▁the ▁church ▁was ▁laid ▁by ▁the ▁Bishop ▁of ▁Mad ras ▁George ▁Sp encer ▁on ▁ 1 6 ▁March ▁ 1 8 4 3 ▁and ▁whilst ▁it ▁was ▁first ▁used ▁on ▁ 1 0 ▁August ▁ 1 8 4 6 ▁construction ▁work ▁was ▁still ▁in ▁progress . ▁The ▁church ▁was ▁primarily ▁constructed ▁out ▁of ▁solid ▁ter rac otta ▁br icks , ▁manufact ured ▁at ▁the ▁Government ▁brick works . ▁The ▁church ▁wasn ' t ▁completed ▁until ▁ 1 8 5 2 . ▁The ▁church ▁was ▁formally ▁consec r ated ▁on ▁ 2 5 ▁January ▁ 1 8 5 3 ▁( Fe ast ▁day ▁of ▁the ▁conversion ▁of ▁St . ▁Paul ) ▁by ▁the ▁first ▁Bishop ▁of ▁Col om bo , ▁James ▁Chap man . ▁ ▁The ▁church ▁was ▁en larg ed ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 8 ▁by ▁Arch de acon ▁Matthew , ▁with ▁addition ▁of ▁a ▁ch an cel , ▁vest ry , ▁and ▁organ ▁chamber . ▁The ▁br icks ▁however ▁were ▁inferior ▁to ▁the ▁original ▁and ▁therefore ▁con cret ed ▁over . ▁In ▁ 1 9 2 6 ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁significant ▁cra cks ▁appeared ▁in ▁the ▁church ▁walls ▁and ▁the ▁eastern ▁section ▁of ▁the ▁building ▁was ▁declared ▁unsafe . ▁The ▁re building ▁of ▁this ▁section ▁facil itated ▁a ▁new ▁extension ▁to ▁the ▁church , ▁the ▁ 5 0 - se at ▁Lady ▁Chap el , ▁which ▁was ▁completed ▁and ▁dedicated ▁in ▁August ▁ 1 9 2 8 . ▁ ▁As ▁it ▁was ▁first ▁used ▁by ▁British ▁officials ▁and ▁the ▁British ▁G