The first Episcopal Church in Fayetteville was organized in May, 1848, by The Rev W.C. Stout and a small group, who met in private homes for about six years. Then, in October, 1854, a frame church building at the corner of what is now College and Meadow was dedicated by Bishop Freeman. During the early stages of the Civil War, the church was struck by lightning and destroyed.

Formal church activities were suspended until peacetime, when Episcopalians began to gather and worship in the home of Sarah Dickson and, later, in the Masonic Hall. From 1872 until 1888, during the tenure of The Rev. J.J. Vaulx (see picture to the right), a new worship center in the first portion of the building in which St. Paul's currently meets  was gradually constructed with wood and brick. When the new building on East Avenue was dedicated in April, 1888, the Episcopal Church in Fayetteville listed one hundred twelve members. In the 20th Century, additions to the worship space brought us the chancel, a pipe organ and more seating in the nave. The Guild Hall was attached to the bell tower. In the 1950's, the offices, library, upstairs education space, kitchen and parish hall were added. A bit later, the current nursery, library, choir room and vesting area were constructed. A capital funds drive in 1992 enabled St. Paul's to complete necessary structural and mechanical repairs along with renovation of the existing buildings.

An old motel between the church and College Avenue was razed, making way for the parking lot. But now, at the beginning of the 21st Century, St. Paul's is bursting at the seams. The membership and ministries of the Episcopal Church in Fayetteville have grown measurably in recent years. St. Paul's has lots of children, lots of teenagers (the largest active group in the Diocese of Arkansas), lots of choristers, lots of classes, and lots of activities. Handling space allocation and scheduling conflicts is a major administrative challenge. In 1999, a series of parish meetings and survey of needs produced, with the help of parishioners with backgrounds in architecture and construction, an overview of an expansion of St. Paul's buildings. The firm of Foster Evans Witsell & Rasco was engaged to translate that report into a design. The Vestry elected to participate in the Diocese of Arkansas' Raise the Roof capital stewardship campaign and, by that decision, St. Paul's obtained the services of a consulting organization which assists parishes in realizing their expansion goals. The success of our "Raise the Roof" fundraising campaign made the design a reality, with the dedication of the new Parish Hall taking place Easter 2002!

The Altar and Good Shepherd Window

The altar at St. Paul's was given, through a bequest from Julia Ramsey Vaulx, as a memorial to James Vaulx. Ms. Ramsey Vaulx was a long-time head of the library and had a distinguished career at the University. She was also a life-long member of St. Paul's.

The Good Shepherd window, above the altar, was given by the second wife of Thomas D. Boles, Ms. Clementine Watson. The children memorialized there are from this second marriage and none survived. The Boles were all devout Presbyterians therefore this is "the only entry in the book" from the Boles family.