 St Paul 's , commonly known as the Actors ' Church , was designed by Inigo Jones as part of a commission by Francis Russell in 1631 to create " houses and buildings fitt for the <unk> of Gentlemen and men of ability " . Work on the church began that year and was completed in 1633 , at a cost of £ 4 @,@ 000 , but the church was not consecrated until 1638 . In 1645 Covent Garden was made a separate parish and the church was dedicated to St Paul . It is uncertain how much of Jones 's original building is left , as the church was damaged by fire in 1795 during restoration work by Thomas Hardwick ; it is believed that the columns are original but that the rest is mostly Georgian or Victorian reconstruction . 
