St. Paul's Episcopal Church (Evansville, Indiana) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St. Paul's Episcopal Church
St. Paul's Episcopal Church in 2019
Location	Evansville, Vanderburgh County, Indiana, United States
Denomination	Episcopal Church
History
Founded	1836
Founder(s)	Jackson Kemper
Architecture
Architect(s)	Reid & Reid
Style	English Gothic Revival
Years built	1886
Administration
Diocese	Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis

St. Paul's Episcopal Church is a church in Evansville, Indiana. It belongs to the Episcopal Church. The church community started in 1836. This happened after a visit from Bishop Jackson Kemper.

The church building you see today was built in 1886. It stands at 1st and Chestnut Street in downtown Evansville. It replaced the first church building on the same spot. Architects James W. Reid and Merritt J. Reid designed it. The building is in the English Gothic Revival style. It was made with Bedford limestone and Green River limestone.

St. Paul's is known for its important role in Evansville's history. Many famous people from the city were part of this church. It is also known for helping the community. For example, it runs a weekend soup kitchen called Sr. Joanna's Table.

St. Paul's Episcopal Church became a part of the National Register of Historic Places on July 17, 1978. This means it is a special historic site. It is part of the larger Riverside Historic District in downtown Evansville.

Church History in Evansville

The first Episcopal church group in Evansville was St. Paul's. It was the first Protestant Episcopal church in the city. This group officially started on January 9, 1836. Rev. Archibald H. Lamon was the first leader, called a rector. He served from 1836 to 1844.

The church members first met in the old Vanderburgh County Courthouse. On January 12, 1840, their first church building was ready. It was located at 1st and Chestnut Street. Bishop Jackson Kemper officially dedicated the new building.

After Rev. Lamon left in 1844, other rectors led the church:

• Rev. B.H. Hicox (invited 1844, but passed away before starting)
• Rev. William Vaux (1844-1845, came from England, later became a US army chaplain)
• Rev. N.A. Okeson (1845-1846)
• Rev. Colley A. Foster (1847-1856)
• Rev. Anthony Ten Broeck (1856-1857)
• Rev. Sidney Wilbur (1857-1859)
• Rev. Elias Birdsall (1860-1864, later moved to Los Angeles)
• Rev. H.W. Spaulding (1865-1867)
• Rev. W.H. Van Antwerp (1868-1874)
• Rev. W.N. Webbe (1874-1879)
• Rev. Theodore I. Holcombe (1880-1881)
• Rev. Charles Morris (1881-1894)

Building a New Church

Under Rev. Charles Morris, the church leaders decided to build a new church. The last service in the first church building was on April 15, 1883. While the new church was being built, a kind church member named Charles Viele offered his hall. This hall, Viele Hall, was used by the church.

The first stone for the new St. Paul's church was laid on September 3, 1883. The building was finished on March 2, 1886. Bishop D.B. Knickerbacker dedicated the new building. Charles and Mary Viele also helped pay for more buildings. They supported a rectory (a home for the rector) in 1886. They also helped build a chapel named after their family in 1887.

Later Rectors and Community Work

After Rev. Morris, these rectors led the church:

• Rev. W. Northey Jones (1894-1897)
• Rev. Joseph Marshall Francis (1897-1899, later became a Bishop)
• Rev. Dr. John Davis (1899-1904, taught theology in Japan)
• Rev. William Reid Cross (1904-1911)
• Rev. John Boden (1911-1913)
• Rev. Horace Weeks Jones (1914, passed away in a car accident)
• Rev. A.L. Murray (1914-1918)
• Rev. W.R. Plummer (1918-1923, passed away during a service)
• Rev. E. Ainger Powell (1923-1931, later led Christ Church Cathedral)
• Rev. Joseph G. Moore (1932-1943)

Rev. Joseph G. Moore was a very active leader. He helped St. Paul's and the wider community in Southwestern Indiana. During the Great Depression, many churches struggled. Rev. Moore visited nearby Episcopal churches to keep them open. He trained church members to help him with services. This group was called the Evansville Associate Mission.

Rev. Moore also worked for civil rights. He was a leader for the Church League for Industrial Democracy. This work connected him with important activists. He supported local labor unions. He also spoke out against unfair local elections.

Promoting Equality

Rev. Moore helped improve race relations in Evansville. During World War II, he invited a group of Black workers to worship at St. Paul's. These workers were part of the Civilian Conservation Corps. Their African-American chaplain also joined them. This was the first known integrated church service in Evansville. This happened even though the bishop had not supported an earlier integrated service.

Rev. Moore also brought future Supreme Court justice Thurgood Marshall to Evansville. Marshall helped create a local chapter of the NAACP. This group works for equal rights for all people.

Flood and Fire

In 1937, Evansville had a big flood. The flood badly damaged the inside of St. Paul's Church. This damage later caused a problem with the organ's wires. On March 27, 1938, a large fire broke out. The flood and fire destroyed the church's interior. However, the outside stone walls remained strong. The inside was rebuilt and updated after these events.

Recent Rectors

After Rev. Moore left in 1943, Rev. Imri Blackburn became rector. He served until 1954. He then became a professor. The rectors who followed were:

• Rev. W. Robert Webb (1954-1971)
• Rev. Richard Wyatt (1972-1978)
• Rev. Thomas N. Sandy (1978-1985)
• Rev. Henry Doherty (1985-1987)
• Rev. James B. Hempstead (1990-1998)
• Rev. Shane Scott-Hamblen (1999-2002)
• Rev. J. Raymond Lord (2002-2003)
• Rev. Richard R. Godbold (2003-2016)

In 2017, Rev. Holly Rankin Zaher became the first female rector of St. Paul's.

Notable People

Some important people connected to St. Paul's Episcopal Church include:

• Charles Harvey Denby
• Edwin Denby (politician)
• Charles Denby Jr.
• Gordon Granger, who married his wife Maria at St. Paul's in 1869

Worship Services

St. Paul's Episcopal Church holds regular services:

• Sunday worship services: 8 a.m. (Rite I) and 10:30 a.m. (Rite II with choir music)
• Weekday worship services: Eucharist (Holy Communion) at noon

Images for kids

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  Baptismal Font & Northside Facing Stained Glass Window

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