St. James Episcopal Church
Meridian, Bosque County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Local Episcopalians founded the St. James congregation in 1913. Charter members Dr. James Julius Lumpkin and his wife, Ida Etoile (Fuller), donated this site, and church officials consecrated the new facilities that year. The church prospered in service to the community and for a time shared its facilities with Faith Lutheran Church. Membership at St. James declined over the years, and in 1994, the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth donated the deconsecrated property to the Alliance for Justice Foundation. The vernacular frame sanctuary exhibits Gothic Revival influences, with lancet windows and a gable end entry with a segmented glass arch. The building is flanked by what was the parish hall of St. James. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2004
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Local Episcopalians founded St. James in 1913, when charter members Dr. James Julius Lumpkin and his wife Ida Etoile donated the site and church officials consecrated the new building that year. The congregation served Meridian for decades, at times sharing its facilities with a Lutheran congregation, before declining membership led the Diocese of Fort Worth to donate the deconsecrated property in 1994. Its vernacular frame sanctuary shows Gothic Revival influences, with lancet windows and a gable-end entry beneath a segmented glass arch.
Why it matters
St. James reflects the role of small-town congregations as community anchors in early-20th-century Texas and the vernacular Gothic Revival architecture that gave them their form.
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Related people
- · James Julius Lumpkin
- · Ida Etoile Lumpkin
Themes & tags
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