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Originally Called Church of the Epiphany, the congregation was formed in 1870 by the energetic rector of the St. Matthew's Chapel then located on the north side of Bank St, east of Bond St. and served a working class and poor population. It is possible that Rev Scott decided to start the new church as a way to help pay for his efforts.
The location of the new church at Pratt and Chester streets put it into a burgeoning middle class neighborhood. Ground was broken in 1873, but had difficulty proceeding. In 1874 Scott resigned from St. Matthew's, continued in the area, and by 1876 he was dead.
Sometime between 1875 & 76, a wealthy woman wanted to build a church in memory of her parents. She was directed to the unfinished Church of the Epiphany as a possibility. She accepted the challenge, but asked that Grace Church act as a parent for the new church. This was common in those days where established churches would assist in governing and financial matters for newly established churches or chapels. The church was renamed Memorial Church of the Holy Comforter and was open for worship in April 1876. She also insisted that the church be a free church. Up into the early 20th century churches were not free for all to attend. A parishioner was to rent their pew or place in a pew. This was the way in which the church secured money to pay the bills. By paying for one's place in a pew, one was also guaranteed that their seat was available for Sunday worship. By the latter part of the 19th century, the idea that one would pledge financial support to be a member of the church. With this system, came the first come first serve seating.
For the next few decades, the congregation prospered, but by the early 1920s was floundering.
The once stable, and fashionable area of butchers Hill, was transforming into a more working class and poor immigrant population as the more mobile middle class, equipped with automobiles were migrating to the suburbs. this combined with the manufacturing ramp up for the 1st world war, meant fewer main line protestant parishioners to support the churches in the neighborhood.
In 1924 the congregation merged with two smaller mission chapels to form Church of the Resurrection, still active on Linwood & E Fayette Streets.
The Pratt street church building was demolished down to the top of the basement and a single storied retail store was erected on the old foundations. In the early 2000s the entire site was cleared to make way for new town homes.
The location of the new church at Pratt and Chester streets put it into a burgeoning middle class neighborhood. Ground was broken in 1873, but had difficulty proceeding. In 1874 Scott resigned from St. Matthew's, continued in the area, and by 1876 he was dead.
Sometime between 1875 & 76, a wealthy woman wanted to build a church in memory of her parents. She was directed to the unfinished Church of the Epiphany as a possibility. She accepted the challenge, but asked that Grace Church act as a parent for the new church. This was common in those days where established churches would assist in governing and financial matters for newly established churches or chapels. The church was renamed Memorial Church of the Holy Comforter and was open for worship in April 1876. She also insisted that the church be a free church. Up into the early 20th century churches were not free for all to attend. A parishioner was to rent their pew or place in a pew. This was the way in which the church secured money to pay the bills. By paying for one's place in a pew, one was also guaranteed that their seat was available for Sunday worship. By the latter part of the 19th century, the idea that one would pledge financial support to be a member of the church. With this system, came the first come first serve seating.
For the next few decades, the congregation prospered, but by the early 1920s was floundering.
The once stable, and fashionable area of butchers Hill, was transforming into a more working class and poor immigrant population as the more mobile middle class, equipped with automobiles were migrating to the suburbs. this combined with the manufacturing ramp up for the 1st world war, meant fewer main line protestant parishioners to support the churches in the neighborhood.
In 1924 the congregation merged with two smaller mission chapels to form Church of the Resurrection, still active on Linwood & E Fayette Streets.
The Pratt street church building was demolished down to the top of the basement and a single storied retail store was erected on the old foundations. In the early 2000s the entire site was cleared to make way for new town homes.
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