Saint Paul’s

John Blatteau Associates was commissioned to design a new Organ Case and Altar for Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church, in Richmond Virginia. This is perhaps the nation’s only late 20thcentury organ case designed specifically to evoke the Greek Revival style of the church. Saint Paul’s has a rather curious history. The building committee for the church made a tour of church buildings up and down the east coast, settling on the architect Thomas S Stewart, who had recently completed St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Philadelphia. The building committee was so impressed with this church that they asked Stewart, a Philadelphia architect, to design almost the exact same church for Richmond.

We are grateful to Calder Loth, the former senior architectural historian of the Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Calder allowed us the privilege of working with the historic Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church. His deep understanding of the Greek Revival Style in America and his refined taste made our work better. The design and detailing of the new Organ Case was inspired by Minard Lafevre’s The Beauties of Modern Architecture, a book which apparently inspired Stewart in his church designs, in both Philadelphia and Richmond. Many of the Organ Case motifs, such as the entablature spanning the center section, were directly inspired by Plates found in Lafevre’s book. The use of terms, sculptured figures or busts at the top of the pilasters, which frame the pipes in the center section, is an effort to employ the human figure, reflecting the use of such figures found in the great organ cases of Europe. The design for the altar is inspired by Greek and Roman furniture discoveries from the excavations at Pompeii and the brilliant interpretation of Greek Style furniture found at the Villa Kérylos designed in the early 1900’s, by the architect Emmanuel Pontremoli.