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A History of St. Peter's Church

In September 1845, the Rev. Benjamin Eaton and the Rev. Charles Gillette rode into Brenham and discussed the possibility of an Episcopal parish with local residents at the home of Asa Miles Lewis. Their visit began a story of worship and service that has continued through generations.

Bishop George Washington Freeman and the Rev. John S. Young arrived May 1, 1848. The congregation formally organized St. Peter’s on May 2, the fourth Episcopal parish established in Texas. Worship followed in the courthouse and a log schoolhouse. The Rev. Henry Niles Pierce came to Brenham soon afterward as its first rector and was ordained priest on January 3, 1849.

Pierce’s planned stone church was never finished. A cedar church was in use by 1853, and the parish history also records a building acquired in 1854. The Rev. Lindsey Powell Rucker served in several periods from 1853 to 1886. During his ministry, a Gothic brick church was completed in 1881. After severe damage in the 1900 hurricane, the church was repaired and rebuilt. Further work on its foundation followed in 1919 during the Rev. S. Moylan Bird’s rectorate. Bird served from 1905 to 1921 and returned from 1929 to 1955.

The Current Church

In 1964, Charles Coates gave three acres at Airline Drive and Hillcrest Lane for a new church. The parish broke ground on St. Peter’s Day, June 29, under the Rev. Joseph H. Frazer Jr. Bishop J. Milton Richardson opened and rededicated the new building on June 29, 1965. Its design echoed the former church, and familiar memorials and furnishings—including the altar, rose window, organ, windows, pews, and bell—came to the new site. The cornerstone records its consecration in 1974. The church received a Texas historic landmark designation in 1965.

The parish through the years

Faith carried forward

The people of St. Peter’s have brought familiar worship into new spaces, cared for Brenham, and kept the parish’s memory alive. These moments connect the older church to the congregation at Airline Drive today.

Entries are drawn from the parish’s written history, portrait labels, and photographs. * Not verified: the entry is preserved from a written account, but the indicated detail has not yet been confirmed against readable source material. Each entry includes its reference.

1845*

The Rev. Benjamin Eaton and the Rev. Charles Gillette visited Brenham and discussed forming an Episcopal parish at the home of Asa Miles Lewis.

Reference: Existing parish history narrative — not verified.

1848*

St. Peter’s formally organized on May 2 and began worshiping in local public buildings. Henry Niles Pierce became its first rector.

Reference: Existing parish history narrative — not verified.

1853–54*

Early written accounts describe a cedar church in use by 1853 and another building acquired in 1854. The sequence still needs confirmation.

Reference: Existing parish history narrative — not verified.

1881*

A Gothic brick church was completed during the ministry of the Rev. Lindsey Powell Rucker.

Reference: Existing parish history narrative — not verified.

1900*

The church suffered severe hurricane damage and was subsequently repaired and rebuilt.

Reference: Existing parish history narrative — not verified.

1905–1921

The Rev. Stephen Moylan Bird served his first period as rector.

Reference: Bird’s framed portrait nameplate supplied by the parish.

1919*

Further foundation work was undertaken during Bird’s rectorate.

Reference: Existing parish history narrative — not verified.

1929–1955

Bird returned for a second period as rector, continuing his long association with the parish.

Reference: Bird’s framed portrait nameplate supplied by the parish.

1948–49*

The parish celebrated its centennial in 1948. The Coates family’s 1949 parish hall addition became known as the Bird House.

Reference: Existing parish history narrative — dates not verified.

1953*

The parish held a golden jubilee celebration honoring Bird’s fiftieth anniversary of ordination.

Reference: Existing parish history narrative and jubilee photo captions — year not verified.

1955

The Rev. Herbert J. Beadle Jr. became rector on October 1.

Reference: Parish history, p. 62; Beadle portrait caption, p. 77.

1956

The vestry established a separate fund for the Book of Remembrance on March 14. Mrs. Cecil Burch was appointed its administrator.

Reference: Parish history, p. 62.

1958

A bid to heat and air-condition the church and Parish House was accepted. The vestry also approved an annual organ inspection.

Reference: Parish history, p. 62.

1959

The Rev. James L. Considine Jr. became rector on July 15. A loudspeaker system was approved that fall.

Reference: Parish history, p. 63.

1961

A November vestry report described substantial repairs needed to the old building and recommended considering construction of a new church.

Reference: Parish history, p. 63, quoting the November 13 vestry minutes.

1964

Charles Coates donated three acres for the new church. Groundbreaking took place on St. Peter’s Day, June 29, at Airline and Hillcrest.

Reference: Parish history, p. 66, quoting the Banner-Press of June 25 and June 30, 1964.

1965

Bishop J. Milton Richardson opened and rededicated the new church on June 29. Familiar furnishings, memorial windows, the organ, and the bell came from the old church.

Reference: Parish history, p. 67, quoting the Banner-Press of June 29–30, 1965.

1965–66

The church received Recorded Texas Historic Landmark recognition. By February 1966, its medallion and plaque had arrived; the marker included the word “Replica.”

Reference: Parish history, p. 68, quoting the Banner-Press of October 10, 1965, and February 2, 1966.

1968

The vestry recorded a motion to set up an Endowment Fund at its September 30 meeting.

Reference: Parish history, p. 68.

1974

The present church was consecrated. Its cornerstone records “Founded 1848,” “Erected 1964,” and “Consecrated 1974.”

Reference: Cornerstone photograph supplied by the parish.

1976

Sue Muzzy and Dr. Beatrice Stinnett became the first women to serve on the vestry. The parish also purchased a replacement rectory.

Reference: Parish history, p. 71; portrait captions, p. 83.

1977

The Rev. John R. Bentley Jr. began his duties as rector on August 1, with August 7 as his first Sunday.

Reference: Parish history, p. 85, quoting a Banner-Press biography.

1978–79

The parish arranged repairs to its stained-glass windows. By the January 1979 annual meeting, the restoration project was reported about 90 percent complete.

Reference: Parish history, p. 85.

What came from the old church?

When the parish moved to Airline Drive in 1965, it brought many of the familiar furnishings and memorials from the former church: the pews, altar, altar rail, wainscoting, organ, carpets, rose window, and other memorial windows. The historic church bell was mounted in the new bell tower. These objects continued in use, preserving a tangible connection with generations of worship at St. Peter’s.

Source: the parish history, page 67, quoting the Brenham Banner-Press of June 29, 1965.

The church in photographs

Old and new, familiar and beloved

A historic view of the former church and photographs of St. Peter’s today show the buildings, worship spaces, and details cherished by the parish. Select a photograph to view the full image.

Historic postcard showing the former St. Peter’s church

The former church

Historic postcard view of St. Peter’s former church. The date of this image has not been verified.

Present St. Peter’s Episcopal Church exterior

The church at Airline Drive

The present church exterior, with its brick tower, rose window, and red doors.

St. Peter’s chancel and altar

The chancel and altar

A view toward the altar, showing the chancel woodwork and surrounding arches.

Central aisle, pews, and roof arches of St. Peter’s nave

The nave

Pews and timber arches frame the central aisle leading toward the chancel.

Memorial windows and wooden pews along the nave wall

Memorial windows and pews

A side view of the nave’s stained glass, wooden pews, and Stations of the Cross.

Paired memorial windows featuring Christian symbols

Symbols in the windows

Paired windows with Christian symbols above patterned glass.

Memorial windows beside the church entrance

Windows near the entrance

Another pair of memorial windows beside the entrance and nave seating.

St. Peter’s rose window with its complete black circular frame and surrounding wall

The Rose Window

The rose window was brought from the former church to the present building in 1965. The photograph’s outer frame and wall have been digitally completed for balanced framing.

From the parish archives

Rectors in the photographs

The parish’s framed portraits trace rectors from its first years through the twenty-first century. Dates below follow the portrait plaques and parish history; service sometimes came in separate terms.

Portrait of the Rt. Rev. Henry Niles Pierce

The Rt. Rev. Henry Niles Pierce

First rector, 1848–1852
Portrait of the Rev. Lindsey Powell Rucker

The Rev. Lindsey Powell Rucker

1853–1854; later terms through 1886
Portrait of the Rev. S. Moylan Bird

The Rev. S. Moylan Bird

1905–1921; 1929–1955
Portrait of the Rev. Clarence H. Lake

The Rev. Clarence H. Lake

1925–1929
Portrait of the Rev. Herbert J. Beadle Jr.

The Rev. Herbert J. Beadle Jr.

1955–1959
Portrait of the Rev. James L. Considine Jr.

The Rev. James L. Considine Jr.

1959–1963
Portrait of the Rev. Joseph H. Frazer Jr.

The Rev. Joseph H. Frazer Jr.

1964–1969
Portrait of the Rev. James E. Scott Jr.

The Rev. James E. Scott Jr.

1970–1972
Portrait of the Rev. Billy Tomlin

The Rev. Billy Tomlin

1972–1977
Portrait of the Rev. John R. Bentley Jr.

The Rev. John R. Bentley Jr.

1977–1984
Portrait of the Rev. Bob Gribble

The Rev. Bob Gribble

1986–1989
Portrait of the Rev. Bruce Laird

The Rev. Bruce Laird

1989–1993
Portrait of the Rev. Carl Shannon Jr.

The Rev. Carl Shannon Jr.

1993–1996
Portrait of the Rev. Cecilia B. Smith

The Rev. Cecilia B. Smith

1997–2007
Portrait of the Rev. David K. Ottsen

The Rev. David K. Ottsen

2008–2017
Portrait of the Rev. Stephen F. Whaley

The Rev. Stephen F. Whaley

Called as rector in 2018

Other documented rectors

Parish records also name the Rev. Charles F. Rottenstein (1852–1853), the Rev. Elijah Downing (from 1854), the Rev. James Noble (1899–1902), and the Rev. Ira Day Lang (1921–1925). The surviving materials used for this page do not yet establish every transition in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Portraits are digital cleanups of photographs of the parish’s framed display. Two additional portraits of Stephen Moylan Bird, identified by the parish’s framed nameplates, appear below. The original photographs and labels remain the archival reference. The list combines the surviving portrait labels with names recorded in the parish history. Dates draw on the parish history and portrait labels; some early building details and the spelling of Frazer/Fraser remain under review.

Additional portrait of the Rev. S. Moylan Bird

The Rev. S. Moylan Bird

Additional archival portrait
Additional portrait of the Rev. Stephen Moylan Bird

The Rev. Stephen Moylan Bird

Rector 1905–1921; 1929–1955

Further reading: Texas historical marker · 1965 Brenham Banner-Press account.

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