In 1852 an intrepid band of ecumenical worshippers gathered on Indian Rock in Narragansett with nothing but the open heavens over their bowed heads and sea gulls singing Gloria. They raised $4000 to build a wooden church, only to have it destroyed by a great Nor'Easter, leaving only the cross standing and one stained glass window unshattered. That very day, they met in the ruins and vowed to rebuild, this time in stone. St. Peter's by-the-Sea rose from that pile of splintered wood, both physically and spiritually. The current church building dates from that act of reconstruction in the early 1870s, and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. The congregation of faithful also rose, creating a legacy of worship, service, and discipleship. Through ups and downs, various parish buildings, and led by fourteen different rectors, St. Peter's has worked to respond to the call of God and the needs of the world.