The Cathedral Church of St. James
Celebrates 175 Years

October 25, 2009 we celebrated 175 years of ministry in the City of Chicago. Retired Bishop, the Right Reverend James Winchester Montgomery, the 9th Bishop of Chicago, was the celebrant at a Solemn Choral Eucharist, with The Very Reverend Joy Edith Rogers preaching.

      Read Dean Joy Rogers' Sermon 
      "St. James at 175 Years" 

      See more photos

      Read a Detailed History 

A Brief History and Timeline of St James

The Cathedral Church of St James is Chicago’s original Episcopal congregation, and one of the oldest churches in the city. Gathered in 1834, the people and parish of St James have played an important role in the life and history of Chicago, and continue to do so today.

From its earliest days, St James has been a place of worship and a center for the community. Organized by some of the city's earliest residents, the life and heritage of what was to become the Cathedral Church for the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago was shaped by many of the important events and personalities that built the city. Through the years, members of St James have taken civic involvement very seriously. Grounded in their faith and a sense of Christian responsibility, many have been instrumental in the creation and leadership of some of Chicago’s most important businesses, cultural institutions, and philanthropic organizations.

Just as Chicago has become a richly diverse community, so too has St James. What was once the privileged parish home for a great many of Chicago’s most prominent families has grown into a church grounded in what it means to serve as a place of prayer, witness and service in a renewed and diverse downtown neighborhood, home to people from all walks of life and backgrounds.

For 175 years, this congregation has lived out its calling to the fullest, through good times and harder ones. The Cathedral is continuing its decades of witness and service to God’s love in our worship, outreach, and hospitality to friend and stranger alike.

1834 

On Octoer 12, two prominent residents—John and Juliette Kinzie—organize the Episcopal service in Chicago held at Presbyterian Meeting-House.

 

On October 19, Isaac Williams Hallam, the first rector of St James holds his first service in Chicago.

1834 

On March 9, the Diocese of Illinois is established; Philander Chase elected 1st bishop of Illinois.

 1837

On March 4, Chicago is granted a city charter.

 

On March 26, St James parish worships in its first permanent church located at Wabash (Cass) Avenue and Illinois Street on land donated by the Kinzies.

1849 

On March 18, St James calls Robert H. Clarkson as rector, a position he will hold for 17 years.

1857

St James establishes a mission on the north side; it will become the Church of the Ascension within four months. St James completes construction on a new building at Wabash Avenue and Huron Street, the current location.

1860

On November 25, President-elect Abraham Lincoln attends services at St James with Isaac N. Arnold family.

1861

The first American Episcopal cathedral, the Cathedral of Ss Peter and Paul, is established on the city’s west side.

1870 

On December 24, St James celebrates the completion of renovation of the 1857 building, adding a memorial in the narthex to those who fell and served in the Civil War.

1871

On October 9, the second day of the Great Chicago Fire, the St James burns to the ground, leaving only the bell tower and Civil War Memorial standing. The bells play an important role in sounding the alarm during the fire. 

1875

On October 9, the fourth anniversary of the Great Fire, a new St James is re-dedicated; a marble baptismal font is given in memory of Gertrude Griswold Aver.

1877

On October 11, the Diocese of Illinois is divided into three dioceses under the direction of Bishop William E. McLaren.

1883

The Brotherhood of St Andrew, a lay evangelism society, is established at St James by James L. Houghteling.

1884

On the 50th anniversary of St James, Dr. W.H. Vibbert announces a plan to redecorate the church, which includes the addition of the Clarkson Memorial Reredos.

 

A boys’ and men’s choir is established. 

1885

St James establishes All Saints’ Mission; it will become St Chrysostom’s Church in 1893.

1888

E.J. Neville Stent is contracted to stencil the interior of the church using an Arts and Crafts plan inspired by Victorian England.

1895

James S. Stone, an English churchman, becomes rector at St James for 27 years.

1901

More than 1,500 people attend a memorial service for Queen Victoria at St James Church.

1913

St Andrew’s Chapel is completed in the north transept undercroft.

1921

On March 8, a fire destroys the Cathedral Church of Ss Peter and Paul.

1924

St James calls Duncan H. Browne as rector, who serves until 1950. 

1927

Leo Sowerby is named organist-choirmaster of St James, a position he holds until 1962.

1928

St James is selected by Bishop Charles P. Anderson as his pro-cathedral (until 1931).

1955

On May 3, St James is designated the Cathedral Church of the Diocese of Chicago; Rector Howard S. Kennedy becomes the first dean. 

1957

St James abolishes pew rentals, a historic practice that most American churches had cast away already, in response to a dramatically evolving neighborhood.

1962

In June, with the installation of a marble altar and chancel floor, and the removal of the historic reredos, a modern, white-walled and unadorned St James is dedicated.

1966 

In August, Mayor Richard J. Daley and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. meet at St James as part of the Summit Conference on racial issues in the city. 

1974

Cathedral Counseling Center is established at the Cathedral. 

1980

Betsey Davis becomes first woman elected as warden.

1981

In May, Archbishop of Canterbury Dr. Robert Runcie makes an official visit to Chicago and St. James Cathedral.

1985

St James begins a major restoration of the interior, returning it to the 1888 E.J. Neville Stent design.  

1991

St James hosts an ecumenical service for people living with HIV/AIDS, welcoming Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Lutheran, and Greek Orthodox leaders.

1996

In May, Archbishop of Canterbury Dr. George Carey visits St James Cathedral.  

2000

Rush Hour Concerts at St James Cathedral, a free summer chamber music series featuring world-class musicians, is founded. 

2001

A few days after September 11, more than 700 people attend a healing service for flight attendants, pilots and other staff from United Airlines and American Airlines.

2009

St. James celebrates 175 years of ministry in the City of Chicago.

Read a Detailed History