Grace Episcopal Church - Georgetown, TX
Posted by: 
WalksfarTX
N 30° 38.155 W 097° 40.613
14R E 626795 N 3389999
Grace Heritage Center served as Grace Episcopal Church from 1881 until 1991. Now in its second century of use and at its third location, it is one of many historic structures that have withstood the rigors of nature, growth and change.
Waymark Code: WMVDBN
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 04/04/2017
Views: 4
Georgetown Heritage Society
This Carpenter Gothic chapel with its Norman-style tower was built at the corner of 10th and Main Streets in 1881 for a total cost of $2,186. It served the congregation there until 1955, when it was moved to East University Avenue to be close to Southwestern University.
In 1991, the congregation having built a new church, the Episcopal Diocese of Texas donated the building to the citizens of Georgetown. Moved back downtown, this time to 811 Main Street, the Center’s wooden structure now complements the historic square, serving as a public-use facility and location for the Georgetown Heritage Society offices.
The timely discovery in the State Archives of a photograph of the building at its original location revealed that the bell tower had been shortened and slightly altered in the 1955 reconstruction. The tower has been restored to its historic height.
Points of interest in the church are the original altar and the three stained glass windows above the altar which were given in 1932 by an English couple who had been members of the congregation since the very early days. The first electric lights were installed in 1910 and fans were added in 1928. Patches in the flooring and on the wall above the east door, plus floorboards of different widths, are the result of many changes over the years, especially in the 1928 changeover from coal to gas heating.