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St. Paul's Episcopal Church (Georgetown, Delaware)
Encyclopedia
St. Paul's Protestant Episcopal Church is located in Georgetown, Delaware
in Sussex County
on 122 East Pine Street. It is one of the 38 parish churches
of the Episcopal Diocese of Delaware
. Many statesmen from Sussex County are interred in the churchyard, including Caleb R. Layton
, Daniel J. Layton
and others.
In 1805 the Delaware legislature passed an act allowing the vestry to raise $1500 by lottery for the construction of the church. On January 25, 1806 the Rev. Hamilton Bell dedicated the still unfinished church. The legislature authorized another lottery in 1827 to raise $10,000 for the construction of an academy, a Masonic Hall
and for the completion of St. Paul's, though it was never held.
In 1843 the frame church was removed and the construction of a new church began. This brick structure was completed in 1844 and then consecrated on November 19 of the same year. By 1881 the church had fallen into relative disrepair. It was thus rebuilt and remodeled in the early Victorian Gothic style, its current state. The architectural firm responsible was McKim, Mead, and White
of New York City
, distinguished for planning a number of famous churches.
Rev. James C. Kerr arrived in 1885 and installed the churches first pipe organ. The following year a Sunday School
chapel was started and a building for it was made in the 1870s. Finally in 1897 a 29' by 43' two-story frame rectory
was constructed on adjacent property by John W. Messick for the sum of $1500. The Rev. John Warnock was then the first rector to live in the rectory. In 1930 the U.S. Senator Willard Saulsbury, Jr.
in his will gave St. Paul's its distinctive stained glass altar window called "The Te Deum Window" depicting the faith of the Church as stated in the creed-anthem
The Te Deum
. The window was designed by James H. Hogan of the London studios of James Powell & Sons. It was dedicated Feb. 9 by the bishop.
The National Register of Historic Places
added the church to its lists in 1979. In 1987 a fire of an unknown origin destroyed the parish hall, Sunday School classrooms and sacristy
, though the sanctuary
and nave
were not damaged. These parts were subsequently rebuilt in 1990.
Georgetown, Delaware
Georgetown is a town in Sussex County, Delaware, United States. According to 2010 census figures, the population of the town is 6,422, an increase of 38.3% over the previous decade...
in Sussex County
Sussex County, Delaware
Sussex County is a county located in the southern part of the U.S. state of Delaware. As of 2010 the population was 197,145, an increase of 25.9% over the previous decade. The county seat is Georgetown. The Seaford Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Sussex County.Sussex County is...
on 122 East Pine Street. It is one of the 38 parish churches
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...
of the Episcopal Diocese of Delaware
Episcopal Diocese of Delaware
The Episcopal Diocese of Delaware is one of 108 dioceses making up the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. It consists of 38 congregations or Parishes in an area the same as the State of Delaware...
. Many statesmen from Sussex County are interred in the churchyard, including Caleb R. Layton
Caleb R. Layton
Dr. Caleb Rodney Layton was an American physician and politician, from Georgetown, in Sussex County, Delaware. He was a member of the Republican Party, who served two terms as U. S. Representative from Delaware....
, Daniel J. Layton
Daniel J. Layton
Daniel John Layton served on the Delaware Supreme Court as Chief Justice from 1933 to 1945 and earlier as attorney general of Delaware from late 1932 until his nomination. He was a native of Sussex County, Delaware and the son of U.S. Representative Caleb R...
and others.
History
The church was initially organized on June 21, 1794 and a plot of land was acquired on Front and Pine streets, though it was never used and later sold in 1806. The Rev. James Wiltbank conducted services in the court house infrequently in the absence of an actual church. In 1804 the current lot at East Pine and Academy streets was acquired and a wood frame structure was built over the next two decades due to lack of funding.In 1805 the Delaware legislature passed an act allowing the vestry to raise $1500 by lottery for the construction of the church. On January 25, 1806 the Rev. Hamilton Bell dedicated the still unfinished church. The legislature authorized another lottery in 1827 to raise $10,000 for the construction of an academy, a Masonic Hall
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
and for the completion of St. Paul's, though it was never held.
In 1843 the frame church was removed and the construction of a new church began. This brick structure was completed in 1844 and then consecrated on November 19 of the same year. By 1881 the church had fallen into relative disrepair. It was thus rebuilt and remodeled in the early Victorian Gothic style, its current state. The architectural firm responsible was McKim, Mead, and White
McKim, Mead, and White
McKim, Mead & White was a prominent American architectural firm at the turn of the twentieth century and in the history of American architecture. The firm's founding partners were Charles Follen McKim , William Rutherford Mead and Stanford White...
of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, distinguished for planning a number of famous churches.
Rev. James C. Kerr arrived in 1885 and installed the churches first pipe organ. The following year a 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...
chapel was started and a building for it was made in the 1870s. Finally in 1897 a 29' by 43' two-story frame 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...
was constructed on adjacent property by John W. Messick for the sum of $1500. The Rev. John Warnock was then the first rector to live in the rectory. In 1930 the U.S. Senator Willard Saulsbury, Jr.
Willard Saulsbury, Jr.
Willard Saulsbury, Jr. was an American lawyer and politician from Wilmington, in New Castle County, Delaware. He was a member of the Democratic Party who served as U.S. Senator from Delaware and President pro tempore of the U.S...
in his will gave St. Paul's its distinctive stained glass altar window called "The Te Deum Window" depicting the faith of the Church as stated in the creed-anthem
Hymn
A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...
The Te Deum
Te Deum
The Te Deum is an early Christian hymn of praise. The title is taken from its opening Latin words, Te Deum laudamus, rendered literally as "Thee, O God, we praise"....
. The window was designed by James H. Hogan of the London studios of James Powell & Sons. It was dedicated Feb. 9 by the bishop.
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...
added the church to its lists in 1979. In 1987 a fire of an unknown origin destroyed the parish hall, Sunday School classrooms and sacristy
Sacristy
A sacristy is a room for keeping vestments and other church furnishings, sacred vessels, and parish records.The sacristy is usually located inside the church, but in some cases it is an annex or separate building...
, though the sanctuary
Sanctuary
A sanctuary is any place of safety. They may be categorized into human and non-human .- Religious sanctuary :A religious sanctuary can be a sacred place , or a consecrated area of a church or temple around its tabernacle or altar.- Sanctuary as a sacred place :#Sanctuary as a sacred place:#:In...
and nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
were not damaged. These parts were subsequently rebuilt in 1990.
Partial List of Burials
The following data in most cases comes from tombstones in the churchyard and in some cases dates are illegible. Missing dates have been replaced with question marks, or in cases where only some numbers are legible, with underscores to represent the missing number. Titles, positions and relationships have been included to distinguish people with similar or identical names and give further information.- Sarah Layton Mumford (? - 14 January 1894 aged 95 years)
- Joshua S. Layton, Jr. (15 February 1843 - 5 March 1843)
- Richard M. Layton (2_ July 1848 - 11 February 184_)
- Harriet Ann, daughter of Joshua S. & Sally Ann Layton (11 October 1822 - 7 November 1824)
- Laura Spry, daughter of Joshua S. & Sally Ann Layton (6 March 1838 - 24 May 1839)
- Sally Ann, wife of Joshua S. Layton, Esq. (? - 25 April 1844 aged 40 yrs, 2 mos & 23 days)
- Joshua S. Layton, Esq. (11 January 1801 - 25 March 1849)
- Harriett Ann, wife of Joshua S. Layton and daughter of Rev. ? & Ann Manlove (died 10 September 1855 in her _8th year)
- Sinah P., wife of John Sorden (17 November 1810 - 13 November 1887)
- Caleb Rodney Layton, son of Caleb & Penelope R. Layton (10 March 1826 - 20 August 1887)
- Daniel John Layton, son of Caleb & Penelope R. Layton (14 November 1833 - 19 January 1916)
- Penelope Rodney McKim, wife of Rev. John Linn McKim and daughter of Caleb & Penelope R. Layton (23 April 1836 - 28 September 1917)
- Charles H. Richards, M.D. (22 November 1827 - 10 January 1899)
- Elizabeth Anderson Richards (26 November 1830 - 21 November 1922)
- John Richards (? - 10 July 1863 aged 75 years)
- Martha, wife of John Richards (? - 22 September 1880 aged 75 years)
- Harold C. Todd (23 June 1921 - 2 March 1992)
- Ellen E. Todd (12 June 1919 - ?)
- Anna Hartung Layton (17 June 1862 - 1 April 1951)
- Landreth Lee Layton (1 November 1860 - 14 June 1934)
- Margaret Elizabeth Layton (14 August 1888 - 28 October 1974)
- Caleb R. LaytonCaleb R. LaytonDr. Caleb Rodney Layton was an American physician and politician, from Georgetown, in Sussex County, Delaware. He was a member of the Republican Party, who served two terms as U. S. Representative from Delaware....
, M.D., U.S. Representative (8 September 1851 - 11 November 1930) - Annie E. Sipple Layton (18 July 1849 - 12 August 1925)
- Daniel J. LaytonDaniel J. LaytonDaniel John Layton served on the Delaware Supreme Court as Chief Justice from 1933 to 1945 and earlier as attorney general of Delaware from late 1932 until his nomination. He was a native of Sussex County, Delaware and the son of U.S. Representative Caleb R...
, Esq., Attorney GeneralAttorney GeneralIn most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
of Delaware, Chief JusticeChief JusticeThe Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
of Delaware Supreme CourtDelaware Supreme CourtThe Supreme Court of Delaware is the sole appellate court in the United States' state of Delaware. Because Delaware is a popular haven for corporations, the Court has developed a worldwide reputation as a respected source of corporate law decisions, particularly in the area of mergers and...
(1 August 1879 - 13 May 1960) - Laura H. Layton (13 October 1884 - 28 February 1960)