Churches: Grace Episcopal Church #1

Shortly after arriving in D.C. in December, we took a long walk through nearby Georgetown.  

  

During our walk, we spotted a small church, Grace Episcopal Church, located in lower Georgetown between the C&O canal and the Potomac River.    

The church was established in the 1850's on land where a stable, or hostelry, once stood.  The legend is that George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Pierre L'Enfant used the stable when visiting Georgetown.

The church ministered to the working class residents of lower Georgetown--laborers, craftsmen, shopkeepers and watermen.  For more than a century, Georgetown had been an active port but there was no church in lower Georgetown to serve the working class.  (Grace is still the only church in lower Georgetown.)

In 1857, the congregation met in a small wooden chapel on the church property.  Then, the church was known as Grace Episcopal Protestant Church and also as Mission Church for Boatmen.

In 1867, a larger, stone church was completed and is still standing today.  The church building has survived and was added in 1971 to the National Register of Historic Places.  Below are two early photos of the church.

For much of its history, Grace Episcopal Church was a poor church but still managed to serve its members and neighbors.  The Washington Evening Star newspaper in 1895, “… It is the only church here in a really poor district and whenever its pastor is not in the pulpit or fulfilling his own immediate wants he is out among his people dispensing aid to the unfortunate.”  

The church's outreach mission has continued into the modern era and the church's finances are improved.  Today, the church is home to Georgetown Ministry Center, which provides services to the homeless and others in need.  The church hosts a weekly luncheon for the homeless, provides a heated daytime refuge during the cold winter months and welcomes everyone to services at the church.  

Since arriving in D.C., we have been regular attendees at the church, making new friends and also working occasionally at the weekly luncheon.  Below are some recent photos of the church.  

  

Thanks for visiting Grace Episcopal Church with us.