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 style uses wood to look like grand stone Gothic churches. The church was first built in Cahaba, which was the very first capital city of Alabama.
The church's design followed plans from a book. This book, Rural Architecture, was written by architect Richard Upjohn in 1852. The church has cool features like tall, narrow windows called lancet windows. It also has pointed arch doorways and vertical wooden siding. This siding is known as board and batten.
When the church was first built, it had a square bell tower. This tower was on the left side of the main entrance. However, when the church was moved later, this tower was not rebuilt.
Church History and Moves
St. Luke's Church was built in 1854. This was a busy time for Cahaba, before the American Civil War. The church was located on Vine Street in the town.
After the war, Cahaba became less important. So, in 1878, the church was 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 Again
In 2006 and 2007, students from Auburn University helped move the church again. They were part of a special project called the Rural Project. They carefully took the church apart piece by piece. Their goal was to move it back to Cahaba.
From 2007 to 2008, the students rebuilt the church in Cahaba. It was placed near Beech Street and Capitol Street. This new spot is across from the Old Cahawba Archaeological Park visitor center. The original location on Vine Street was often flooded, so a new, safer place was chosen. 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
