Grace Episcopal Church (Hopkinsville, Kentucky)

Last updated
Grace Episcopal Church
Grace Church (Hopkinsville).jpg
The Church's entrance on East 6th St.
USA Kentucky location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location216 East 6th St., Hopkinsville, Kentucky
Coordinates 36°51′59″N87°29′10″W / 36.86639°N 87.48611°W / 36.86639; -87.48611
Area0.4 acres (0.16 ha)
Built1883
ArchitectJ. Rosenplanter,
Robert Mills
Architectural style English Gothic Revival
NRHP reference No. 82002679 [1]
Added to NRHPJanuary 28, 1982

Grace Episcopal Church is a historic Episcopal parish at 216 East 6th Street in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, United States. The current (second) building was built in 1883 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. The church is a member of the Episcopal Diocese of Kentucky.

Contents

History

Hopkinsville's first Episcopal parish was started around 1830 by Bishop Benjamin B. Smith and the Reverend George P. Giddinge, who was the first Missioner in Charge. Coincidentally, both of the men who lent their names to Hopkinsville and Christian County - respectively, Samuel Hopkins and William Christian - were both Episcopalians. After meeting in a Presbyterian church and the local courthouse, the members of Grace Episcopal Church constructed their first building around 1850 near the northern end of its present location. [2] Additionally, the very first rectory still exists at the northwestern corner of Fifth and Liberty streets.

On October 10, 1875, Christian County native and president of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War, Jefferson Davis, worshiped at Grace Church. The parish maintains a historical marker which mentions this visit. Grace Episcopal Church's current building dates to 1883, when funds were gathered for its construction. It features English Gothic Revival architecture, which was popular at the time. John C. Latham Jr., a locally renowned philanthropist from Hopkinsville, financed the majority of the cost. To return this favor, Grace Church designed two stained glass windows in the nave to honor him and his mother, Virginia Glass Latham. Latham's generosity also extended to include the purchase of an Estey Organ for the sanctuary and a $50,000 endowment following his death in 1909.

At a time when African Americans were still being oppressed in the American South, Nat Gaither opened a Christian education program to benefit black children in the 1880s. With the help of parishioners from Grace Church, Alexander Hamilton (A.H.) McNeil (The first permanent black episcopal clergyman in Christian County) raised money and constructed a separate church, Chapel of the Good Shepherd, in 1896. It was designed in the Neo-Federal style and is now occupied by the Aaron McNeil House. In the twentieth century, two additions were made to Grace Church: Gaither Hall in 1906 and All Saints Hall in 1985. [3]

Grace Commons

Grace Commons, a medieval-inspired labyrinth across from Grace Church's East 6th Street entrance. Grace Commons.jpg
Grace Commons, a medieval-inspired labyrinth across from Grace Church's East 6th Street entrance.

Grace Commons is a labyrinth. It was designed with eleven circuits and modeled after the one integrated into the stone floor of Chartres Cathedral in Chartres, France circa 1201. The turns in the circuits are placed into four quadrants with a six-petal rosette in the center. Grace Commons is open to the public, not just members of Grace Episcopal Church. It is located at the corner of Seventh and Liberty Streets facing the main parish building. There are two entrances into the labyrinth, one with steps descending from a parking lot on Sixth Street and another that is wheelchair-accessible from Seventh Street. [4]

Grace Episcopal Church gained the site now occupied by the Commons in November 2004. It was purchased by the parish with an endowment and an anonymous donation. The locally renowned Latham Hotel once stood on part of the property before a fire destroyed it in 1940. Yet, the building remained through Grace Church's purchase some sixty years later. Therefore, the parish leadership (i.e., the vestry) negotiated for about a year before deciding to raze the building in favor of creating a labyrinth to benefit the community. Grace Commons was constructed by Labyrinths in Stone from Yorkville, Illinois and was finished in October 2008. A secular ribbon-cutting ceremony was conducted by Hopkinsville civic leaders on May 26, 2009, and an ecclesial dedication was held by Bishop Ted Gulick on July 19, 2009. [5]

All Saints Hall

All Saints Hall is a small convention center attached to Grace Episcopal Church's main structure. The building efforts that led to its construction began in 1976 when the Reverend J. Roland Johnston served as rector. Even after his death, Grace parish sought to gain all of its surrounding properties in order to regenerate a dying neighborhood which compromised its existence. This was accomplished by 1984 and included the acquisition of an automobile body shop, a plumbing store, a billiards hall, and a Veterans of Foreign Wars Club. The demolition projects cost Grace Church over $200,000, which were financed by a substantial bequest and a budgetary allocation. It was designed by a local architect named Tom M. Paine. The construction of All Saints Hall was about $375,000, made possible by the Diocese of Kentucky Revolving Fund and Planters Bank and Trust Company. Additionally, about half of the building's total cost was raised in special pledges and congregational donations. A groundbreaking ceremony was held on March 4, 1984, and completed by the Rader Construction Company in 1985. Grace parish gathered for the first time in All Saints Hall for a dinner on November 14, 1984. Today, it is used for meals and other functions, to include a nursery and weekday preschool. The addition features hand-blown stained glass and a variety of heraldic banners adorned with apostolic symbols, which were designed by the St. Elizabeth's Guild and the Episcopal Church Women. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grace Cathedral, San Francisco</span> Cathedral church of the Episcopal Diocese of California in San Francisco

Grace Cathedral is an American cathedral of the Episcopal Church in San Francisco, California. On top of Nob Hill, Grace is the cathedral church of the Episcopal Diocese of California, led by Bishop Marc Andrus since 2006, while the cathedral's local parish has been led by Dean Malcolm Clemens Young since 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. John's Cathedral (Knoxville, Tennessee)</span> Church in Tennessee, United States

St. John's Cathedral located at 413 Cumberland Avenue in Knoxville, Tennessee, is the cathedral church of the Episcopal Diocese of East Tennessee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grace Episcopal Church (Syracuse, New York)</span> Historic church in New York, United States

Grace Episcopal Church is an historic Episcopal parish in Syracuse, New York. The Gothic Revival building was designed by Horatio Nelson White and was built in 1876. It is located at 819 Madison Avenue near Syracuse University. On March 20, 1973, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Michael's Anglican Church (Charleston, South Carolina)</span> Historic church in South Carolina, United States

St. Michael's AnglicanChurch is a historic church and the oldest surviving religious structure in Charleston, South Carolina. It is located at Broad and Meeting streets on one of the Four Corners of Law, and represents ecclesiastical law. It was built in the 1750s by order of the South Carolina Assembly. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a National Historic Landmark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christ Church Cathedral (Indianapolis)</span> Historic church in Indiana, United States

Christ Church Cathedral is the cathedral for the Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis. Christ Church parish was formally organized in 1837. The present-day church building was erected in 1857 on Monument Circle at the center of downtown Indianapolis to replace the parish's first church built on the same site. Designed by architect William Tinsley, the English Gothic Revival-style structure is the oldest church building in Indianapolis and Marion County, Indiana, that has remained in continuous use. It is also the oldest building on Monument Circle. Christ Church is known for its music, especially its pipe organs, one of which was donated by Ruth Lilly, and its professional Choir of Men and Boys and Girls' Choir. The parish is also known for its community service, including an annual strawberry festival fundraiser and other charitable work. Christ Church Cathedral was added to the National Register of Historic Places on July 10, 1973. It is located in the Washington Street-Monument Circle Historic District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Mary Help of Christians Church (Aiken, South Carolina)</span> Historic church in South Carolina, United States

St. Mary Help of Christians Church is a Catholic parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston. The main parish church is at 138 Fairfield St. SE in Aiken, South Carolina. The campus also includes the historic 1905 church at the corner of Park Avenue and York Street, and Ste. Claire Chapel (1880), which sits to the left of the historic church. These two church buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All Saints Episcopal Church (Appleton, Wisconsin)</span> Historic Episcopal church in Appleton, Wisconsin

All Saints Episcopal Church is a historic Episcopal church in Appleton, Wisconsin. A parish in the Diocese of Fond du Lac, it is the only Episcopal church in Appleton. The congregation first met circa 1854 and organized in 1856. The current church building was consecrated in 1905.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint Andrew's Memorial Episcopal Church</span> Historic church in Michigan, United States

Saint Andrew's Memorial Episcopal Church is a historic church located in Detroit, Michigan. As of 2008, it is used by Wayne State University and referred to as St. Andrew's Hall. The church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christ Episcopal Church (Waltham, Massachusetts)</span> Historic church in Massachusetts, United States

Christ Church is a historic Episcopal church at 750 Main Street in Waltham, Massachusetts. The church is a parish of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts, and was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Paul's Episcopal Church (Baltimore, Maryland)</span> Historic church in Maryland, United States

St. Paul's Protestant Episcopal Church, more commonly called Old St. Paul's Church today, is a historic Episcopal church located at 233 North Charles Street at the southeast corner with East Saratoga Street, in Baltimore, Maryland, near "Cathedral Hill" on the northern edge of the downtown central business district to the south and the Mount Vernon-Belevedere cultural/historic neighborhood to the north. It was founded in 1692 as the parish church for the "Patapsco Parish", one of the "original 30 parishes" of the old Church of England in colonial Maryland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Luke's Episcopal Church (Asheville, North Carolina)</span> Church in Asheville, North Carolina

St. Luke’s Episcopal Church is a historic Carpenter Gothic–style Episcopal church building located at 219 Chunns Cove Road, in the Chunn's Cove neighborhood of Asheville, North Carolina. Built in 1894, at a cost of $728, St. Luke’s was designed by E. J. Armstrong, a member of the congregation. Its first service was held September 17, 1894.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holy Trinity Episcopal Church (Swanton, Vermont)</span> Historic church in Vermont, United States

Holy Trinity Episcopal Church also known as Holy Trinity Memorial Church is an historic Episcopal church building located at 38 Grand Avenue in the village of Swanton, Franklin County, Vermont. Built in 1876 and expanded in 1909-10, the church facilities include a fine example of the Carpenter Gothic in the older section, and the Late Victorian Gothic Revival in the newer section. The church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Parish of the Holy Trinity in 2001. The church is an active parish in the Episcopal Diocese of Vermont; its current rector is the Rev. Reid D. Farrell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trinity Parish Church (Seattle)</span> Historic church in Washington, United States

Trinity Parish Church is a historic church located in the First Hill neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, that was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. It is an Episcopal congregation in the Diocese of Olympia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trinity Episcopal Cathedral (Davenport, Iowa)</span> Church in Iowa, United States

Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, formerly known as Grace Cathedral, is the historic cathedral in the Diocese of Iowa. The cathedral is located on the bluff overlooking Downtown Davenport, Iowa, United States. Completed in 1873, Trinity is one of the oldest cathedrals in the Episcopal Church in the United States. It was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. In 1983 the cathedral was included as a contributing property in the College Square Historic District, which is also listed on the National Register.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church of the Ascension (Atlantic City, New Jersey)</span> United States historic place

Church of the Ascension was a historic church building at 1601 Pacific Avenue in Atlantic City, Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The church was built in 1893 and demolished in July 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint James' Episcopal Church (Pewee Valley, Kentucky)</span> Historic church in Kentucky, United States

Saint James' Episcopal Church is a historic church in Pewee Valley, Kentucky. It was built in 1869 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church (Indianapolis, Indiana)</span> Historic church in Indiana, United States

Saint John the Evangelist Catholic Church is a Catholic parish of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The parish's origins date to 1837, when it was first named Holy Cross parish. In 1850 it was renamed Saint John the Evangelist parish, and is the oldest Catholic parish in the city and in Marion County, Indiana. Considered the mother of the Catholic parishes in Indianapolis, it played an important role in development of the Catholic Church in the city. Saint John's Church served as the pro-cathedral of the diocese from 1878 until 1906; its rectory served as the bishop's residence and chancery from 1878 until 1892. In 1900 the church served as the site of first episcopal consecration held in Indianapolis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. John's Episcopal Church (Dubuque, Iowa)</span> United States historic place

St. John's Episcopal Church is a parish of the Diocese of Iowa, located in Dubuque, Iowa, United States. The church was included as a contributing property in the Jackson Park Historic District that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grace Episcopal Church (St. Helena, California)</span> Church in California

Grace Episcopal Church is an Episcopal congregation in Saint Helena, California. It is part of the Episcopal Diocese of Northern California..

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All Saints' Episcopal Church (Austin, Texas)</span> Historic Episcopal church in Austin, Texas

All Saints' Episcopal Church is a historic Episcopal parish church in Austin, Texas, United States. Built in 1899 on the edge of the University of Texas at Austin campus, the church has long-standing connections with the university's student body and faculty. The chapel was a project of Episcopal Bishop George Herbert Kinsolving, whose crypt is located under the church. It has been designated as a City of Austin Historic Landmark since 1980 and a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark since 2014, and it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2015.

References

  1. ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. 1 2 "The History of the Transformation of the Area Around Grace Episcopal Church". Episcopal Diocese of Kentucky - Grace Episcopal Church. Archived from the original on 2013-04-14. Retrieved 2012-12-01.
  3. ↑ Jim Coursey. "Grace Church Parish history". Grace Episcopal Church, Hopkinsville. Retrieved 2012-11-25.
  4. ↑ "Grace Commons". Grace Episcopal Church, Hopkinsville. Retrieved 2012-11-26.
  5. ↑ "History of Grace Commons at Grace Episcopal Church". Episcopal Diocese of Kentucky - Grace Episcopal Church. Archived from the original on 2013-04-14. Retrieved 2012-12-01.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.