An Abbreviated History of the
Episcopal Church in Cynthiana
The first presence of the Episcopal Church in
Cynthiana was established in the spring of
1835 by Mr. N. N. Cowgill, who also began a
school in the town. In 1837 a parish to be
called St. Paul Church, Cynthiana, petitioned
for union with the convention. The first
in-church marriage on the church records was
August 11, 1849, when the Rev. H. H. Reid
married Ann to Mason.
The current historic building (The Church of
the Advent) was built by a small group of
dedicated Episcopalians. The Right Reverend
Benjamin Bosworth Smith, the first bishop of
Kentucky, encouraged their decision by
contributing the plan for the church. This plan
was from a model he had made of an English
church that he had seen on a trip to England.
The English church that was so influential on
Bishop Smodel was Saint Giles, Stoke-Poges,
a church made famous by the poet Thomas
Gray in his poem, "Elegy Written in a Country
Churchyard."
Episcopal Church in Cynthiana
The first presence of the Episcopal Church in
Cynthiana was established in the spring of
1835 by Mr. N. N. Cowgill, who also began a
school in the town. In 1837 a parish to be
called St. Paul Church, Cynthiana, petitioned
for union with the convention. The first
in-church marriage on the church records was
August 11, 1849, when the Rev. H. H. Reid
married Ann to Mason.
The current historic building (The Church of
the Advent) was built by a small group of
dedicated Episcopalians. The Right Reverend
Benjamin Bosworth Smith, the first bishop of
Kentucky, encouraged their decision by
contributing the plan for the church. This plan
was from a model he had made of an English
church that he had seen on a trip to England.
The English church that was so influential on
Bishop Smodel was Saint Giles, Stoke-Poges,
a church made famous by the poet Thomas
Gray in his poem, "Elegy Written in a Country
Churchyard."
The most eye-catching item in the interior is the
altar. This oak altar was carved by women of
the church in the 19th century. It is a tribute to
those women who loved the church so much.
To the right of the altar on the wall is the
Apostle's Creed and to the left, the Decalogue,
or Ten Commandments. This printing on the
walls is a carry-over from the colonial churches
of Virginia, where it was quite common.
The pipe organ also dates from the 19th century
and has been pictured and written about in
"Historic Organs of North America." Until 1955,
when an electric blower was added, it was hand
pumped.
The building, using native stone of Harrison
County, was constructed in 1854; the bell tower
was completed in 1859. One can see the
change from uncoursed to coursed stone in the
tower. Shortly afterward the church was used as
a hospital for the casualties of the battles of the
Civil War that occurred in and around Cynthiana.
Today, after more than 150 years of continuous
use, the building is still solid, a tribute to those
who designed and built it.
The Church was nominated to the National
Register of Historic Places in 1977 and listed in
1978.
altar. This oak altar was carved by women of
the church in the 19th century. It is a tribute to
those women who loved the church so much.
To the right of the altar on the wall is the
Apostle's Creed and to the left, the Decalogue,
or Ten Commandments. This printing on the
walls is a carry-over from the colonial churches
of Virginia, where it was quite common.
The pipe organ also dates from the 19th century
and has been pictured and written about in
"Historic Organs of North America." Until 1955,
when an electric blower was added, it was hand
pumped.
The building, using native stone of Harrison
County, was constructed in 1854; the bell tower
was completed in 1859. One can see the
change from uncoursed to coursed stone in the
tower. Shortly afterward the church was used as
a hospital for the casualties of the battles of the
Civil War that occurred in and around Cynthiana.
Today, after more than 150 years of continuous
use, the building is still solid, a tribute to those
who designed and built it.
The Church was nominated to the National
Register of Historic Places in 1977 and listed in
1978.
Our History
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