St. Andrew's Episcopal Church

St. Andrew's Episcopal Church. . Organized in 1911 as a mission, St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church has roots in St. Stephen’s Episcopal Mission, which served the Houston Heights community from 1896 to 1903. Many of the communicants of St. Stephen’s became charter members of St. Andrew’s, which was named for the earlier mission’s rector, Benjamin Andrew Rogers. Fifty-three Episcopalian Heights residents gathered in the home of the Rev. and Mrs. Henry Justus Brown to organize the mission; the Rev. Brown became its first rector., Members met in a hardware store before erecting a building on Allston Street on lots donated by the Rev. Rogers’ widow and her daughter. In 1921, construction began on a new, two-story building on property donated by O.M. Carter at 19th and Yale streets. A final move occurred in 1948, when a new church building was completed on Heights Boulevard., Under the leadership of the Rev. Haskin V. Little, St. Andrew’s experienced congregational growth and expanded its outreach programs. The Rev. Little served as rector from 1952 to 1977, and as rector emeritus until his death in 2000. From 1962-1965, the church participated in the Diocesan Cuban Refugee Resettlement Program, providing for a Cuban family. Other notable programs include St. Andrew’s co-sponsorship and support of Heights Towers (1975) and Heights House (1980), two high-rise apartment buildings providing housing for low-income elderly individuals. Church members have reached out extensively to those in need in the Heights community, and have supported local and international missions. Today, St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church continues to have a positive impact on the Heights neighborhood and the city of Houston at large.