Church of the Week: St. Mary Aldermanbury Church, Fulton, Missouri

On a recent visit to Fulton, Missouri, the lovely Robin and I took the time to visit the National Churchill Museum on the campus of Westminster College. Part of the museum experience is the Church of St. Mary Aldermanbury, a beautiful church with a unique and fascinating story. 

St. Mary Aldermanbury was originally located in London. A previous structure on the site (first mentioned in 1181) was destroyed by the Great Fire of London in 1666. It was then rebuilt in Portland stone by the great architect Christopher Wren. It was once more largely destroyed in 1940, gutted by the bombs of the Battle of Britain, which left only the walls standing.

However, In 1966 the remaining stones were transported to Fulton, Missouri, by the residents of that town, and lovingly reassembled and reconstructed at Westminster College as a memorial to Winston Churchill, who had made his famous "Iron Curtain" speech in the Westminster College Gymnasium in 1946. If I remember correctly, the pulpit (above) is a Christopher Wren creation. 

The choir loft and pipe organ are among the majestic features of the church. 

The chapel features a bust of my good friend William Shakespeare, who was connected to the original church somehow.

I found it impossible to capture the striking and inspiring entrance of natural light through the church's many windows, but the above represents my best attempt. From both outside and inside, the windows are perhaps the church's dominant feature.

The church is entered through the museum (and is included in the small entrance fee). It is in great demand as a wedding venue.