Old St. Luke’s Episcopal Church

The Old St. Luke’s Episcopal Church is the oldest standing church in Bell County and a beloved Belton landmark. In continuous use since 1874, its doors were always open, and seekers were invited to "Enter - Rest - Think and Pray." It was the first building in Belton to be added to the National Register of Historic Places. Nominated by the State of Texas through the State Historic Preservation Officer, the building was added to the national register on January 17, 1974. The structure’s eligibility was based on “its tremendous influence on the historical development of the people in Bell County. [The] structure is a lasting tribute of the civilizing and guiding force of institutional religion.”

It was in 1860 that Bishop Alexander Gregg organized the Episcopal families in and around Belton into a missionary district. The first Episcopal church service held in the city was in 1861 and was conducted by Rev. L. B. Rucker in a little union chapel used by all denominations. Before a church was built, members continued to use the meeting spaces of other churches. In 1871, W. W. Patrick, was appointed to minister at the church one Sunday a month with John C. Moore, a lay reader, performing services during the remaining weeks. Under Patrick’s leadership, necessary funds were raised for a building. A lot on the southwest corner of Fifth Avenue and Wall Street was purchased for sixty dollars from R. P. Burford. At a cost of $3,000, construction began in 1874 on the 27-foot by 39-foot structure. The church was built by Thomas McKnight, a local constractor. The foundation of the building was a rock spread footing, and the walls were constructed of local hand-cut quarry rock. The pointed arch-type double-hung and wood-framed leaded glass windows were of the vernacular Gothic style, indigenous to the immediate geographical area of the time. 

Halfway through construction, funds were depleted. The congregation sent appeals for help, and contributions came from Episcopal churches in Galveston, Houston, Navasota, Bryan, and Waco. The stained glass windows were funded by churches in New York through the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society. The walls were covered with beaded wood wainscoting, the floors were pine, and hand-carved pews filled the sanctuary. At the west end of the building was a small, raised stage with a wood railing. The new church was consecrated by Bishop Gregg on April 18, 1875. Patrick moved to Belton and became St. Luke’s first full-time minister. The trees on the lot were planted by Rev. Patrick. One of the first services held in the church was the marriage of Miss Clara Denny and John L. Lee, solemnized December 30, 1874. During 1874, the church was changed from a mission to a parish.

In 1949, a thirty-foot native stone bell tower was attached to the structure, adding charm and symmetry to the building. The stone for the tower was donated by a local farmer; the bell had been purchased in 1882. The tower project was an attempt to unify the congregation who lacked a resident minister for seven years. In 1969, the congregation outgrew the structure, and a new church was built at 2103 North Beal Street and consecrated on March 23, 1969. The old building was deconsecrated and eventually sold to the Belton Fine Arts Association for about $3,000. It was used as an art gallery and remained under the control of the BFAA until 2010. By this time, the building was structurally unsound, and the city planned to condemn the church and demolish it. 

It was at this time that the 1874 Church Preservation Committee was formed by parties interested in saving the building. Since its formation, the committee undertook various project to raise money for repairs to the building. In 2014, it had raised $17,500. The majority of the funds ($15,000) were donated from a trust controlled by shampoo magnate John Paul DeJoria and his wife, Eloise, daughter of longtime Belton resident Ann Broady. On the City of Belton website, the preservation committee posted the following statement: “The church is structurally unsound: The north and south walls are 10 inches out of plumb and the face stone of the walls has separated from the inner layer. The foundation has shifted and settled during the past 140 years, which has contributed to the building’s distress. The 1874 Church Restoration Committee actively seeks resources in an effort to preserve this valuable landmark.”

“1874 Church Restoration Committee.” City of Belton, Texas. https://www.beltontexas.gov/community/associations/1874_church_restoration_committee.php

"St. Luke's Episcopal Church." Belton Journal, May 7, 1914.

United States Department of the Interior. National Park Service. “National Register of Historic Places Inventory—Nomination Form.” Washington, D.C.: NPS, n.d.

Wukman, Alex. “Historic Belton Church Faces Partial Demolition.” Temple Daily Telegram, Aug. 16, 2014.