The congregation of St Thomas Episcopal was created in 1926 to serve the African-Americans living in north Tulsa. By 1931 they had constructed this rustic church in the gothic style. It became the church home of many of Tulsa's prominent black families. In 1952 another Episcopal church formed a few miles further north. St Mark's was understood to serve the white community on the far north side. The two churches operated independently until the late 1960s when both congregations were suffering from declining finances and attendance. Diocesan Bishop Chilton Powell suggested that if the two congregations did not merge then neither would likely survive. In 1968 the two became St Aidens and located in what was St Marks. After some initial adjustments St Aidens is still alive and well and has developed a number of programs that serve the community. For a more complete history of this congregation look HERE.
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3 comments:
That's quite the rockwork for a gothic building. Unique. I love the backstory.
Love the mortar joints in this structure. And, I'm with Yogi, the back story is fascinating.
@Yogi
The exterior of native sandstone is certainly not gothic but the interior is laid out in the traditional cruciform pattern and has an open beamed ceiling.
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