An Unofficial History of St. Philip's Episcopal Church

Sulphur Springs was added to the list of mission stations of the Missionary District of Northern Texas in 1864. 1878 is the year the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas lists as the founding of St. Philip's, though the historical marker lists the year as 1972.

Bishop Alexander Charles Garrett, the missionary bishop of Northern Texas, described in a diary a visit to Sulphur Springs on April 12, 1875. He spoke of the country as being rich and lovely with good roads except through Sulphur Bottoms where his mules sank to their knees every step for miles. On the following day, he visited all the church families. Colonel Hoskins obtained the use of the Presbyterian Church for a night service. It was a large unfinished building, well-filled but so dimly lighted that the congregation could neither see nor be seen. At that time there were 1,200 people in Sulphur Springs and 11 communicants in the Episcopal Church. Mrs. Emma Gilbert was the first to be baptized and confirmed.

From 1864 until Bishop Garrett’s visit in 1875, there had been long periods when there had been no regular services. In 1872 the Rev'd John Portnee visited Sulphur Springs. Though he was unable to remain for a Sunday and conduct services, he saw on opening for the church. In November that year, Bishop Gregg, accompanied by the Rev'd Francis R. Starr and Edwin A. Wagner visited Sulphur Springs and made arrangements for baptisms and confirmations and for future services by Father Starr. Some date this as the beginning of St. Philip’s in Sulphur Springs. Episcopalians met at the Presbyterian Church for more than 20 years.

In 1887 a lot was given for the building of a church by C.M. Houston and his wife Nancy “to promote interest in Christianity.” The trustees of the church--C.B. Stephenson, J.K. Milam and S.L. Gilbert--accepted the land for the church and later conveyed it to the Rt. Rev'd Alexander Charles Garrett, bishop of the Missionary District of Northern Texas. The first Episcopal Church in Sulphur Springs was built at 400 Houston Street at North Davis Street probably in 1895. Colonel Stephenson and his daughter, Mrs. P.T. Tucker, were instrumental in building the church.

The original structure was 53 feet in length and 21 feet in width, with the vaulted ceiling as its most attractive feature. The entrance on the south side opened into a vestibule. There were three clear glass windows on the south, three on the north side and two on the west. One chimney and a cross over the entrance and another cross on the roof completed the building.

In 1917, wings for an organ and choir were added to extend the building to the east. Stained glass replace the clear glass and a memorial window for William B. Arthur was placed over the altar. The addition was made largely through the efforts of Louis H. Gould and W.R. Patrick with the help of the citizens of Sulphur Springs. Later memorial windows were installed on the east. Memorial windows for W.R. Patrick, William B. Arthur and Louis H. Gould are now on the east wall of the nave of the new church built in 1991.

The Rev'd Grover McElyea celebrated his first service at St. Philip's on July 9, 1950, staying through November 23, 1952. During these two years, a parish hall was added to the west side of the church, which included an office, a small kitchen, a central meeting room, seven small Sunday School rooms, two power rooms and a hall. It was connected to the original church by double doors. Father McElyea and his wife did much of the work, installing the floor in the annex. Father McElyea installed the altar rail, given by the Holy Cross Episcopal Church in Paris, Texas.

The Parish Hall had many uses other than the Sunday School, including church dinners, birthday parties, class parties, and Scout activities as a meeting place for Cub Scouts and an Explorer Post. An active Woman’s organization produced a Birthday Calendar as a yearly project, widely accepted by the people of Sulphur Springs.

The Rev'd Hugh Majors was the vicar when land was purchased and a complete new church was constructed and consecrated in May 1991 east of downtown on College Street. The building is a mixture of modern convenience and the traditional as all of the stained glass windows and the wooden fixtures from the old church were installed in the new.

The original building was moved to Heritage Park a few blocks of its original location for almost a century. The building is now a chapel at Heritage Park, which flower stained glass replacing the religious glass that had been there, with a pump organ where the altar had been and different wooden pews.

One member of St. Philip’s and a native of Sulphur Springs, The Rev'd Bill R. Boyd was ordained as an Episcopal priest in 1970.

[Much of the early history of St. Philip’s was taken from one compiled by Mrs. Robert (Majorie Sherwin) Alexander in support of placing a Texas historical marker on St. Philip's in 1978.]