St Pauls Church

Location

839 Upper Serangoon Rd

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Built in 1936, St. Paul’s Church’s origins could be traced back to the 1930s when a group of Anglican Christians began meeting for worship in the house of one of the congregants located along Upper Serangoon Road. Most of the early congregants were from the families of British military personnel deployed to the north-eastern part of Singapore.

Over the years, the size of the congregation grew and the Anglican Diocese wanted to extend its reach to the population living in the rural areas of Singapore. Consequently, in 1935, the Angelican Diocese purchased the current site to construct a new church building.

The cost of building the church was borne by George Rae Oehlers, a prominent Eurasian contractor, who was also a server at the main Anglican cathedral, St. Andrew’s Cathedral. Oehlers, whose family resided along Upper Serangoon Road, built the church in memory of his son Harry, who had died in a motorcar accident in England in 1934. The foundation stone of the church was laid in 1935 by Sir Andrew Caldecott, Governor of Hong Kong.

The church building has also undergone rounds of renovations and extensions over the years to better serve its congregants. Its present parish hall was added in 1982 and further extensions were completed in 1994. Besides functioning as a place of worship, St. Paul’s Church also serves the community in Hougang through its social welfare work for the vulnerable and needy.

From National Monuments to memories of diverse communities who call Hougang home, these three thematic trails are designed to bring you on a journey of discovery. Explore Hougang beyond its modern housing estates, trace its stories through its built heritage, and get to know how it transformed from kampongs into the suburb it is today.