For most of American history the tallest thing on Main Street was a steeple. Long before water towers and office blocks, a spire told travelers where the town center was, held the bell that kept its time, and gave carpenters and masons a chance to show off. Many of those historic downtown churches still stand, and their towers remain the landmark you steer by while you browse the storefronts below.
This Sunday we picked seven, starting with a small 1892 frame chapel in Green River, Wyoming, then heading east and back west again: a Gothic cathedral in Savannah, a golden hand in Port Gibson, a meetinghouse that came home to the Litchfield Green, the steeple Providence raised in 1775, Boston’s Old North and the twin spires above Helena. We treat each one as architecture and local history. Most are active congregations, so visit respectfully, check posted hours, and enjoy the shops and cafés a short walk away.
Filed under Play, one of our four story sections: Shop, Dine, Play, Stay.
St. John’s Episcopal Church (1892), now Casa de Oracion
Green River, Wyoming · An 1892 frame chapel beneath Castle Rock
Episcopal services in Green River began in 1883 in the county courthouse. In 1892 the congregation opened a small wooden church on the hillside below Castle Rock, overlooking the Green River Valley; it seated about 100 people and was the third church built in town. Local preservation records describe it as the oldest church building still standing in Green River.
The Episcopal congregation moved out in 1970. From 1976 to 1979 the building served as a senior citizens’ center, and in 1979 the Casa de Oracion congregation bought it and has worshiped there since. St. John’s Episcopal continues in a separate, newer building at 350 Mansface Street.
The steepleThe bell tower carries decorative wooden shingle patterns, brackets under its cornice and a pedestal for the spire, which ends in a cross-shaped finial. Pointed Gothic windows with stained-glass panes light the nave. It is frontier carpentry rather than stone, and that is the charm: a hand-built spire set against a sandstone butte.
VisitingThe 1892 building is an active church, so admire it from the street. Downtown Green River and the Sweetwater County Historical Museum are a few blocks south.
- Address
- 72 W. 2nd North, Green River, Wyo.
- Built
- 1892
- Style
- Wood-frame Gothic-style chapel with a gable roof and an attached study
- Steeple
- Shingled bell tower and spire; no published height
- Today
- Casa de Oracion (since 1979). St. John’s Episcopal meets at 350 Mansface St., Sundays at 11 a.m.
- Nearby downtown
- Sweetwater County Historical Museum, free exhibits tracing the region from Indigenous peoples through the railroad and mining eras, Tuesday–Saturday 9–5, 3 E. Flaming Gorge Way · Instagram ↗
- Then cross to Expedition Island, the riverside park where John Wesley Powell’s 1869 river survey set out.
Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist
Savannah, Georgia · Twin 207-foot spires on Lafayette Square
Savannah’s Catholic cathedral was dedicated in 1876 on Lafayette Square, one of the city’s shaded 18th-century green spaces. Architect Ephraim Francis Baldwin drew it in the French Gothic style, and the twin spires were completed in 1896.
Two years later, on Feb. 6, 1898, fire gutted the building and left only its outer walls and those spires standing. Savannah rebuilt it inside the shell, and it was rededicated in 1900. Pope Francis named it a minor basilica in 2020.
The steepleThe cathedral’s own figures put the spires at 207 feet, with crosses adding seven more, and they hold 16 terra-cotta gargoyles. A restoration that began in fall 2024 replaced corroding steel supports; when it wrapped up in November 2025, the bells rang again over the Historic District.
VisitingVisitors are welcome Monday–Saturday 9–11:30 a.m. and 1–4:30 p.m., and Sunday 1–4:30 p.m., except during services; a $3 donation is suggested. It closes on Thanksgiving Day.
- Address
- 222 E. Harris St., Savannah, Ga.
- Built
- Dedicated 1876; spires 1896; rebuilt after the 1898 fire and rededicated 1900
- Architect
- Ephraim Francis Baldwin
- Steeple
- Twin spires, 207 feet (214 with crosses)
- Nearby downtown
- The Book Lady Bookstore, new, used and rare books in a downtown basement shop, 6 E. Liberty St. · Instagram ↗
- Clary’s Cafe, a long-running breakfast and lunch counter, 404 Abercorn St. (check the site for current hours)
First Presbyterian Church
Port Gibson, Mississippi · A golden hand points skyward
Port Gibson’s Presbyterians organized in 1807 and began this brick sanctuary on Church Street in 1859; the sanctuary was dedicated on Dec. 16, 1860. Local tradition says Ulysses S. Grant called the town “too beautiful to burn,” and residents still quote the phrase with pride.
Its steeple is one of the most recognizable in the South. Instead of a cross or weathervane, a gilded hand points straight up, index finger extended.
The steepleThe first hand was carved from wood by Daniel Foley; a metal one replaced it around the turn of the 20th century. Today’s hand is more than 10 feet tall, covered in gold leaf, and it was lowered, re-gilded and hoisted back in 2017. The church measures 147 feet from sidewalk to fingertip.
VisitingChurch Street is lined with historic houses of worship, so park once and walk. The Natchez Trace Parkway passes just outside town for a scenic drive afterward.
- Address
- 605 Church St., Port Gibson, Miss.
- Built
- 1859–60
- Style
- Romanesque Revival; architect James Jones
- Steeple
- 147 feet to the fingertip, per the congregation
- Nearby downtown
- Two blocks along Church Street, Temple Gemiluth Chessed (1891–92, No. 706) blends Moorish, Byzantine and Romanesque styles, a rare sight in Mississippi. Its congregation closed in 1986, and the building is viewed from outside.
First Congregational Church of Litchfield
Litchfield, Connecticut · The meetinghouse that came home
The white meetinghouse at the head of the Litchfield Green was finished in 1829 for a congregation gathered in 1721. Its Ionic portico and four-stage tower follow the pattern James Gibbs set at St Martin-in-the-Fields in London.
In 1873, when Victorian Gothic was in fashion, the building was rolled a short way down the road without its steeple and spent decades as an assembly hall and movie theater. Residents brought it back in 1929–30, and architect Richard H. Dana restored it with a new spire.
The steepleThat spire is a 1929–30 re-creation crowning an 1829 building, and it is the centerpiece of Litchfield’s National Historic Landmark district. Seen across the green, it is the postcard image of a New England town.
VisitingLitchfield’s shops and restaurants face the green along West Street, a two-minute walk from the church steps.
- Address
- 21 Torrington Rd., Litchfield, Conn.
- Built
- 1829; moved 1873; returned and restored 1929–30
- Style
- Federal/Greek Revival with a Gibbs-style tower
- Steeple
- Four-stage tower and spire; no published height
- Nearby downtown
- R. Derwin, a men’s and women’s clothing boutique on the green for more than 30 years, 33 West St. · Instagram ↗
- West Street Grill, New American lunch and dinner on the green since 1990, 43 West St. · Instagram ↗
First Baptist Church in America
Providence, Rhode Island · A 185-foot spire raised in 1775
The congregation traces its roots to 1638 and Roger Williams, the founder of Rhode Island. Its meeting house on North Main Street was dedicated in May 1775, weeks after fighting began at Lexington and Concord.
Merchant and amateur architect Joseph Brown designed it from plates in James Gibbs’s Book of Architecture, so the building is thoroughly Georgian: an 80-foot-square hall under a tall white tower.
The steepleThe congregation says its 185-foot steeple went up in three and a half days in 1775, and it has come through New England’s hurricanes ever since. Architectural historians link the design to one of Gibbs’s alternatives for St Martin-in-the-Fields that London never built.
VisitingFree guided tours run Tuesday and Thursday at noon, 12:30, 1 and 1:30 (use the Waterman Street side door) and after the Sunday service.
- Address
- 75 N. Main St., Providence, R.I.
- Built
- Dedicated 1775
- Designer
- Joseph Brown, after James Gibbs
- Steeple
- 185 feet, per the church
- Nearby downtown
- Craftland, a Downcity shop selling work by local artists and makers, 212 Westminster St.
- Small Point Cafe, coffee and breakfast sandwiches a few doors down, 230 Westminster St. (closed Tuesdays)
- Both are about a ten-minute walk west across the Providence River into Downcity.
Old North Church (Christ Church in the City of Boston)
Boston, Massachusetts · Two lanterns, April 18, 1775
Built in 1723 in the North End, this is the oldest standing church building in Boston, a Georgian brick hall inspired by Christopher Wren’s London churches. On the night of April 18, 1775, Robert Newman and John Pulling hung two lanterns in its steeple to warn that British troops were crossing by water.
Its tower holds eight change-ringing bells cast in England in 1744, which the church calls the oldest such set in North America. A teenage Paul Revere was among the first ringers.
The steepleThe first wooden spire, added in 1740, made Old North the tallest structure in Boston. A gale toppled it in 1804, and its shorter successor fell to Hurricane Carol in 1954. The steeple you see today went up in 1955 as a steel-reinforced copy of the 1740 design, still topped by Shem Drowne’s original weathervane.
VisitingOld North is open Tuesday–Saturday 10–5 and Sunday 12:30–5; a self-guided pass costs $10 for adults, and a bell-chamber tour adds the climb. Hours can shift by season.
- Address
- 193 Salem St., Boston, Mass.
- Built
- 1723; spire 1740, rebuilt 1806 and 1955
- Style
- Georgian, after Christopher Wren
- Steeple
- Often cited at 191 feet; the church publishes no figure
- Nearby downtown
- Polcari’s Coffee, a family coffee and spice shop since 1932, a block away at 105 Salem St. · Instagram ↗
- Modern Pastry, Italian pastries and cannoli baked in the neighborhood for more than 90 years, 257 Hanover St. · Instagram ↗
Cathedral of St. Helena
Helena, Montana · Twin spires modeled on Vienna
Helena was a gold-rush capital, and its cathedral was built to match. The cornerstone was laid in 1908 and the first Mass was held in 1914. Architect A.O. Von Herbulis modeled it on the Votivkirche in Vienna.
The 1935 earthquakes badly damaged the south tower, which was rebuilt by 1938. The cathedral has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1980.
The steepleThe twin spires are commonly cited at about 230 feet, and each carries a gold-leafed cross. The north tower holds a set of 15 bells, a short walk uphill from the shops on Last Chance Gulch.
VisitingFree guided tours run Tuesday–Thursday, 1–3 p.m., from Memorial Day through summer; the cathedral is otherwise open daily for quiet visits.
- Address
- 530 N. Ewing St., Helena, Mont.
- Built
- 1908–14; consecrated 1924
- Architect
- A.O. Von Herbulis
- Steeple
- Twin spires, about 230 feet
- Nearby downtown
- Montana Book Company, an independent bookstore open more than 40 years, 331 N. Last Chance Gulch · Instagram ↗
- Fire Tower Coffee House, house-roasted coffee with breakfast and lunch, Monday–Saturday 8–2, 422 N. Last Chance Gulch · Instagram ↗
Visiting tip for any of these: most are working congregations. Go between services, keep voices low inside, and ask before photographing people. Gift shops, donation boxes and the cafés nearby are good ways to support the buildings and the downtowns around them. More Sunday reading: 6 small town art galleries and Route 66 at 100.
Frequently asked questions
Which church is said to be the oldest in Green River, Wyoming?
St. John’s Episcopal Church, opened in 1892 at 72 W. 2nd North, is described by local preservation records as the oldest church building still standing in Green River. The Casa de Oracion congregation has owned it since 1979; St. John’s Episcopal now meets at 350 Mansface St.
Why does the Port Gibson church steeple have a hand on top?
First Presbyterian Church in Port Gibson, Mississippi, chose a gilded hand pointing skyward instead of a cross. The first was carved from wood; the current metal hand is more than 10 feet tall and was re-gilded in 2017.
How tall are the Savannah cathedral spires?
The Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist gives its twin spires as 207 feet, or 214 including the crosses.
Can you go inside Old North Church?
Yes. The church in Boston’s North End welcomes visitors most days with a paid self-guided pass, plus an optional bell-chamber tour. Check oldnorth.com for seasonal hours.
Are these churches open to visitors?
Savannah, Providence, Boston and Helena publish visitor hours or tours. Green River, Port Gibson and Litchfield are active congregations without set tour hours, so enjoy the architecture from outside or attend a public service.
Sources
- St. John’s Episcopal Church (Casa de Oracion), Clio, citing the Green River Historic Preservation Commission
- St. John’s, Green River, Episcopal Diocese of Wyoming
- National Register listings, Green River, Wyoming SHPO
- Sweetwater County Historical Museum
- Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist: history
- Cathedral Basilica: special features (spire heights)
- Cathedral Basilica: visiting
- First Presbyterian Church of Port Gibson
- “Iconic golden hand back atop Port Gibson church,” EPC
- Temple Gemiluth Chessed, Historical Marker Database
- First Congregational Church of Litchfield: history
- Litchfield Historic District, National Park Service NPGallery
- First Baptist Church in America: tours
- Old North Church: the story of the steeples
- Old North Church, National Park Service
- Cathedral of St. Helena: history
- Cathedral of St. Helena, NRHP record
How we chose: churches and meetinghouses with a landmark steeple, standing in or beside a walkable downtown, spread across seven states and mixing small towns with cities. Dates, architects and heights come from each church’s own website, National Register and National Park Service records, or local preservation records, checked on Nov. 15, 2026; where sources disagree on a height we say so. Nearby businesses were checked on their own sites, and we link only to Instagram accounts that a business links from its own website. This is a story about architecture and local history, not an endorsement of any faith. Photos come from Wikimedia Commons under free licenses and are credited at the bottom of the page.
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