Reprinted with permission as a public service by the Landmark Society of the Niagara Frontier, now the Preservation Buffalo Niagara


Houses of Worship: A Guide to the Religious Architecture of Buffalo, New York
By James Napora
Table of Contents

EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF THE ASCENSION- Table of Contents

EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF THE ASCENSION - 1872-1873
North Street at Linwood Avenue (NW)
Architect: Gordon W. Lloyd
Founded 9 April, 1855

During the 1850s, the Population of the city spread northward and as people moved, they desired a place of worship closer to their homes. Former members of both St. Paul's Episcopal Church on Pearl Street and Trinity Episcopal Church on Delaware who had moved to the North Street area requested the Episcopal Diocese to establish a mission church there. This desire arose out of practices related to the observance of the Sabbath, a day which domestic employees were given off. Very few families would drive on Sundays, so those living in this northern area vacated their pews in the downtown churches. Consequently, with the absence of a place of worship in their neighborhood, the residents requested the Episcopal diocese to arrange for a suitable situation to meet their current needs.

In 1855, on a lot owned by Jesse Ketchum of Westminster Presbyterian Church, located at the crest of Walden Hill, the Diocese erected a small frame chapel. At this time, only a field of grass separated the two churches. This building, the fifth Episcopal church in the city, was enlarged in 1867 to meet the needs of the growing neighborhood.

By 1870, the congregation had outgrown its frame chapel and began planning for the construction of a more substantial building. They placed the cornerstone of their new, $72,000 house of worship on 9 May, 1872 and held the first service there one year later, on 13 April, 1873.

The Gothic Styled church, resembling those of the English countryside, creates a considerable presence at the crest of the hill when approached from Franklin Street. It is notable for the austere detailing of the interior space, the highlight of which are the exquisite memorial windows.


© 1995 James Napora
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