History
The families who joined together to organize St. James in the early 1840's came from two groups. One group was the remnants of the earlier St. Andrews Church in Granite Falls founded by Parson Miller and the other group was made up of families of settlers in the Yadkin Valley.
The Rev. Robert Johnstone Miller, o r "Parson" as he was affectionately called, was the first Episcopal minister west of the Catawba River. His son, E.P. Miller purchased lot #17 to build an Episcopal church to be named St. James in 1841 when the new county of Caldwell was formed and the county seat was laid off. The building of the church began in 1844, but the church was not consecrated until 1852 when Bishop Ives could come from Raleigh to conduct the ceremony. Probably our most famous priest was The Rev. Johannas Oertel who painted religious art as well as being a minister to the St. James congregation. These 18 paintings are displayed in the church and open to guided tours. Contact the Church Office for tours and information. |
St. James Episcopal Church
806 College Avenue, SW Lenoir, NC 28645 828-754-3712 Sunday Services 8:00am - Holy Eucharist - no music 9:10am- Adult Forum (Sept-May) 10:30am - Holy Eucharist with music Four times a year (on "5th Sundays") we often offer Morning Prayer instead of Eucharist at both morning services. |