Christ Episcopal Church

Christ Episcopal is the oldest surviving religious structure in Douglas. With its steeply-pitched roof, lancet windows, and vertical-lined façades, it exemplifies the “Gothic Revival” style, a modern adaptation of medieval esthetics that first took root in England in the 19th century. Transported to America by immigrant Ecclesiastics, the style found wide acceptance amongst religious groups throughout the country, including those formed within the small communities that were springing up along the western frontier. From the exterior, the wood-frame Christ Episcopal looks today much as it did when first constructed, over a century ago, despite various modifications effected across the decades. White siding now sheathes the façades, whose wooden planks were originally painted a light-green. In 1979, a meeting hall was added to the church, in the form of a gable-roofed extension that projects toward the south. And, although the interior of the church was remodeled in 1981, it was accomplished in a way that preserved and protected the original design. One of the more prominent features of the complex is the bell tower, whose four corner spires crest at a height of seventy feet above the ground; as such, it was for many decades the tallest man-made point in Douglas. The original bell, donated by early Douglas businessman John T. Williams, suffered a weather-induced fracture very early on and was replaced in 1908. In the face of long-standing concern about the structural integrity of the tower, it was rebuilt in 1952, but in strict esthetic accordance with the original plans. Christ Episcopal was designed by the colorfully-named G. W. G. Van Winkle, who was an Episcopal rector in Rock Springs, Wyoming.