St. Peter's Episcopal Church (Carson City, Nevada)
Encyclopedia
St. Peter's Episcopal Church is a large historic Carpenter Gothic
Episcopal
church building located at the corner of Division and Telegraph streets in Carson City, Nevada
. Built in 1868, it is the oldest Episcopal church still in use in Nevada
. On January 3, 1978, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
On November 9, 1863, laymen D. S. King and A. H. Griswold were selected as the first warden
s of the new parish
in Carson City. Nevada territorial
governor James W. Nye
and businessman Henry Marvin Yerington were among the first vestrymen
. The site for a new church building was acquired in 1865. The women of the congregation helped raise construction funds through social events, such as sales at fairs and other activities.
was William Maxwell Reilly. The church was consecrated
by Bishop Ozi William Whitaker on June 19, 1870.
Work to expand the church building by 24 feet (7.3 m) commenced in October 1873 and was completed in April 1874. A library was added in 1875. The stained glass
window in front of the belfry, a gift from England, was shipped by sea around Cape Horn
to San Francisco, from which it was delivered by wagon to Carson City. The original church bell became badly cracked by 1881, and was recast by the local machine shop of the Virginia and Truckee Railroad
. A private residence to the south of the church as acquired for use as a rectory
in 1891, at a cost of $3,500. That same year, the church purchased a pipe organ
for $1,700. Other modernizations to the structure include the addition of a kitchen and plumbing as well as electrical lighting in 1919.
, organized in September 1861 at Virginia City, Nevada
, is the oldest parish in the state. The current minister of St. Peter's, the Reverend Jeff Paul, has been with the church since September 1995.
building has been noted for its "architectural sophistication", with elements of Medieval
and Classic
origin, according to the Carson City Historical Commission. The interior resembles the upside-down hull of a ship. The pews are arranged in three groups of rows, making this the only Episcopal church west of the Mississippi River
without a center aisle to the altar. The auditorium measures 70 feet following the 1874 expansion, which added a lecture and sunday school
room in two respective wings. The chancel
is supported by fluted
Roman Corinthian columns. The wood-framed structure sits upon a low foundation made of sandstone
ashlar
. The steeple is a 1977 replica that was built to replace damage to the building from a fire.
Carpenter Gothic
Carpenter Gothic, also sometimes called Carpenter's Gothic, and Rural Gothic, is a North American architectural style-designation for an application of Gothic Revival architectural detailing and picturesque massing applied to wooden structures built by house-carpenters...
Episcopal
Episcopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
church building located at the corner of Division and Telegraph streets in Carson City, Nevada
Carson City, Nevada
The Consolidated Municipality of Carson City is the capital of the state of Nevada. The words Consolidated Municipality refer to a series of changes in 1969 which abolished Ormsby County and merged all the settlements contained within its borders into Carson City. Since that time Carson City has...
. Built in 1868, it is the oldest Episcopal church still in use in Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
. On January 3, 1978, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
History
Churchwarden
A churchwarden is a lay official in a parish church or congregation of the Anglican Communion, usually working as a part-time volunteer. Holders of these positions are ex officio members of the parish board, usually called a vestry, parish council, parochial church council, or in the case of a...
s of the new parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
in Carson City. Nevada territorial
Nevada Territory
The Territory of Nevada was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1861, until October 31, 1864, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Nevada....
governor James W. Nye
James W. Nye
James Warren Nye was a United States Senator from Nevada.-Biography:He was born in DeRuyter, New York, he attended the common schools and Homer Academy in Homer, New York; he studied law in Troy, New York, was admitted to the bar, and practiced in Madison County.Nye was district attorney in 1839...
and businessman Henry Marvin Yerington were among the first vestrymen
Vestryman
A vestryman is a member of his local church's vestry, or leading body. He is not a member of the clergy.In England especially, but also in other parts of The United Kingdom, Parish Councils have long been a level of local government rather than being solely ecclesiastical in nature...
. The site for a new church building was acquired in 1865. The women of the congregation helped raise construction funds through social events, such as sales at fairs and other activities.
Construction
Building plans were announced in July 1867. The Corbett brothers built the exterior walls and shingled roof by October 27 of that year and completed the steeple on November 3, 1867. Construction work concluded in July 1868 at a cost of $5,500. The first sermon in the new building was delivered by Reverend George B. Allen on August 8, 1868. The first rectorRector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
was William Maxwell Reilly. The church was consecrated
Consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
by Bishop Ozi William Whitaker on June 19, 1870.
Work to expand the church building by 24 feet (7.3 m) commenced in October 1873 and was completed in April 1874. A library was added in 1875. The stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
window in front of the belfry, a gift from England, was shipped by sea around Cape Horn
Cape Horn
Cape Horn is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island...
to San Francisco, from which it was delivered by wagon to Carson City. The original church bell became badly cracked by 1881, and was recast by the local machine shop of the Virginia and Truckee Railroad
Virginia and Truckee Railroad
The Virginia and Truckee Railroad was built to serve the Comstock Lode mining communities of northwestern Nevada. At its height, the railroad's route ran from Reno south to Carson City, Nevada. In Carson City, the...
. A private residence to the south of the church as acquired for use as a rectory
Rectory
A rectory is the residence, or former residence, of a rector, most often a Christian cleric, but in some cases an academic rector or other person with that title...
in 1891, at a cost of $3,500. That same year, the church purchased a pipe organ
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
for $1,700. Other modernizations to the structure include the addition of a kitchen and plumbing as well as electrical lighting in 1919.
Continued use
The church struggled through a collapse of the state's mining industry in the late 19th century, as well as temporary closure in 1909. After recovering from a period as an "aided parish" from 1920 to 1957, the building has remained the oldest Episcopal church still in use in the state of Nevada. However, St. Paul's Episcopal ChurchSt. Paul's Episcopal Church (Virginia City, Nevada)
St. Paul's Episcopal Church is an historic Carpenter Gothic-style Episcopal church building located at F and Taylor Streets in Virginia City, Nevada. It was built in 1876 to replace an earlier church that had burned down in 1875. St Paul's Parish, founded on September 1, 1861, is still an active...
, organized in September 1861 at Virginia City, Nevada
Virginia City, Nevada
Virginia City is a census-designated place that is the county seat of Storey County, Nevada. It is part of the Reno–Sparks Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 855 at the 2010 Census.- History :...
, is the oldest parish in the state. The current minister of St. Peter's, the Reverend Jeff Paul, has been with the church since September 1995.
Architecture
The identity of the architect is uncertain, but architectural historians believe Henry Marvin Yerington was involved in the design of the church. The Gothic RevivalGothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
building has been noted for its "architectural sophistication", with elements of Medieval
Medieval architecture
Medieval architecture is a term used to represent various forms of architecture common in Medieval Europe.-Characteristics:-Religious architecture:...
and Classic
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
origin, according to the Carson City Historical Commission. The interior resembles the upside-down hull of a ship. The pews are arranged in three groups of rows, making this the only Episcopal church west of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
without a center aisle to the altar. The auditorium measures 70 feet following the 1874 expansion, which added a lecture and sunday school
Sunday school
Sunday school is the generic name for many different types of religious education pursued on Sundays by various denominations.-England:The first Sunday school may have been opened in 1751 in St. Mary's Church, Nottingham. Another early start was made by Hannah Ball, a native of High Wycombe in...
room in two respective wings. The chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
is supported by fluted
Fluting (architecture)
Fluting in architecture refers to the shallow grooves running vertically along a surface.It typically refers to the grooves running on a column shaft or a pilaster, but need not necessarily be restricted to those two applications...
Roman Corinthian columns. The wood-framed structure sits upon a low foundation made of sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
ashlar
Ashlar
Ashlar is prepared stone work of any type of stone. Masonry using such stones laid in parallel courses is known as ashlar masonry, whereas masonry using irregularly shaped stones is known as rubble masonry. Ashlar blocks are rectangular cuboid blocks that are masonry sculpted to have square edges...
. The steeple is a 1977 replica that was built to replace damage to the building from a fire.
Notable members
- James W. NyeJames W. NyeJames Warren Nye was a United States Senator from Nevada.-Biography:He was born in DeRuyter, New York, he attended the common schools and Homer Academy in Homer, New York; he studied law in Troy, New York, was admitted to the bar, and practiced in Madison County.Nye was district attorney in 1839...
– Territorial Governor and U.S. SenatorUnited States SenateThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
See also
- Historic American Buildings SurveyHistoric American Buildings SurveyThe Historic American Buildings Survey , Historic American Engineering Record , and Historic American Landscapes Survey are programs of the National Park Service established for the purpose of documenting historic places. Records consists of measured drawings, archival photographs, and written...
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Carson City, Nevada
External links
- St. Peter's Episcopal Church (Official site)
- St. Peter's Episcopal Church at The Western Nevada Historic Photo Collection
- St. Peter's Episcopal Church – NRHP photographs at the National Park ServiceNational Park ServiceThe National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...