now the Dallas Arts District. Today, only two of its original buildings remain: St. Paul and the former Moorland YMCA, now home to the Dallas Black Dance Theatre. Booker T. Washington High School still serves the neighborhood in a newer building. Our 1920s-built sanctuary still stands downtown, one of the last places where that history can still be seen and touched.
THE URGENCY
Why This Moment Matters
St. Paul now sits on some of the most sought-after property in downtown Dallas. As development continues and land values climb, historic congregations like ours face steady pressure to sell, relocate, or slowly fade away. This neighborhood has been erased once before. We will not let it happen again.
Our greatest threat is time. Every year our church goes without preservation, the building becomes harder and more costly to save. It also becomes easier for others to argue that it cannot be saved at all.
OUR TRACK RECORD
We Chose to Stay
In 1988, as many churches from the original Freedman’s Town community moved to other parts of the Metroplex, the St. Paul congregation voted unanimously to remain and restore its home on Routh Street. That decision has guided every chapter since.
1988
Remain and Restore
The congregation voted unanimously to stay in the neighborhood and restore its church.
1989
Restoration Project '89
The congregation’s first major restoration began in February and was completed that October.
2007 TO 2010
A Miracle in the Making
A $4.5 million restoration, with support from sister church Highland Park UMC, renewed the building’s systems, repaired the stained glass, and brought the congregation home in July 2010.
2011
Preservation Dallas Award
The restoration received a 2011 Preservation Achievement Award.
The work ahead builds on what this congregation has already done.
THE PLAN
Project Phases
We are seeking funding partners who share our commitment to preserving places of worship and African American heritage. With their help, St. Paul can move from urgent need to a clear path forward.
PHASE ONE
Historic Structures Report
A professional study to document the building's condition, identify priority repairs, and guide a phased plan to restore it the right way.
SEEKING FUNDING
PHASE TWO
Stabilization and Repair
Priority repairs identified in the report will start with the work that protects the building and everything inside.
TO FOLLOW
PHASE THREE
Restoration
Restoring the church so it can serve the next generation of worship and community.
TO FOLLOW
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