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Christ Episcopal Church
Courtesy
of the Capital Resource Conservation and Development Council
Rear
of the Christ Episcopal Church
Photograph from the National
Register collection |
Built about 1840 as a three-bay,
gable-front Greek Revival frame church, Old Christ Episcopal Church has
been modified over the years. Today, the Old Christ Episcopal Church sits
beside its modern, brick successor, the New Christ Episcopal Church. The
Old Christ Episcopal Church is architecturally significant as an unusual
example of the Queen Anne Revival style in church architecture. Since
its beginning in 1846 Christ Church has been an integral part of the community
of Covington. Christ Church was organized as a parish of the Protestant
Episcopal Church in 1846, and officially adopted the name of Christ Church
on December 26, 1846. The original volume of the Vestry minutes indicates
that most of the founding parishioners were of English ancestry from the
southern states along the Atlantic coast, and were prominent citizens
of the community. Jonathan Archer, a 35-year-old naturalized citizen from
London, England, was among the original parishioners and selected as the
architect. Bishop Leonidas Knox Polk consecrated Christ Church on April
11, 1847. Christ Church was plagued by the ravages of the Civil War. The
1873 arrival of Rev. H. C. Duncan as Rector began the Church's repairs,
as the roof had fallen in and the walls were rotted.
Around 1890 six large lancet windows replaced the earlier square head
windows. A semioctagonal chancel with two opalescent stained glass windows
was added at the rear, and a cove-molded wooden plank ceiling was installed.
Finally, a large octagonal tower was added to the façade along with
a large stained glass crescent shaped lunette. The present rear gallery
was added to the nave around 1915, and a hurricane destroyed the original
spire, which was replaced with the present bell tower. The octagonal
tower acquired a conical roof, and the front entrance porch with its
stained glass, round head windows was added. Old Christ Episcopal Church
is currently used as a chapel in the new church's complex of buildings.
Christ Episcopal Church at 120 N. New Hampshire St., 3 blocks west
of Boston St. in Covington. Still used by the Episcopal Church, the
building is not regularly open to the public.
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