St. Luke's Episcopal Church (Vancouver, Washington) is a parish of the Episcopal Church of America located in Vancouver, Washington. The parish is part of the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia and traces its roots to the initial arrival of Anglican worshippers at Fort Vancouver in the Oregon Country in the 1830s; its first dedicated church building was consecrated in 1860.
History
Pre-parish
Services were periodically conducted by Anglican officers at Fort Vancouver. Fort Vancouver was established as the main center for trading by the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) and was located north of the Columbia River. John McLoughlin, factor of Fort Vancouver, and a Catholic, asked HBC for a full-time minister. HBC sent Reverend Beaver, an Anglican priest in 1836. Reverend Beaver's attitudes conflicted with McLoughlin's and others at the Fort. He did not like the worship being conducted in a schoolhouse, nor his quarters, nor the marriages of the existing officers of Fort Vancouver. He also complained about his allotment of alcohol being too small. In 1838 Reverend Beaver returned to England.
Early parish
In 1849, after the Treaty of Oregon established Fort Vancouver as being in United States territories, U.S. troops arrived. In 1853, Rev. John D. McCarty, a former chaplain for the troops was called to establish the first Episcopal Church in the Oregon Territory, Trinity Church (now Trinity Cathedral) in Portland Rev. McCarty quickly began to serve both Trinity and Fort Vancouver and would work part of the week at Trinity, then cross the Columbia River (often a tricky proposition) to serve the remainder of the week at Fort Vancouver
The first church building for St. Luke's was a converted schoolhouse near the fort. While he had been conducting services in the village since coming to Fort Vancouver, Reverend McCarty started regular services in this schoolhouse in 1857. On May 27, 1860, Whitsunday, the church was consecrated by Bishop Thomas Fielding Scott, becoming the first Episcopal Church in the Territory of Washington. Participating as founders of the church were John D. McCarty, John Eddings, Colonel Henry C. Hodges Jr., Louis Sohns, James Crawford, H. G. Struve, James Davison, Joseph K. Barnes, Benjamin Alvord (mathematician), and others. On February 21, 1868, St. Luke's was incorporated in Washington Territory.
On March 2, 1873, a new church with a prominent 119 foot high steeple seen throughout Vancouver, was used for the first time. The church was stated to be "one of the landmarks of the city and one of the first objects to greet the gaze of the approaching visitor as he comes across the river." The church also included parish buildings and a rectory. St. Luke's, under the guidance of its second rector, Reverend Albert S. Nicholson, started a parish school. The St. Luke's Parish School, with Miss A. Loomis as principal, and Mrs. M. Nicholson as a teacher of music, provided instruction in letters, arts, and music to both girls and boys.
On August 24, 1881, the first convocation of the Protestant Episcopal Church of the Missionary Jurisdiction of Washington was held at St. Luke's Church in Vancouver, Washington Territory. This annual meeting was also held there in 1882 and 1883. In the early 1890s St. Luke's also promoted and participated, through its rector Reverend Mardon D. Wilson (who was also the Secretary of the Missionary Jurisdiction of Washington Territory), in the creation of the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia in 1910.
Twentieth century
On Sunday, December 6, 1931, only one-half hour after the close of the morning service, the Rector, Dr. Coleman Byram, his wife, and James O'Banion were having a meal in the rectory. Dr. Byram smelled smoke and they all saw that the church was on fire. Mrs. Byram called the Fire Department, and Fr. Byram and James raced frantically into the church to save as much as they could. Later helped by others from the neighborhood as well as the firemen, they were able to save the vestments, brass works, some hymnals, and the symbolic bishop's chair. The fire was so great that it sent embers throughout the neighborhood, and was visible throughout the city. All was destroyed, but the rectory was saved. St. Luke's directly took on the responsibility of establishing other Episcopal parishes throughout Clark County, Washington. On March 18, 1951, St. Anne's Mission, Camas-Washougal, had its first service. St. Luke's clergy and leadership contributed significantly to the organization and provisioning of the church. The Diocese of Olympia and St. Luke's agreed to jointly share the expense of the vicar, and land was purchased for a new church facility