Our Church

History

Founded in 1911, St. Stephen's Episcopal Church has been served by a succession of seven rectors, three of whom served during the first decade. Those three were the Rev. Zebulon S. Farland (1911-1913), the Rev. Thomas Hubert Jones (1913-1917), and the Rev. James D. Gibson (1917-1921). The rectorates of the Rev. Giles Buckner Palmer (1921-1946) and the Rev. Reno Sheffer Harp, Jr. (1946-1973) span a total of 52 years. The Rev. Don Raby Edwards served as rector from 1973 to 1993, and the Rev. Thom Williamson Blair, Jr. from 1994-2004. St. Stephen's welcomed its current rector, The Rev. Gary D. Jones, in September 2005.

Much of the information about the early years of St. Stephen's came from two sources, now deceased: Mrs. Thomas Williamson Purcell, the last of the church founders, and Douglas Vanderhoof, who in 1940 published a pamphlet, "Historical Sketch of St. Stephen's Church."

Although St. Stephen's was not founded until 1911, a group of newly settled families, many with young children, in the Westhampton area of the city, then considered "country," perceived the need for not only a place of worship, but also a Sunday church school.

They were assisted by Mr. William Habliston, who lived, with his spinster invalid sister, at Windermere, an English manor house located on the south side of Cary Street Road at the end of Libbie Avenue. Habliston was eager to have a church nearby for his sister and it was he who spearheaded the movement to start a new parish. After the initial meeting on January 24, 1910, other meetings followed and on January 24, 1911, the first vestry of nine men was elected.

Members of that first vestry included Habliston (Senior Warden), Thomas W. Purcell (Junior Warden), St. George Anderson, Julien Binford, Jr., Frank A. Hobson, George A. Towers, Gordon Wallace and Lewis C. Williams. James M. Ball, Jr., Cunningham Hall, and W. Frank Powers were named trustees. Four of these men were in their twenties, and none were over 35, except Habliston.

The building site for a chapel to seat 200 on the north side of Grove Avenue east of Three Chopt Road was purchased in 1910 for $1500. and the services of architect, Charles R. Bryant were secured.

Early decisions were governed by many factors. Streetcar schedules dictated that the time of morning worship should be at 11:15 a.m. Money (or the lack thereof) influenced the parish's call to its first rector, Zebulon Farland, who had already retired from a large church for health reasons, and, since he was a man of some personal means, church leaders hoped he might settle for a salary ($25 per month) less than others.

The first service in the red brick chapel now known as Palmer Hall was held in July 1911.Ten months later St. Stephen's Church was accredited by the Diocesan Council as an independent congregation. At its first congregational meeting on May 1, 1912, the rector reported three baptisms, three confirmations, 23 communicants, 10 Sunday School teachers, and 23 pupils.

As the neighborhood grew, the little church also grew and prospered. In February 1911, the Ladies' Guild was formed with 14 members and in 1916 a branch of the Women's Auxiliary was organized.

Soon after Dr. Palmer came in 1921, plans for a new church edifice got underway. Additional property bordering on Three Chopt Road was purchased and renowned church architect Frank Watson of Philadelphia was engaged to submit plans for a Gothic-style, stone structure. Little progress towards the new building was made until January 1926 when the Women's Guild, impatient with the slow turn of affairs, presented the vestry with a check for $1,000 and a resolution requesting that the project should be begun at once. The Women added an important pledge to raise $1,000 annually "until a suitable church is erected and is free from debt." In succeeding months, 77 subscribers contributed $114,000 to the fund. On May 14, 1927, the cornerstone was laid, and on Sunday, March 18, 1928, the first service was held in the completed church.

Throughout the years, a number of additions were made to the church facility to address the ever-changing needs of the growing parish. In 1938, the red brick parish house, connected to the rectory and to Palmer Hall, was built. In 1950, under the direction of noted church architect Philip H. Frohman (Washington National Cathedral), the nave was lengthened by two bays, the west entrance was created, and the Patriots' Window was enlarged. The north aisle was extended to create the Chapel of the Good Shepherd as a memorial to Dr. Palmer.

More adjacent property was acquired to provide for the construction of a parking lot and a new Parish House joined to the main church by cloisters. This new building was dedicated on October 13, 1957.

Undertaken in 1995, the most recent building project enlarged and remodeled the existing parish house to provide new offices for staff, additional classrooms for Sunday School and kindergarten classes, a new rehearsal room for the choirs, a state-of-the-art commercial kitchen, and other reorganized meeting spaces. This new addition was dedicated in April, 1997. Another recent project was the creation of a new playground for use by our children's programs; this project was dedicated to the memory of Jamie Knight, the late son of the Rev. David Knight, former associate rector, and his wife Jeannie Knight.