History

Grace Episcopal Church is Lexington’s oldest congregation.  On December 20, 2006 Grace Episcopal Church was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.  The church was founded as St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in April of 1822, seven months prior to the formation of Davidson County and six years prior to the incorporation of the city of Lexington.  

The original church building, Lexington’s first house of worship, was built around 1821 on the site of the former Wennonah Cotton Mill off South Main Street.  When the building was destroyed by a severe storm in 1824, the congregation continued to hold services in members’ homes for the next several years. 

In 1900 the church went through a period of revitalization and growth, changed its name to Grace Episcopal Church, purchased property and constructed a new brick church building in 1903. The “chapel” was the site of all worship services until 1985 when the new sanctuary was built. The 1903 sanctuary is still in use for funerals, weddings, and one of the two Sunday services each week. Under its new name, Grace Church was admitted to the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina in October of 1903. 

If you would like to know more about the history of Grace Church and the vital role of its members in the history of Lexington and Davidson County, please call the church office.  A copy of a more detailed history, including a bibliography of historical sources, is available in the church office.