St. Paulus Lutheran Church, Lutheran church in Western Addition, San Francisco, United States.
St. Paulus Lutheran Church is a Gothic Revival building in Western Addition with three prominent spires that shape its vertical profile. The structure on Eddy Street displays the distinctive architectural features typical of this design period.
The building was founded in 1867 when Pastor Jacob M. Buehler established the first Lutheran day school west of the Rocky Mountains. This school marked an important contribution to San Francisco's educational landscape at that time.
The congregation shifted from German to English services during World War I, reflecting San Francisco's changing population. Today you can see how a once German-speaking community became part of the wider city.
The building holds regular services at accessible hours and is easy to reach on foot in this neighborhood. Keep in mind this is an active place of worship, so visitors should respect service times.
During the 1906 earthquake, firefighters protected the building at the pastor's request and it later served as shelter for people who lost their homes. This role shows how important the building was to the local community.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.