Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Pastel de nata
Portugal • 8 days, 7 nights
Portugal: A Culinary Adventure from Porto to Lisbon
from
Italy • 9 days, 8 nights
Flavors of Italy: Roman Carbonara, Florentine Steak & Venetian Cocktails
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The wall commemorating 11,908 Jewish victims of the Shoah from Frankfurt.
Börneplatz Memorial
Entrance to the munitions area of the lower part of the bunker
Simserhof
Carlos Calderón Yruegas calls the villa his personal playground.
Villa Tabaiba
Apples and pears, Spitalfields Market.
Brick Lane Roundels
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The sign declares this the number-one gumbo shop in town.
Gumbo Hut Shioya
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
The exterior of the Hall of Records.
Atlas Obscura Mailbag: Urban Exploration, Illegal Carvings, and Repeat Vacations
1 day ago
Biosphere 2 campus (2016)
Biosphere 2: How Volunteers Survived for 2 Years in an Airtight Habitat
2 days ago
Places like Forest Grove linger on the edge of wilderness and civilization.
Listening for Echoes of the Forest Grove Sound
2 days ago
Longwood House, where Napoleon Bonaparte spent his final years.
The Longwood House: Napoleon Bonaparte’s Beautiful Prison
3 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Arizona Tombstone St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
AO Edited

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church

The first Protestant church in Arizona and only Gothic Revival style adobe church in the world.

Tombstone, Arizona

Added By
Michele Sampson
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
  CuriousMichele / Atlas Obscura User
  CuriousMichele / Atlas Obscura User
  CuriousMichele / Atlas Obscura User
  CuriousMichele / Atlas Obscura User
  CuriousMichele / Atlas Obscura User
Original stained glass windows.   CuriousMichele / Atlas Obscura User
The hand formed adobe brick was stuccoed in 1970 to protect the adobe.   CuriousMichele / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Tombstone is best remembered for a Wild West culture comprised of notorious gamblers, gunslingers, and outlaw cowboys, but the majority of residents were actually respectable, law-abiding citizens. Founded in 1877 after silver was discovered in the area, Tombstone had up to 10,000 residents at the height of its mining boom in the 1880s. Some historians indicate this number only reflects white males registered to vote and speculate that the population may have been as high as 20,000 if women, children, and ethnic minorities were counted appropriately. By late 1881, Tombstone had several hundred mining claims, over 100 saloons, and numerous gambling halls and  brothels.  There were also fancy restaurants, banks, a bowling alley, an opera house, three newspapers, and many other businesses needed to keep a town that size running. 

Episcopalians had been meeting in the Mining Exchange Building and decided it was time for a church. Reverend Talbot organized a building project for the new church but left after only a few months and was replaced by 25-year-old Endicott Peabody, who had just completed his first semester at Episcopal Theological School in Cambridge, Massachusetts. After raising $5,000  from the miners, gamblers, sporting women, business owners, and other citizens, the church was completed and the first service was held on June 18, 1882, with services held every Sunday since. It is the oldest Protestant church in Arizona and the only Gothic Revival style church built out of adobe in the world. 

Listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1971, many features of the building are original, including the pews and the Belgian stained glass windows. The timber used for the ceiling and roof was hauled in by ox carts from the Chiricahua Mountains. The original light fixtures are said to have come from a sailing vessel, possibly an 1870s whaling ship. There have been renovations over the years, including electrifying the old lights. The bell tower was replaced after being struck by lightning and the building was stuccoed in 1970 to protect the hand-formed adobe brick. 

Peabody was from one of the wealthiest families in America, and his life both before and after Tombstone was spent among the wealthy. He was homesick while in Tombstone and left after only six months to return to theological school in Massachusetts. He graduated in 1884 and went on to found the Groton School, where he served as headmaster for 56 years. Notable students included Theodore Roosevelt's four sons and future president Franklin D. Roosevelt. One may wonder if perhaps his time spent with the little congregation in Tombstone influenced his ideas and values about the importance of public service and in turn influenced the course of America. 

Related Tags

History & Culture Old West Architectural Oddities Churches

Know Before You Go

This church is still in use and services are held every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. 

Community Contributors

Added By

CuriousMichele

Published

November 4, 2021

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.fdrlibraryvirtualtour.org/page04-03.asp
  • https://erpapers.columbian.gwu.edu/endicott-peabody-1857-1944
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
55 N 3rd St
Tombstone, Arizona, 85638
United States
31.714961, -110.067602
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Rose Tree Museum

Tombstone, Arizona

miles away

The Bird Cage Theater

Tombstone, Arizona

miles away

Boothill Graveyard

Tombstone, Arizona

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Tombstone

Tombstone

Arizona

Places 6

Nearby Places

Rose Tree Museum

Tombstone, Arizona

miles away

The Bird Cage Theater

Tombstone, Arizona

miles away

Boothill Graveyard

Tombstone, Arizona

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Tombstone

Tombstone

Arizona

Places 6

Related Places

  • Portenhaven Parish Church

    Portnahaven, Scotland

    Portnahaven Church

    According to local legend, this church was built with two doors, so that residents of two rival villages had their own entrances.

  • Burgh Saint Peter, England

    The Tower of St Mary's Church

    The story behind this uniquely-shaped tower involves ancient empires, local legends, and new words.

  • Ascoli Piceno, Italy

    Basilica di San Frances Musical Pillars

    These pillars at the main entrance of this church are actually a hidden musical instrument.

  • The Cathedral Café has been serving it’s community for more than 120 years.

    Fayetteville, West Virginia

    Cathedral Café

    Soak in the sacred vibes at this beloved food and coffee hangout inside a former church.

  • The church is known for its jagged, striking facade.

    Elblag, Poland

    Church of Our Lady Queen of Poland

    A striking church with a Tolkien-inspired nickname.

  • Vouliagmeni, Greece

    Saint Nikolaos of Vouliagmeni

    Past the megayachts in the hyper-modern marina of Vouliagmeni is a small, well-hidden chapel adorned with pebbles and maritime imagery.

  • The Cardboard Cathedral in 2013

    Christchurch, New Zealand

    Cardboard Cathedral

    This semi-permanent cathedral was built of cardboard, wood, and steel after Christchurch's 2011 earthquake.

  • Ruins of the church in Dvorine from above.

    Banja, Serbia

    Dvorine

    The remains of a luxurious 14th-century church built by the last despot of Serbia.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.