St. Paul's Episcopal Church

The Episcopal Church came early to the Uintah Basin — its first building was a mission church among the Ute at Randlett, and its second, in 1901, was this Gothic Revival chapel in Vernal, designed by Salt Lake architect John P. Hill. St. Paul's did more than hold services. Its 1909 lodge took in girls who came to town to work or study, ran the church's community programs, and — from the late 1920s until 1947 — served as the Uintah Basin's main hospital. For a remote corner of Utah, the little parish carried an outsized load.

What the plaque says

Built in 1901, St. Paul's Episcopal Church was the first building constructed in Vernal by the Episcopal Church and the second to be built in the Uintah Basin; the first was the Indian Mission church at Randlett. Designed by John P. Hill, an architect from Salt Lake City, the building is a good example of the Gothic Revival style. St. Paul's Lodge was constructed in 1909 as a home for girls who came to Vernal to work or attend school. It also served as the center of the auxiliary activities of the Episcopal Church in the community and, from the late 1920s until 1947, as the major hospital in the Uintah Basin. During the past forty years it has continued in use as the center of church and community activities.

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Utah Field House of Natural History — 0.2 mi
  A dinosaur museum with life-size replicas in an outdoor garden
• Vernal — 0.2 mi
  The self-proclaimed Dinosaur Capital of Utah
• Steinaker State Park — 4.2 mi
  A warm-water reservoir popular for swimming in the desert heat
• McConkie Ranch Petroglyphs — 6.6 mi
  Massive Fremont-era rock art panels on private ranch land open to visitors

More markers nearby

• Fort Ashley Center — steps away
• Parcel Post Bank (2) Markers — 0.2 mi
• Uintah Stake Tabernacle — 0.3 mi
• Uintah Stake Tithing Office (2) Markers — 0.3 mi