History

St. Luke's Episcopal Church
806 13^th Street
Altoona, PA 16602
(814) 942-1372

Click here for a map to locate St. Luke’s

info@stlukesaltoona.org

The establishment of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church began with the founding of Altoona in 1849. Bishop White of the Diocese of Eastern Pennsylvania sent missionaries to central Pennsylvania where St. Luke's congregation was formed to serve the burgeoning Pennsylvania Railroad community.

In 1850, the Rev. Mr. Bowers conducted the first recorded service at the residence of John McConnell on Eighth Avenue. Services were also conducted at the old Union School House, the Masonic Hall, and at the home of William Winn, one of the founding families of St. Luke’s.

The Rev. Dr. Robert W. Oliver was appointed in 1856 to serve the area as General Missionary. His ministry and the building, in 1858, of a parsonage and a small chapel mark the beginning of St. Luke's as an organized congregation, the parish charter dated May 4, 1859. The parsonage is believed to have been a stop on the Underground Railroad, with the Rev. Oliver said to have harbored John Brown in the second floor room over his study. The Old Rectory, located diagonally from the new Altoona Area Junior High School on 13^th Street, is still in use today for offices and meeting rooms.


			St. Luke’s Chapel



		St. Luke’s After 1881

Dr. Oliver served as rector for five years, followed by seven others whose terms averaged two years each. On Ascension Day, 1876 the Rev. Allan Sheldon Woodle was appointed Rector. He served for 30 years, and it was during his ministry in 1881 that the chapel was demolished and replaced with a larger structure. The foundation of the new church was made of stone from the previous chapel, the nearby Pennsylvania Railroad donating many of the funds for the new church.

The Rev. George R. Bishop became rector of St. Luke's in l908 and served the parish for 17 years. Because of its growth, the congregation decided to build a parish house to accommodate both its increasing membership and community outreach. Work on this building began in 1915 and was completed in 1917.

Today St. Luke's complex consists of the 1881 church building; the Old Rectory, one of the oldest surviving brick structures in Altoona; and the Parish House which comprises a large social hall with proscenium stage, kitchen, gymnasium, nursery, and additional meeting rooms to serve both the church and the community.




			Mortgage burning celebration for the Parish Hall 1944

	Numerous clergy have served the parish over the years, among them the Rev. Richard Allen Hatch, the Venerable Canon John R. Leatherbury, the Rev. Canon Donald C. Means, the Rev. Alden Besse, the Rev. Canon Harold Hayes, and the Rev. Michael Singer. The Reverend Christina Jillard currently serves as rector and Jack Hoffer serves as deacon. Having now celebrated their 150^th anniversary, St. Luke's parishioners view their heritage as a God-given blessing and look forward with gratitude to increasing both their church and community service.


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