History

A HISTORY OF
ALL SAINTS EPISCOPAL CHURCH

     All Saints has been a part of the Richmond community for over a century. Our history began in 1883 when six vestrymen of Monumental Church began an afternoon Sunday School in a frame building on the corner of Madison and Grace Streets for the convenience of children whose families resided in what was then known as the West End. Monumental Church acquired property on an adjacent corner and constructed a chapel there, but the congregation quickly outgrew the building. A decision was made to build a new and larger facility in 1886 on the rear of the same lot but fronting on Madison Street. Construction began in July 1887 and six months later the congregation voted to become an independent church. On July 18,1888, the members named their church All Saints, marking the break from its mother church, Monumental.

     All Saints held its first service on Christmas Day, 1888. Within ten years its congregation increased tenfold, far beyond the capacity of its facilities. At about the same time the parish was given a large lot at 316 West Franklin on which the vestry decided to construct a new building. The cornerstone was laid on December 7, 1898 and the first services in the new church were held on Epiphany Sunday, January 7, 1901.
     In response to the migration of families westward from the City of Richmond, the congregation decided to move the church to the western suburban area in April 1955 and chose a site adjacent to Roslyn, the Diocesan conference center. During the period of construction, All Saints rented the facilities of The Collegiate Schools in order to provide worship services on Sunday mornings for the increasing number of families in the Roslyn area who had indicated a desire to join the church. The cornerstone of the new church was laid on October 27, 1957, and the first services were held on Passion Sunday, March 15, 1959.

Aerial View

     Before long it became evident that a parish hall was needed; the Thornton Hall became a reality in 1962. A third building program allowed us to extend the administrative and Church School facilities for the beginning of Sunday School in September 1971 and our beautiful chapel was added in 1972. Since then, many interior and exterior changes, including the addition of the Bessie Meade White Memorial Garden, have been enabled by generous gifts and memorials. These included the enlargement of Thornton Hall, renovation of the kitchen, expansion of offices, creation of a youth room, addition of the Burgoyne Cloister, and full handicapped access.

     Now numbering over 1100 communicants, All Saints Episcopal Church is a family committed to celebrating and sharing the love and healing power of Jesus Christ. As we build a community of trusting, caring Christians, we seek to make a difference in Richmond and beyond. We are sustained by a spiritual, personal, and financial commitment to the life of the church.

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