St. Paul German Evangelical was organized in 1843 by Reverend Hoffimmer, who came from Cincinnati to start a church. The cornerstone for the church, then known as Deutsche Protestantische St. Paulus Kirche, was laid on August 27, 1876, and it was consecrated on September 2, 1877. Pastor Eisenlobr and close to 800 people came from Cincinnati on a special boat up the Ohio River and marched in procession from the New Richmond waterfront for the ceremony. Among the associating members were Charles Wulf, John A. Kratzer, Adam Moser, Philip Broemer, Michael Hausserman, Dr. Schroem, and others. In 1907 a lightning storm struck and exploded the steeple from the bell tower; the original bell remains, but the steeple was never replaced.