St. Paul’s is the oldest Catholic congregation in Portsmouth. The church began holding services in 1803. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it’s an excellent example of a compact Gothic Revival style, cruciform plan church. It is constructed of load-bearing masonry walls clad in quarry-faced granite. The church was designed by John Peebles (1876-1934) in 1897, and dedicated in 1905. It is the fifth church on the site and the only building in Olde Towne to utilize a flying butress for support. The butress can be viewed on the western face. Also on the property is a contributing rectory constructed in 1913.[3]