Old Stone Church

Plans for Calvary Episcopal Church in Buffalo, North Dakota began in 1884. At the time, there were six Episcopal churches in North Dakota, with the first built in Fargo in 1874. Episcopal Bishop William D. Walker sent Reverend O’Callaghan McCarthy to Buffalo, a small town along the Northern Pacific Railway and forty-five miles west of Fargo. There were no church buildings of any kind when the Reverend McCarthy arrived in Buffalo. Episcopalians were few in town, but numerous on the farms that reside on its outskirts. When Bishop Walker visited the community in 1884, almost one hundred people gathered to hear him speak. The Buffalo congregation grew rapidly, and the Episcopal Society, under the guidance of Reverend McCarthy, made plans to erect a church building.  

Mary Strong Wilson and her sister, Laura Strong Letchworth, donated the land on which the church was built. The sisters were heiresses to the estate of John C. Strong, a wealthy New York landowner. Lots were donated to anyone who would build a business, school, or church in the City of Buffalo. In July of 1885, during an elegant and impressive ceremony, the corner stone of the Episcopal Church was laid. The procession included Bishop Walker, the Reverends Cooley and Swan, several ladies and gentlemen prominent to Buffalo, and the Episcopal Choirs of Moorhead, Minnesota, and Fargo, North Dakota. They arrived by rail in the Bishop’s special car and were received by Reverend McCarthy, the Buffalo Band, and a large concourse of citizens. The occasion was one that marked an important step in the history of Buffalo. The enterprising Episcopal Society was composed of many of Buffalo’s leading citizens, and the edifice was to be built at once.  

The church was designed by architect, George Hancock (1849-1924), who with his brother Walter, created the architectural firm of the Hancock Brothers in Fargo. Hancock was born in Uley, Gloucestershire, England, and later studied building construction and architecture at the South Kensington Institute in London. Hancock came to North Dakota in 1882, eager for architectural commissions. Hancock contacted Bishop Walker, offering his services to the Diocese Building Committee. Hancock was seen having the distinct advantage of having seen, visited, and studied English Anglican Gothic churches. Hancock and Bishop Walker also developed a social, as well as a business relationship. The Hancock Brothers firm designed a variety of commercial buildings, schools, institutional structures, and churches across North Dakota. 

The Old Stone Church was constructed using mostly uncut, native fieldstone gathered by the parishioners. Whenever possible, Bishop Walker encouraged his congregations to build stone churches. Calvary Chapel, the original name of the Old Stone Church, was constructed by Angus Beaton, a Canadian stone mason, and was the first stone church in North Dakota to be built with a stone tower. Construction progressed rapidly according to the July 29th, 1885 convocation journal of the Episcopal Church, the missionary district of North Dakota. The walls of the building were completed and ready for the roof, and the cost of the building was estimated at $1,200.  

The cost of building the church rose almost as fast as the walls themselves. By August 14, 1885 the projected cost was increased to $1,500. Crucial funding was received from Calvary Chapel, Bishop Walker’s church in New York. Members and financial support were coming from other settlements in the area, including Alice, Tower City, and Ayr, however costs were expected to rise even higher. The Episcopal Society of Buffalo was actively engaged in fundraising to pay for the expected increases. Dramatic readings, literary entertainment, fortune tellers, formal balls, and raffles were held by the Society. The church was consecrated “Calvary Chapel” on June 5, 1887, by the Right Reverend William D. Walker, Bishop of Dakota Territory, assisted by Reverend McCarthy, originator of the mission, and Reverend Trenaman, the resident rector. During the ceremony, thanks was given to the mystery benefactor whose payment, a total of $170, allowed the church to be consecrated, as no Episcopal Church could be consecrated until it was free of debt.  

Old Stone Church, National Register of Historic Places. Accessed January 11th 2021. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75325989.

Calvary Episcopal Chapel (Old Stone Church), 1996, North Dakota State University. Accessed January 11th 2021. https://library.ndsu.edu/AS2.pub/repositories/3/archival_objects/71802.

Buffalo Historical Society, Inc., Buffalo, North Dakota. Accessed January 11th 2021. https://www.buffalond.com/?SEC=3142A6F5-C417-4697-BCF7-517794A5598A.