Grace Episcopal Church of Galion WHERE WE HAVE BEEN |
OUR CHURCH BUILDING |
PARISH HISTORY |
race Church's present church building is the only one it has ever known. The structure, the oldest church in Galion in use by its original congregation, was dedicated on June 27, 1875. Originally located on South Union Street, the building has been moved twice, first to the grounds of Brownella Cottage, and then in 1896 to its present location. The Gothic Revival building was the design of one of the foremost Episcopal church architects of all time, Gordon W. Lloyd of Detroit, whose firm also designed churches and cathedrals in Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, New York, Pennsylvania and Utah. In Ohio, Lloyd also was the architect for the Church of the Holy Spirit on the campus of Kenyon College and Trinity Church on Columbus' Capitol Square. Lloyd was a champion of the "Ecclesisatical" movement in 19th-century church architecture, which reflected the trend toward a more engaging relationship between priest and worshiper during church services. In 1906, Bishop William M. Brown paid for the church and adjacent rectory to be veneered with brick, however all of the original exterior bargeboard trim was retained. The sanctuary interior features stained glass windows, pews and woodwork dating from 1875, while the Parish Hall has been updated to function as a modern meeting facility. The most recent addition to the sanctuary interior occurred in 1960, when the 5-rank Blanchard pipe organ was installed, with pipes housed in the south transcept. The Grace Rectory was built by the Funk family about 1859, and was originally located where the church is now. It was moved to its present location in 1896. The Rectory was sold by Grace Church in 2000, and is being restored by its present owners. Grace Episcopal Church and the Grace Church Rectory are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, together with the nearby Brownella Cottage complex. |
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piscopal missionary work in the Galion area began about 1867, and by December of that year a congregation was formed and took the name, "Grace", but disbanded before being admitted to the diocese. Six years later, services began again in the Hall of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers. In 1874, the congregation purchased land on South Union St, and an architect from Detroit was hired to design the church building. The new Grace Church was dedicated on June 27, 1875, and was originally located next to the first alley south of what is now Galion Middle School. The first rector of Grace Church was The Reverend Marcellus Karcher. During his one year at Grace, the parish had 12 baptisms and 10 confirmations. He was followed by The Reverend J.E. Julian and The Reverend S.G. Street. In the three years that Father Street was at Grace, there were 34 baptisms and 27 confirmations. During this time the church was moved to the present lawn area of Brownella Cottage. In 1883 The Reverend Willaim Montgomery Brown came to Grace, starting a relationship that would last for the 54 years. In 1885, the ladies of Grace hosted a large reception after the marriage of William and Ella Brown. During the 7 years that he was rector at Grace, there were 63 baptisms and 48 confirmations. In 1891, The Rev. Brown was chosen by then-Bishop of Ohio as the Diocese's first Archbishop. In 1925, Bishop Brown was the subject of the first heresy trial since the Middle Ages in the Anglican Communion and was deposed as a Bishop of the Church. He continued to attend services at Grace until his death in 1937. At least one Rector of Grace remembered that the Bishop used to leave paper IOU's in the alms basin, so the Rector would have to visit Brownella regularly to collect ... and the Bishop would have a chance to talk with him. |
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