History
Christ Episcopal Church is located in the oldest town in Texas. The idea for an Episcopal Church in Nacogdoches came to pass in 1848 when local Judge Amos Clark convinced the Rev. Henry Sansom, who had just arrived in Texas to minister to the people of San Augustine, to also hold services in Nacogdoches. Sansom agreed and held the first Episcopal service at the Nacogdoches Courthouse on Sunday, June 14th, 1848.
Services continued in the courthouse until 1852, when the Christ Episcopal of Nacogdoches opened its doors for the first time. Located at the end of a short lane (later renamed Church Street) off Main Street, the church was consecrated in 1855. The first Vestry included Judge Clark, who gave $500 in gold to build the church, Frost Thorn, who donated the land, Col. Hayden Edwards, and Judge Richard S. Walker. Other well-known early members include Col. Henry Raguet, Dr. James Harper Starr, Dr. Robert Irion, Judge William B. Ochiltree, and Capt. Henry Hancock. In 1902, the church moved to a new location adjacent to the old Nacogdoches University. Famous architect and vestryman Dietrich Rulfs designed the structure. The church was dismantled and reassembled at its present location on the corner of Mound Street and East Starr Avenue in the 1930s.
Some of the early members of Christ Episcopal were: Judge William B. Ochiltree, Secretary Treasurer of the Republic of Texas (1844) under Anson Jones, member of the Constitutional Convention (1845) and the Confederate Congress (1861) and a Regiment Commander in Walker's Division in the Civil War, Dr. James Harper Starr, President of the Board of Land Commissioners of Nacogdoches County (1838), Acting Surgeon General of the Texas Army, and Secretary of the Treasury of the Texas Republic (1839), Dr. Robert Irion, Senator in the First Congress of the Republic (1836), Anna Raguet (wife of Dr. Irion), a friend of Sam Houston, Sarah and Emily Forbes, daughters of John Forbes, Commissary General under Sam Houston and first Mayor of Nacogdoches, Eva Helana and Rosine Sterne, daughters of Adolphus Sterne (Associate of Haden Edwards in the Fredonia Rebellion, a financier of a company of New Orleans Greys in the War for Texas Independence), Captain Henry C. Hancock, Lawyer, Mayor of Nacogdoches, Commander of a Nacogdoches Company in the Civil War who was killed at the Battle of Mansfield, Captain Frederick Voight, who served as Mayor of Nacogdoches, Postmaster, Commander of a Nacogdoches Company in the Civil War, State Senator from the Nacogdoches District (1866), Texas State Librarian and was in charge of the Capital and other public property (1874), and as editor of the Nacogdoches Chronicle, Captain A. A. Nelson, a sea captain, and one of the first surveyors in Nacogdoches County.
The Reverend C. H. Albert (1855-1856) was called to serve the church.
The Reverend John Owen (1857-1864)
The Reverend D.A.B. Treader (1864-1865)
The Reverend Alexander Dobb (1865-1869)
The Reverend R. D. Shindler (1869-1887)
The Reverend Charles H. B. Turner (1887-1888)
The Reverend George Louis Crocket (1926-1930) *George Louis Crocket's statue and plaque are
located on the lawn at the West end of the church building.
The Reverend T. J. Sloan (1909-1912)
The Reverend Jeptha H. Swann (1913-1915)
The Reverend Charles D. Atwell (1916-1926)
The Reverend George Louis Crocket (1926-1930)
The Reverend Hugh St. George Murray (1930-1933)
The Reverend Orin G. Helvey (1933-1942)
The Reverend William Landless Shannon (1933-1945)
The Reverend H. Raymond Kearby (1951-1959)
The Reverend John Desel (1959-1967)
The Reverend Michael C. Macey (1967-1973)
The Reverend William V. Kegler (1973-1976)
The Reverend Jack Godfrey Murray (1977-1982)
The Reverend Douglas J. Tucker (1983-1992)
The Reverend Frank Mangum (1992-1996)
The Reverend Reginald Thomas Milburn (1996-1998) interim Rector
The Reverend Gary Dixon Hill (1997-2010)
The Reverend David J. Greer (2010-2012) interim Rector
The Reverend Howard G. Castleberry (2012-2019)
The Reverend Frank W. Hughes (2019- 2020) interim Rector
The Reverend Karl E. Griswold-Kuhn (2020-2023
Services continued in the courthouse until 1852, when the Christ Episcopal of Nacogdoches opened its doors for the first time. Located at the end of a short lane (later renamed Church Street) off Main Street, the church was consecrated in 1855. The first Vestry included Judge Clark, who gave $500 in gold to build the church, Frost Thorn, who donated the land, Col. Hayden Edwards, and Judge Richard S. Walker. Other well-known early members include Col. Henry Raguet, Dr. James Harper Starr, Dr. Robert Irion, Judge William B. Ochiltree, and Capt. Henry Hancock. In 1902, the church moved to a new location adjacent to the old Nacogdoches University. Famous architect and vestryman Dietrich Rulfs designed the structure. The church was dismantled and reassembled at its present location on the corner of Mound Street and East Starr Avenue in the 1930s.
Some of the early members of Christ Episcopal were: Judge William B. Ochiltree, Secretary Treasurer of the Republic of Texas (1844) under Anson Jones, member of the Constitutional Convention (1845) and the Confederate Congress (1861) and a Regiment Commander in Walker's Division in the Civil War, Dr. James Harper Starr, President of the Board of Land Commissioners of Nacogdoches County (1838), Acting Surgeon General of the Texas Army, and Secretary of the Treasury of the Texas Republic (1839), Dr. Robert Irion, Senator in the First Congress of the Republic (1836), Anna Raguet (wife of Dr. Irion), a friend of Sam Houston, Sarah and Emily Forbes, daughters of John Forbes, Commissary General under Sam Houston and first Mayor of Nacogdoches, Eva Helana and Rosine Sterne, daughters of Adolphus Sterne (Associate of Haden Edwards in the Fredonia Rebellion, a financier of a company of New Orleans Greys in the War for Texas Independence), Captain Henry C. Hancock, Lawyer, Mayor of Nacogdoches, Commander of a Nacogdoches Company in the Civil War who was killed at the Battle of Mansfield, Captain Frederick Voight, who served as Mayor of Nacogdoches, Postmaster, Commander of a Nacogdoches Company in the Civil War, State Senator from the Nacogdoches District (1866), Texas State Librarian and was in charge of the Capital and other public property (1874), and as editor of the Nacogdoches Chronicle, Captain A. A. Nelson, a sea captain, and one of the first surveyors in Nacogdoches County.
The Reverend C. H. Albert (1855-1856) was called to serve the church.
The Reverend John Owen (1857-1864)
The Reverend D.A.B. Treader (1864-1865)
The Reverend Alexander Dobb (1865-1869)
The Reverend R. D. Shindler (1869-1887)
The Reverend Charles H. B. Turner (1887-1888)
The Reverend George Louis Crocket (1926-1930) *George Louis Crocket's statue and plaque are
located on the lawn at the West end of the church building.
The Reverend T. J. Sloan (1909-1912)
The Reverend Jeptha H. Swann (1913-1915)
The Reverend Charles D. Atwell (1916-1926)
The Reverend George Louis Crocket (1926-1930)
The Reverend Hugh St. George Murray (1930-1933)
The Reverend Orin G. Helvey (1933-1942)
The Reverend William Landless Shannon (1933-1945)
The Reverend H. Raymond Kearby (1951-1959)
The Reverend John Desel (1959-1967)
The Reverend Michael C. Macey (1967-1973)
The Reverend William V. Kegler (1973-1976)
The Reverend Jack Godfrey Murray (1977-1982)
The Reverend Douglas J. Tucker (1983-1992)
The Reverend Frank Mangum (1992-1996)
The Reverend Reginald Thomas Milburn (1996-1998) interim Rector
The Reverend Gary Dixon Hill (1997-2010)
The Reverend David J. Greer (2010-2012) interim Rector
The Reverend Howard G. Castleberry (2012-2019)
The Reverend Frank W. Hughes (2019- 2020) interim Rector
The Reverend Karl E. Griswold-Kuhn (2020-2023