Christ Episcopal Church, Gary (defunct)
With the church growing, Applegate asked the General Convention for $10,000, but he did not receive it until May 1910. That money allowed the congregation to purchase a lot on the northeast corner of 6th Avenue and Adams Street. The Rev. L. C. Marsh, called as rector in 1911, conducted the first service on the lot in a new frame church designed by L. H. Ellwood and Sons. Marsh was succeeded by Rev. William N. Wyckhoff in July 1912. He was followed by the Rev. Benjamin F. P. Ivins, who had previously been rector of St. Thomas, Plymouth, and served from 1914 to 1916. Ivins established the first weekday school of religion in the country, and in 1925 was elected Bishop of Milwaukee. Rev. W. H. Blake succeeded Ivins in 1916, and he was followed by the Rev. Wilbur Dean Elliott in 1917. During the 1919 steel strike, members of the congregation sided strongly with the corporation, but Elliott defended from the pulpit the right of workers to organize. The Rev. James Foster, Elliott's successor, later wrote that "no attempt was made to put any pressure on the rector," but by 1920 he became so driven by frustration that, "careless in his personal conduct," he resigned.
That same year the vestry called the Rev. James E. Foster, who would serve the church ably until his retirement in 1956. Foster told the vestry that if there was anything in the church they wished to get rid of, they should do it before he arrived. In 1925, under Foster's leadership, the parish received a $40,000 gift from U.S. Steel. A building fund campaign raised an additional $50,000, and a new church in the Gothic style was constructed in 1926. It was an impressive structure, and though not as large as the Methodist or Presbyterian churches, the congregation wielded much local influence. Foster was also instrumental in helping to found St. Augustine's mission in 1927, in part because his own congregation would not allow African Americans to worship there.
During the Depression, the congregation persevered under difficult times. At one time the bank foreclosed on the church, but it was not lost. Foster proved himself as a priest of enormous strength in guiding Christ Church through this era. A quiet, gentle man, he was interested in social justice issues, helped to desegregate the local beaches, and was a close friend of the Rev. Wallace Wells of St. Augustine's, with whom he exchanged pulpits on some Sundays in the summer. When the Rosenbergs were sentenced to death during the McCarthy era, Foster was among the local priests who campaigned for the commutation of the sentence, which was a controversial stance. He also knew grief. In 1944, his son Patrick died after becoming lost in the Colorado mountains in winter. Receiving the news just before the Christmas Eve service, he proceeded to conduct the service and collapsed afterward. An article in the diocesan newsletter noted after his retirement, "His outstanding characteristic is a fierce sense of integrity. He has a passion for intellectual honesty whether the opinions are popular or unpopular. This trait nearly always compels respect. Father Foster is a man of scholarship, one who has a very strong sense of social justice. He is a man of much personal kindness." When he retired after 36 years of service, he was the senior priest in the diocese.
Foster was a close friend of the Hyndman family. When the head of the family died in a mill accident in 1944, a large crowd gathered for the funeral. Bishop Mallett, who was visiting Gary at the time, later remarked to Foster that the funeral must have been for someone important. Foster replied, "Yes, he was important."
Following Foster's retirement, the Rev. James W. Curtis, the curate, was elected rector and enjoyed another long tenure. A native of St. Louis and a graduate of Dartmouth, he had been tutored for the priesthood and was ordained to the ministry by Bishop Whittemore of the Diocese of Western Michigan. As outspoken and passionate as his predecessor, Curtis extended outreach to local Spanish-speaking community members, supported a Cuban refugee program, and worked to develop ecumenical ties with local Catholic, Presbyterian, and evangelical congregations, including the African American community. He was an advocate for the Open Housing Amendment.
The closing of the church, once a vibrant congregation, can be attributed to the changing neighborhood around it and the flight of its white membership to suburban areas that began with the election of Richard Hatcher as mayor in 1968. At one point, the church was burglarized, and many items were stolen. The congregation put up a sign stating jokingly that it was now "Christ Church of the Good Thief." Increasingly, congregants began attending other congregations, such as St. Barnabas and St. Stephen's, which had been seeded by Christ Church members. The last service was held on All Saints Day, 1983, with Bishop Sheridan presiding. The records of the church are preserved in the Archives of the diocese. The exception is the parish register that dates after 1980, which is located at St. Stephen's, Hobart.
Clergy:
Legh Wilson Applegate, 1907-1910
Lindus Cody Marsh, 1911- 1912
William Nehemiah Wyckoff, 1912-1914
Benjamin Franklin Price Ivins, 1914-1916
W. H. Blake, 1916-1917
Wilbur Dean Elliott, 1917-1920
James Edward Foster, 1920-1956
James Wallace Curtis, 1956-1983
Sources:
James W. Lewis, At Home in the City: The Protestant Experience in Gary, Indiana, 1906-1975 (Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 1992), pp. 71-73.
James E. Foster, Christ Church, Gary, Indiana, a Sketch Book of Parish History (Gary: Christ Church, 1940).
Parish Register of Christ Church, Gary, 1908-1928
Parish Register of Christ Church, Gary, 1908-1980
Marriage Register of Christ Church, Gary, 1908-1964
Index of Names
Note that the above parish registers are accessible through Familysearch. A free registration and login is required for access.
This page references:
- Rev, William N. Wyckoff, Christ Church, Gary
- Ecumenical service, St. Nicholas Orthodox Church, Gary, 11v March 1945, with Archbishop Cassimatis and Rev. James Foster
- Unidentified church, possibly Christ Church, Gary, unidentified people, 1966
- Rev. Thomas Stoll and Rev. James W. Curtis, Christ Church Gary
- Christ Church Gary undercroft 1927
- Christ Church, Gary, crucifer and acolytes, ca 1910
- Christ Church Gary Boar's Head Festival meat carving December 1940
- Rev. David Hyndman, Rev. Thomas Stoll, Pat Pera, and Tim Pera, Christ Church Gary
- Christ Episcopal Church, Gary, interior, 1927
- Harry Hall, Christ Church Gary vestryman, 1930s
- Christ Church Gary Choir 1914 with Fr Wyckoff, second from left, rear
- Christ Church Gary choir, Palm Sunday 1941
- Christ Church Gary exterior 1920s side view
- Harvey Watson, vestryman, Christ Church Gary
- Christ Church Gary choir 1927, with Rev. James Foster, next to last row, far right
- Christ Church Gary chancel 1927
- Christ Church, Gary, Rev. James Curits and Rev. David Hyndman
- Procession at Christ Church Gary, 1960s, Back View
- Christ Church Gary choir 1918-1919
- Christ Church Gary Chancel and Rood Screen, 1927
- Christ Church Gary Guild Room 1927
- Christ Church Gary choristers, 24 December 1945
- Christ Church Gary nave 1927
- Christ Church Gary Men and Boys Choir Christmas 1945, with Rev James Foster, rear
- Skyline of Gary, Indiana, in 1968
- Rev. Legh W. Applegate, missionary priest, Gary, Indiana
- Christ Church Gary rector's office 1927
- Christ Church Gary choir, Palm Sunday 1938
- Choir of Christ Church Gary, 1950s, boys
- Christ Church Gary rood screen crucifix, 1927
- Rev. James Foster retirement party audience, Christ Church Gary November 1956
- Christ Church Gary Boar's Head Festival December 1940
- Bishop Reginald Mallett at Christ Church Gary 1956
- Christ Episcopal Church, Gary, exterior, ca 1926
- Sculptor Mustafa Naquib and James W. Curtis with Jesus Statue Honoring James E. Foster, Christ Church Gary, 1978
- Ecumenical Gathering in Gary, 1960s
- Rev. James W. Curtis at his Desk, Christ Church Gary
- Christ Church Gary decorated for Roberts Wedding, 26 December 1947
- Rev. James W. Curtis of Christ Church Gary, Seated Right, at Gathering in Chicago, 1966
- Christ Church Gary exterior newly constructed 1926
- H. S. Norton, senior warden, Christ Church Gary
- Unidentified priest, records of Christ Church Gary
- Christ Church Gary sign, 1970s, Christ Church of the Good Thief
- Christ Episcopal Church, Gary, exterior, engraving
- First Episcopal Church in Gary, Indiana, 1908, called Christ Church
- Sculptor Mustafa Naquib Working on Jesus Statue for Christ Church Gary, 1978
- Interfaith Group in Gary Meet for Agreement, 1970
- Group of Men at Unidentified Camp, August 1964, Rev. James Curtis, Gary, 2nd Row far right
- Christ Church Gary exterior 1920s
- Rev. James W. Curtis, rector fo Christ Episcopal Church, Gary, Portrait
- Rev. James Foster, Christ Church Gary, with Betsy and Barbara Gott, Easter 1947
- Christ Church, Gary, exterior, front view, 1960s
- Rev. James E. Foster at Retirement Party, 1956, Christ Episcopal Church, Gary
- First Episcopal Church in Gary, Indiana, 1908, second view, called Christ Church
- Christ Episcopal CHurch, Gary, Chancel Decorated for Christmas, 1960s
- Ecumenical Meeting in Gary, 1970
- Rev. James W. Curtis, of Christ Church Gary, right, at Rally
- Unidentifed Wedding Party with Rev. James W. Curtis, Christ Church Gary, 1960s
- Christ Church Gary choir 1914 with Fr Wyckoff
- Rev. J. Kenneth Watkins, Bishop Reginald Mallett, Rev. James E. Foster, Rev. James W. Curtis, 1956, Christ Church Gary
- Rev. Wilbur Dean Elliott, Christ Church, Gary
- Christ Episcopal Church, Gary, interior and chancel, Christmas 1979
- Bishop Benjamin F. P. Ivins of Milwaukee possible
- Unidentified Men with Check, possibly Rev. David Hyndman, right, Christ Church Gary
- Bishop Reginald Mallett and Mary Ann Curtis, Christ Church Gary, 1958
- Christ Church Gary exterior 1920s
- John Henry Vohr, vestryman, Christ Church Gary
- Christ Church Gary table, Rev. James Foster retirement party, November 1956
- Christ Church, Gary, exterior, 1968
- Rev. James E. Foster, Mrs Mary Foster, and Bishop Reginald Mallett, Christ Church Gary, 1956
- Christ Episcopal Church, Gary, interior and chancel, 1970s
- Bishop Reginald Mallett at Christ Church Gary 1940s
- Rev. David Hyndman and Bishop William Sheridan, Christ Church Gary, 1970s
- Bishop Reginald Mallett, Rev. James Curtis, Visitation of Christ Church Gary, 1963
- Unidentifed Wedding Party with Rev. James W. Curtis, Christ Church Gary, 1960s
- Lawrence W. McNamee, vestryman, Christ Church Gary
- Jay Foster, Rev. James Foster, and Mrs. Foster, Christ Church Gary, Nov. 1956
- Christ Church Gary interior decorated for Christmas ca 1910
- Christ Church, Gary, Sunday School scholars and teacher 1968
- Rev. James W. Curtis, Mrs. Curtis, Mrs. Foster, Rev. James E. Foster, Christ Church, Gary, 1956
- Rt. Rev. Benjamin F. P. Ivins, rector of St. Thomas, Plymouth and Christ Church, Gary, later Bishop of Milwaukee
- Christ Episcopal Church, Gary, interior and chancel, 1980s
- Christ Church Gary altar decorated for Easter, 1940s
- Mary Peters of Hobart Making a Stained Glass Window for Christ Church Gary in Honor of Mary Hyndman
- Christ Church Gary Christmas pageant 1956
- Choir of Christ Church Gary, 1950s
- Unidentifed Wedding Party with Rev. James W. Curtis, Christ Church Gary, 1960s, color
- Christ Church Gary exterior under construction 1926
- Lawrence W. McNamee, vestryman, Christ Church Gary, memorial
- Col. A. P. Melton, vestryman, Christ Church Gary
- Procession with Rev. James E. Foster, Rev. James W. Curtis, Ken Parmelee, Tom Johnson, and David Hyndman, Christ Church Gary 1956
- Former Edifice of Christ Episcopal Church Gary after Closure
- Stained Glass Window in Honor of Mary Hyndman, Christ Church Gary
- Christ Church Gary Christmas Pageant 1956 alternate view
- Choir of Christ Church Gary, 1970s
- Rev. James W. Curtis at His Desk, Christ Church Gary, 1950s
- Lawrence W. McNamee, vestryman, Christ Church Gary
- Dr. Ernest L. Schaible, vestryman, Christ Church Gary
- Rev. James W. Curtis, Christ Church Gary, Standing Center
- Rev. James W. Curtis of Christ Church Gary, right, with unidentified priest, 1966
- Rev. James E. Foster, Rector Emeritus of Christ Church, Gary, with Wife Mary in Retirement, Arizona, 1960s
- Christ Episcopal Church, Gary, postcard, ca. 1920, mislabeled as Grace Church
- First Church Service of Unity in Gary, 1965
- Rev. David Hyndman of Gary with Rev. Robert Center of Trinity Michigan City
- Christ Church Gary costume youth event 1950s
- Christ Church Gary nave ca 1940s
- Christ Church Gary vacation church school 1958
- Rev. James Foster, rector of Christ Church, Gary, 1920s