The stone church of St Paul's, at Tai Tapu, was built by Sir Robert Heaton Rhodes (1861 - 1956) in memory of his wife, Jessie Cooper Clark (1865-1929). Rhodes was a prominent landowner, politician and philanthropist, whose wife of 38 years, Jessie, died of a cerebral haemorrhage in October 1929. Rhodes announced the following April that he intended to have a new stone church built at Tai Tapu in her memory. Jessie was noted for her philanthropic work with organisations such as Nurse Maude's District Nursing Association, the Plunket Society and Canterbury Girl Guides, as well as for her generous support of St Paul's and the local parish. The Rhodes family had been associated with Tai Tapu since Rhodes' father and uncles had subdivided some of their Ahuriri run into sections for a new town in 1875. The first church of St Paul's was erected the following year to a design of local architect Frederick Strouts and Sir Heaton Rhodes was elected to the vestry in 1896. By 1929 the vestry of St Paul's had decided to build a new church, rather than maintain the old, and a building fund was started, which Jessie supported, leaving £250 to it in her will. The vestry happily accepted Rhodes' offer to build them a new church in Jessie's name and the plans Rhodes had commissioned Christchurch architect Cecil Wood (1878-1947) to draw up. Wood designed a number of churches throughout Canterbury and was heavily influenced in their design by the Arts and Craft ecclesiastical architecture current in England during his time working there. Wood's design for St Paul's is similar to his design for St Barnabas, Fendalton, constructed four years earlier, with clearly differentiated nave, chancel and transepts and a square crenellated tower over the main entrance. Local stone was used at St Paul's, with the bulk of the stone coming from Banks Peninsula. The red stones that form the quoins and facings were quarried from Rhodes' own property, Otahuna, (also registered by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust/Pouhere Taonga) and this involved opening up a number of old quarries on the property. A piece of granite was shipped over from Jessie's family home in Australia to form the foundation stone. Other materials from overseas used in the church include Australian sandstone, used for the mullions and tracery of the windows, and timber from Canada. The interior of St Paul's is particularly beautiful and reflects the successful working partnership developed between Wood and local carver, Frederick Gurnsey (1868-1953). Among the elements Gurnsey carved are the portable lectern, prayer desk, font cover and the altar. Many of these carvings were based on detailed drawings by Wood. Links were also created between the old and the new churches; the base of the sundial was the font from the old church and it stands on the spot where the old church once stood. The trees and bushes that surround St Paul's were paid for out of the proceeds from the sale of the old church. The commission for St Paul's proved to be a blessing for both Wood and Gurnsey, coming as it did during the Depression. Rhodes' commitment to the church provided both architect and carver with an opportunity to display their exceptional craftsmanship and the end result was a fine example of an Arts and Crafts church. This carefully crafted style of church was a hallmark of Wood's practice and St Paul's has been described by at least one writer on Wood's work as his best. St Paul's was built as a memorial to Rhodes' wife Jessie and her commitment to numerous charitable community organisations. It also stands, in conjunction with the neighbouring library, as an example of Rhodes' many philanthropic works for the local community. He enjoyed, according to his biographer Geoffrey Rice being seen as the 'Squire of Tai Tapu' and assisted the township and parish in many ways. The church with its grounds forms a picturesque part of Tai Tapu and continues to be used as an Anglican church today.