The history of the transformation of the area around Grace Episcopal Church
In 1976 during the tenure of the Rev. J. Roland Johnston a Development Committee was appointed with the Hon. Edward H. Johnstone as chairman to study the future needs of the parish. During the period of this committee's work a small corner lot directly in front of the church was purchased to provide some off-street parking.
Under a new rector, following Fr. Johnston's death, a second Development Committee was appointed to build upon this earlier work. The parish vestry made the decision to seek to purchase all adjoining property on the block and immediately across Sixth Street for expansion. It committed itself not to flee a deteriorating central section of the city but to use its resources to transform this section of Hopkinsville into a place of beauty of which the entire community could be proud.
Gradually during the period of 1978-84 buildings and land were acquired. A large unsightly automobile body shop directly in front of the parish house was acquired and razed to provide a much larger parking lot adjoining the corner lot already owned. Soon a small plumbing shop on Fifth Street and a small pool room on Sixth Street were purchased. Then a major purchase of several buildings on Sixth and Virginia Streets and a V. F. W. Club building on Fifth Street made Grace Church the owner of all the property on its block with the exception of one building on the corner of Virginia and Fifth Streets. All the old buildings which were purchased were demolished. The expansion represented purchases in excess of $200,000 by the parish. These purchases were made possible by an item in the annual parish budget and one significant bequest from Sarah Callard Bryant.
Plans were also proceeding during this period for a new parish hall to meet the needs of a growing congregation and the desire to serve the community. Architect Tom M. Paine of Hopkinsville was commissioned to design a parish hall in a style to complement the existing church and Gaither Parish House. Upon approval of his plans, Rader Construction Company was employed to erect the new building. The Ground Breaking Ceremony was held on Sunday, March 4, 1984.
The old Abbitt Hall (originally a rectory and then a classroom building) was torn down. And the new building was constructed in 1984-85 under the careful supervision of the architect and Building Committee chairman, Charles D. Wade. The first parish gathering in the almost complete building was the Every Member Canvass dinner on November 14, 1984.
Funding for the construction of the new building, which was named All Saints' Hall by the vestry upon a suggestion from the rector, was provided through advance gifts, an item in the annual parish budget, and Joans from the Diocese of Kentucky Revolving Fund and Planters Bank and Trust Company- Approximately one-half the cost of the building was raised in special pledges and gifts from members of the parish and friends within a space of one month by an Advance Gifts Committee chaired by Dr. W. Faxon Payne.
All Saints' Hall, built at a cost of approximately $375,000, contains a large Great Room which is suitable for gatherings of the entire parish and other large groups for social occasions and other activities. There is a large double classroom called the Canterbury Room, three children's classrooms used-for the weekday kindergarten as well as the Sunday Church School, an infant nursery, a beautifully appointed kitchen and spacious pantry, a sexton's room, spacious rest rooms, a storage room, and a cloak closet. In addition, there is sufficient room above the first floor classrooms to double the usable space in time of future need.
The All Saints' Hall is joined to the Gaither Parish House by an attractive cloister. At its regular meeting on October 9, 1984, the parish vestry designated this cloister to honor the priest during whose ministry the building program was undertaken and completed.
A special feature of the new building is the windows made by local artist Jim Calhoun and constructed of hand-blown glass. The windows contain medallions of saints' symbols and other ecclesiastical symbols of special meaning to the parish.
A series of heraldic banners with symbols of additional saints hang from the walls of the Great Room. These banners were made by St. Elizabeth's Guild and are a thank offering of the Episcopal Church Women, who have also been very generous in providing furnishings for the new building.
Grace Church was established in 1831, meeting first in the Presbyterian Church and in the Christian County Court House. In the 1840s a small frame building near the present church was erected. The present church building at the corner of Sixth (then Court) and Liberty Streets was completed in 1884. The Emma Gaither Parish House was added in 1906, a gift of Emma Carter Glass in memory of her daughter.
The completion of the All Saints' Parish Hall has made possible the renovation of Gaither Parish House for more effective use. The first floor now contains a large sacristy, a parlor for small meetings and classes, a small chapel made possible by additional memorial gifts and dedicated to Our Lady, and a vesting room for acolytes and lay readers. The church office and the rector's study are located on the second floor. And the third floor contains a large choir rehearsal room, a library, and a small curate's office.
Grace Church has been designated a Kentucky Landmark and is on the National Register of Historic Places. For its work in constructing All Saints' Hall and beautifying downtown Hopkinsville the parish in 1985 received the Community Development Award of the Hopkinsville-Christian County Chamber of Commerce.