St. Luke's Episcopal Church (Cahaba, Alabama) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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St. Luke's Episcopal Church
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St. Luke's Episcopal Church at Cahaba in 2010
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 Location in Alabama
Location in the United States
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| Location | Cahaba, Alabama, United States |
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| Built | 1854, moved 1876 & 2006–2007 |
| NRHP reference No. | 82002008 |
| Added to NRHP | March 25, 1982 |
St. Luke's Episcopal Church is a very old and special church building. It was built in the 1850s in a style called Carpenter Gothic. This church was first located in Cahaba, Alabama. Cahaba was once the first capital city of Alabama, from 1820 to 1826. The person who designed the church is not known. However, they followed plans from a book called Rural Architecture by architect Richard Upjohn, published in 1852.
The church building has cool features on the outside. These include tall, narrow windows called lancet windows. It also has pointed arch doorways and vertical wooden siding called board and batten. This style is part of Gothic Revival architecture. The church originally had a square bell tower. This tower was on the corner to the left of the main entrance. But when the church was moved in 1878, the tower was not rebuilt. The church was taken apart and moved back to Cahaba in 2007. It was then put back together at the Old Cahawba Archaeological Park.
The Church's Journey
St. Luke's Church was built in 1854. This was a busy time for Cahaba. The church stood on Vine Street. After the American Civil War, Cahaba became less important. So, in 1878, the church was carefully taken apart. It was moved about 11 miles (18 km) to a village called Martin's Station. There, it was put back together. It continued to be used by an Episcopal group for many years.
Later, an African-American Baptist group used the church for over 60 years. Eventually, the Alabama Historical Commission took ownership of the building. On March 25, 1982, St. Luke's Church was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This list includes important historic places in the United States.
Moving the Church Back Home
During the school year 2006–2007, students from Auburn University's Rural Project helped with the church. They carefully took the building apart again. The goal was to move it back to Cahaba. It was then reassembled at the Old Cahawba Archaeological Park.
From 2007 to 2008, the students put the church back together in Cahaba. It was placed near Beech Street and Capitol Street. This new spot was chosen because the original Vine Street location was in a floodplain. A floodplain is an area that can get flooded. Most of the outside work on the church was finished by late 2009.
See also
In Spanish: Iglesia Episcopal de San Lucas para niños
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Dallas County, Alabama
- Structure relocation
