WILLIAMSBURG — On its 160th birthday, St. Paul's is having a party — and unveiling its newest addition, a shiny landmark sign.
The Evangelical Lutheran church on South Fifth and Rodney Streets, which was granted landmark status by the city last year, is finally revealing its new plaque Saturday and celebrating with an all-day street festival of music and activities.
To show off its Romanesque Revival architecture by J. C. Cady — who also designed the American Museum of Natural History — the brick and terra cotta church is swinging open its doors for tours throughout the day, as part of the New York Landmark Conservancy's Sacred Sites Program of open houses throughout the state.
The congregation, founded in 1852 and serving immigrants and other South Williamsburg residents, was designed with stained glass windows and a 135-foot bell tower in a style brought over from Central European journals and architects in the 1840's, according to the Landmarks Preservation Commission.
The church's landmark plaque will be unveiled Saturday, May 19, at 1 p.m. and the street festival runs from 10 a.m. — 5 p.m. Visitors can tour the church at 11 a.m., 2 p.m., 3 p.m., and 4 p.m.
