St. Peter's by the Sea
Gulfport, Miss.
Errol Barron / Michael Toups Architects

Domesticating the Episcopal church with the architectural language of carpenter gothic

© Alan Karchmer

For more photos click on 'photos & drawings' above. To see the people and products behind this project click on 'people & products.'

By Christine Kreyling

St. Peter's by the Sea wanted to return to tradition after a lengthy sojourn in 1950s architecture. Rector and building committee asked architect Errol Barron for a 200-person-capacity church, a 24-seat chapel, and space for a large organ and choir. Other requirements included a parish hall, offices, classrooms, storage, and an outdoor area for informal gatherings.

Barron manipulated the perception of scale by dividing the exterior of the church horizontally, into an upper facade of wood and, to the height of the low side aisles, a stucco base with an acrylic finish etched to look like masonry. He also placed four peaks on the bell tower rather than a single and more massive cap. The verticality of the board-and-batten siding is suitably Gothic, the cedar stained rather than painted for a rustic finish. The broad eaves, with their long rafter tails and brackets, cast shadows that further texture the surface. The brackets also help the building to resist winds in this hurricane-prone area.

The most striking feature of the plan is the interlocking relationship between church and chapel. Screened by the reredos behind the altar, the chapel serves as choir space for Sunday services, with the organ recessed into its floor. Choir and organ are thus hidden from the congregation, suggesting a heavenly source for the sound. When the chapel is used for discrete services, chairs are turned to face the altar, and the clear glass apse that pushes south into the prayer garden provides views of live oaks, beach, and gulf.

Interior materials—brick-and-slate floors, board-and-batten and beaded wood, mahogany trim with a nautical spar varnish—reinforce the country church character. Side aisle windows are stained glass, blocking unsightly views, and clear lancet windows in the nave offer vistas of sky and clouds.

St. Peter's is integrated by means of a breezeway connecting church with terrace and parish hall porch. A pavilion of lattice, wrapped around a live oak, frames the path to the gulf.

See the October 2001 issue of Architectural Record for full coverage of this project.

Formal name of Project:
St. Peter's by the Sea

Location:
Gulfport, Miss.

Size:
12,500 sq ft

Cost:
$2 million

Owner:
St. Peters by the Sea

Architect's firm:
Errol Barron / Michael Toups Architects
400 N Peters St.
New Orleans, LA 70130
Phone: 504.581.7845
Fax: 504.581.9474