St. Matthew Church
Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky
Marker Inscription
St. Matthew Church. On November 3, 1889, the original church on this property was dedicated as the St. Matthew Evangelical Church. The congregation soon outgrew it, and the current building designed by Arthur Loomis was completed ca. 1908. The church had a long history of supporting local ministries and service organizations. St. Matthew Church closed in 1999 and was gifted to House of Ruth for $1. (Reverse) Act of Compassion- The church building became home to this organization. Begun in 1992, House of Ruth began supporting women with AIDS and their children. In 2001, House of Ruth acquired Glade House, which was started in the mid-1980s to house men with AIDS who had nowhere else to go. They now provide housing and support for women, men, and families affected by HIV and AIDS. Dedicated April 8, 2017.
Erected by Kentucky Historical Society
The Story
Dedicated in 1889 as St. Matthew Evangelical Church, this congregation soon outgrew its first building and raised the current Arthur Loomis–designed structure around 1908. After a long history of supporting local ministries, the church closed in 1999 and was given to the House of Ruth for one dollar. That organization, founded in 1992 to support women with AIDS and their children, made the building its home and later extended its care to men and families affected by HIV and AIDS.
Why it matters
The church's second life as an AIDS-support ministry links a 19th-century immigrant congregation to one of the defining public-health struggles of the late 20th century.
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Related people
- · Arthur Loomis
Themes & tags
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