10 Little Known Facts About Earl Hall and St. Paul's Chapel

August 04, 2022

As we gear up for the start of the semester, take the opportunity to learn a few little known facts about the two buildings the Office of Religious Life manages on campus - Earl Hall and St. Paul's Chapel! 

  1. The two families who donated the funds for Earl Hall and St. Paul's Chapel, the Dodge Family and the Phelps Stokes family, respectively, were distantly related.  
  2. In 1912, the founder of the Baha'i faith's son, Abdu-l Baha, gave a speech at Earl Hall. Earl Hall is a pilgrimage site for many followers of the Baha'i faith tradition today. 
  3. During WWI, medical offices were held on the first floor of Earl Hall. Today, offices for staff and religious life advisers, as well as a meditation and Muslim prayer room are on the first floor of Earl Hall. 
  4. Harry Edmonds, founder of International House, hosted the Cosmpolitan Club's first international dinner at Earl Hall in 1922. Edmonds would go on to lead International House on Claremont St. when it first opened. 
  5. The first Catholic Mass was said in St. Paul's Chapel in 1964. Catholic Mass is celebrated every weekday and each Sunday throughout the academic year in St. Paul's. 
  6. Simon and Garfunkel recorded parts of their Bridge Over Troubled Waters album in St. Paul's Chapel. Weekly concerts throughout the academic year utilize the same great acoustics of the space. 
  7. The St. Paul's Chapel annual Christmas concerts in the 1980s drew over 1500 guests each year. In the last few years, our Sacred Music program has restarted a holiday music program. Stay tuned this December for a new slate of concerts. 
  8. In 1987, Columbia Community Impact was created after two student groups merged and with the guidance of the Director of Earl Hall. Community Impact has continued to grow since then and is the hub for student community service opportunities year round. 
  9. During the 1990s, there was a cafe in Earl Hall - The Earl Hall Commons - that served students, faculty and staff. 
  10. The 2017 restoration project of St. Paul's Chapel garnered numerous prestigious awards including the Lucy G. Moses award from the New York Landmarks Conservancy and the 2020 Preservation Award from the Victorian Society in America. 

Stop by Earl Hall and St. Paul's Chapel when you get back to campus to experience these historic buildings!