The nave and tower of this church were designed in English Gothic Revival style by architect William Thomas and constructed in 1844-46. Previously the Anglican congregation had held services in a wooden structure on the site. It had been opened in 1834 but was destroyed by fire ten years later. The first resident missionary to serve the London area was the Reverend E.J. Boswell who arrived in 1829. He was succeeded by the Reverend Benjamin Cronyn in 1833. In 1857 the Diocese of Huron was created and St. Paul's designated as its cathedral. Here for the first time in the British Empire a synod elected a bishop. Extensively altered in 1892-94, the building remains one of London's outstanding landmarks.