History
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The picture to the left is a rendering of the first wooden church that housed the congregation of St. Stephen's Chapel prior to 1870. St. Stephen's moved from its original location (currently City Hall) to its present location. |
The buildings which have been called St. Stephen's have changed a number of times over the years through renovation and replacement. The story of the current building committee actually begins in 1928.
The building that housed the congregation of St. Stephen's burned to the ground in 1928. The leadership of St. Stephen's was a collection of unique individuals even back then. After much discussion which included the consideration of merger with Trinity, the decision was made to erect a temporary structure until the leadership could come up with a more permanent solution. We are still waiting for a report from that committee.
Over the years the buildings have been renovated, added to and reorganized a number of times. The basic sanctuary structure is still the temporary structure built in 1929. This structure has an un-reinforced masonry foundation. Over the years several plans have been put forward to expand and improve the building in order to enhance the mission and ministry of St. Stephen's.
Since late in 1999 or early 2000 planning and expansion discussions have been underway at St. Stephen's concerning the mission and the physical plant of the church.