Calvary Episcopal Church (Memphis, Tennessee)

Calvary Episcopal Church, located at 102 North Second Street at Adams Avenue, in Memphis, Tennessee, in the United States, is an historic Episcopal church, founded August 6, 1832 by the Rev. Thomas Wright. The nave (consecrated May 12, 1844) is the oldest public building in continuous use in the city of Memphis and was designed by Calvary's second Rector, The Rev. Philip Alston. There were several later additions: a tower in 1848, the chancel in 1881, the Parish Hall in 1903, and the Education Building in 1992.[2][3] As Calvary Episcopal Church and Parish House, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.[1]

Calvary Episcopal Church and Parish House
Calvary Church interior, 1974.
Calvary Episcopal Church (Memphis, Tennessee) is located in Tennessee
Calvary Episcopal Church (Memphis, Tennessee)
Calvary Episcopal Church (Memphis, Tennessee) is located in the United States
Calvary Episcopal Church (Memphis, Tennessee)
Location102 N. 2nd St. (at Adams Avenue), Memphis, Tennessee
Coordinates35°8′50″N 90°3′0″W / 35.14722°N 90.05000°W / 35.14722; -90.05000
Built1843
ArchitectAlston, Philip; Cook, James B.
Architectural styleLate Gothic Revival, Gothic Revival
NRHP reference No.82004039 [1]
Added to NRHPApril 27, 1982

Parish Information

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Calvary is an active parish in the Episcopal Diocese of West Tennessee.

Current[when?] clergy are:

Name [4] Role
The Rev. J. Scott Walters Rector
The Rev. Amber Carswell, Associate Rector
The Rev. Paul McLain, Associate Rector
The Venerable Mimsy Jones Archdeacon
The Rev. William Kolb Assisting Priest

The education wing houses the Calvary Place Child Care Center, which serves working parents in downtown Memphis. Since 1928, the volunteer-run Waffle Shop has provided downtown Memphians with a simple weekday lunch during the season of Lent. The profits support outreach ministries of congregations throughout the city.

In 2023 a moving truck full of organ pipes was stolen when being transported back from Boston to the church after being restored. The pipes and the moving truck were eventually discovered after the police received an anonymous tip.[5]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  2. ^ "Calvary Episcopal Church, Our History". Archived from the original on 2007-10-04. Retrieved 2009-02-16.
  3. ^ Dougan, John. Memphis. Arcadia Publishing, 2003, ISBN 0-7385-1553-1, ISBN 978-0-7385-1553-3, p. 78
  4. ^ "Clergy & Staff". calvarymemphis.org. Archived from the original on 2017-10-24. Retrieved 2017-10-23.
  5. ^ "Answered prayers: Tennessee church recovers truckload of organ pipes". AP News. May 31, 2023. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
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