Saint Peter’s Episcopal Church

Saint Peter’s Episcopal Church. . , Organized in McKinney in 1876, St. Peter’s Episcopal church was originally designated a mission by Bishop Alexander Garrett (1832-1924) of the diocese of Dallas. Because the church owned no property, members gathered in offices and private homes for many years under the leadership of priests Edward Wilkins, J. B. Fitzpatrick, and G. B. Gibbs. The Sunday school was organized in 1883, in 1890 the mission was elevated to parish status. Three years later a frame building was erected on this site to house the congregation. Built at a cost of $1,350, the structure was designed in the shape of a cross with an entrance on Lamar Street., The first full-time priest to serve St. Peter’s was the Rev. H. K. Grouse, who served from 1893 to 1895. He was followed by a number of dedicated rectors, both full and part-time, who have been credited with holding the church community together. In 1926, architect C. W. Beagle of Denison patterned a new church building for St. Peter’s based on his own design for a Denison Episcopal Church. Cecil Hight, a local contractor, was the builder., In 1959 and 1960, the church complex suffered three fires; one destroyed the sanctuary. A Dallas architect was the designer for the new, modern building, completed in 1961 for $88,000. Church members filled the sanctuary with memorial gifts., From its original membership of 35 in 1899, St. Peter’s Episcopal church has grown into a large parish, offering a variety of programs to its members and the community.