History of Grace Church

MILLBROOK — Two bowling alleys and a billiards table in the basement, raucous dances on Saturday night and pews designated for black worshippers are a few of the surprising stories included in the book, “Years of Grace,� which has just been published. Written by James Elliott Lindsley, serial church historian, Millbrook resident and member of Grace Episcopal Church, the slim volume recounts the history of the church from its founding location to 2000.

The church’s history reflects the changes in the surrounding community. Growing from missionary activities, the first church was built in Hart’s Village in 1864 on what is now Route 44 to service the settlement of small factories manufacturing paper and silk. Four  years later an arsonist burned it down.

With the arrival of the railroad in 1868, the church moved into the village of Millbrook at the corner of Merritt and Chase, into a barn-like structure, which later became the Grange Hall.

Then, in 1901, John Wing built his estate at the edge of the village and Grace Church just outside his gatehouse. The construction was done “economically� and in 1995 a major renovation project had to be undertaken to repair brickwork and the roof. The rectory was added in 1903-04, followed by the parish building in 1910, built under the leadership of Charles Gilbert, with its focus on social services.

The book quotes Gilbert when the parish house opened as declaring, “We would like to look upon the Parish House as marking the beginning of a new era of usefulness and service for the parish — a usefulness and service which may be of benefit to the community.… We would have this new building stand, not for a keener parochial aggressiveness, but for a larger interest and a truer sympathy that makes for cleaner manhood and womanhood.�

Lindsley, the 80-year-old author of more than 20 books, started writing parish histories at the age of 22. He began his Millbrook research in the spring of 2009, utilizing the excellent church archives organized in the 1980s. Lindsley also interviewed church members whose memories stretched back to the 1920s, including Elinor Sutherland, to whom the book is dedicated, and 104-year-old Ivy Detterbeck, who used to live in the gatehouse.

What has changed over the years?

“It is still an inclusive place for prayerful people without class consciousness,� according to an interview with the author.

Grace Episcopal remains a town parish and can squeeze only 220 people into the sanctuary. Douglas Fisher, who has been the reverend since 2000, observed that the needs of the community have changed over time. There are no longer reserved family pews and the church now supports the unemployed, offers services to immigrants, including English as a second language, and contributes to local food kitchens.

The church remains vital and this year welcomed the largest confirmation class since 1957, although during the Great Depression the church had an even larger membership. Grace Church has been on the forefront of many issues, including anti-McCarthyism in the 1950s, when Eleanor Roosevelt came to listen to the sermons. Lindsley observed that Episcopalian ministers have always been viewed as outspoken on social issues — a tradition that continues.

The book is available at the church office for $25.