St. Peter's Episcopal Church

St. Peter's Episcopal Church

St. Peter's Episcopal Church Bret Morgan

St. Peter's Episcopal Church

1867, Corbett Brothers. 1873–1874, John G. Parker. 312 N. Division St.

This white clapboard church, the oldest extant Episcopal church in the state, looks as if it belongs in a New England town. In fact, many of the congregation's members had come from the East, and they constructed a building that reflected their roots. The tall, narrow steeple, the lancet windows, and the steep gable roof all contribute to the verticality of the structure. Narrow horizontal siding gives the church a severe but monumental aspect. Small carved brackets under the eaves and along the gables add Italianate detail to a building with Gothic-inspired arches, round vent, and steeple. The original part of the church measured 46 by 27 feet. By 1873 the congregation had outgrown the building, so a rear addition was constructed in 1873–1874, lengthening the church to 70 feet. Wings projecting from this addition housed the lecture and Sunday school rooms. The entry vestibule leads directly into a rectangular, four-bay nave that ends in a shallow, slightly elevated chancel at the west end. Four windows on each side, with colored leaded glass, let in a limited amount of light. An arcaded three-bay screen separates the nave from the chancel. The church is in excellent condition and has been altered little since 1874.

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