St. James Church, located at 1681 E. 55th St.,

Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–United States border, Canada–U.S. maritime border ...

, was founded in 1857 as a mission of Trinity Episcopal Church (now Trinity Cathedral). The first church was built in 1864-66 in an English settlement neighborhood at Superior Ave. and Alabama (now W. 4th). Rev. Richard Bury served until 1871, and the congregation was small and financially struggling. On October 10, 1890, the existing church on E. 55th at Whittier was dedicated.At that time, the neighorhood was populated by families of professional class workers in Cleveland. As the neighborhood changed, the congregation continued to come from further suburbs. The church was designed by Horace B. Smith, with elements of

Richardsonian Romanesque Richardsonian Romanesque is a architectural style, style of Romanesque Revival architecture named after the American architect Henry Hobson Richardson (1838–1886). The revivalism (architecture), revival style incorporates 11th- and 12th-century ...

and

Gothic Revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an Architectural style, architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half ...

styles. Theodore C. Foote was the first rector, followed by Vivan A. Peterson in 1919 and Frank C. Irvin in 1970. Carl William Bothe also served as an Assistant Priest before his retiremet. The church has been known for its music, with Walter Bodgett serving as choirmaster and organist from 1936-50. He led an annual music festival, where classical works premiered. A

Holtkamp The Holtkamp Organ Company of Cleveland, Ohio is United States, America's oldest continuously operating pipe organ workshop. The company was founded in 1855 by Gottlieb Votteler. The work produced by the shop has evolved over the years in terms of ...

organ was installed in 1937 and restored in 1980. In 1978, the church withdrew from the Protestant Episcopal Church of the USA and became a member of the Anglican Church in North America, later renamed the

Anglican Catholic Church The Anglican Catholic Church (ACC), also known as the Anglican Catholic Church (Original Province), is a body of Christians in the continuing Anglican movement, which is separate from the Anglican Communion. This denomination is separate from ...

. The church remains known for its Anglo-Catholic traditions and music. The church contains a shrine to

Our Lady of Walsingham Our Lady of Walsingham is a title given to Mary, the mother of Jesus, venerated by Catholics and high-church Anglicans. According to tradition, the title is linked to a Marian vision experienced in 1061 by Lady Richeldis de Faverches, an Angl ...

, which was established in 1964 and has been a place of annual pilgrimage.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint James Anglican Catholic Church, Cleveland, Ohio Churches in Cleveland Religious organizations established in 1857 Churches completed in 1890 19th-century Episcopal church buildings Anglo-Catholic church buildings in the United States Continuing Anglican parishes