Later Modifications
Over the course of the 19th century, the simplified liturgy with an emphasis on preaching that was prevalent in Virginia when St. Paul’s was built gave way in the Episcopal Church and in St. Paul’s to a greater emphasis on ritual. By the late 1800s, the high pulpit in front of the altar had been replaced by a pulpit set to the side, and in 1906 the chancel alcove in the Latrobe design was recessed 40 feet.
As a result of further change in liturgical emphasis to give the Eucharist a more central role in worship, the altar was moved in 1968 from the rear of the recessed chancel to its center. At that time, the organ in the chancel was replaced. A new organ constructed by Casavant Frères was installed in the West gallery.
Throughout, the church façade has experienced only periodic repairs and has remained true to Latrobe’s design.
Read more about this topic: St. Paul's Episcopal Church (Alexandria, Virginia), Architecture