Welcome to Christ Episcopal Church. Christ Church has been a part of the City of Holly
Springs since its incorporation in 1836. Although Episcopalians had been holding services in homes since that time, it was not until 1839 that the parish was organized.

In 1841, a small frame church building was erected facing south at the corner of what is now Van Dorn Avenue and Randolph Street. In 1858, the congregation decided to enlarge its church building, sold the little frame church to the Roman Catholic congregation (which moved it down the street, turned it around, and planted it on East College Avenue), and built the structure that is in place today. That original small church is still standing and has been restored through a great public effort as the Yellow Fever Martyrs Museum.

Christ Church was built as one large room with a porch for a little under $9,000.00. German architects were in charge of the project which is why you get a little Alpine flavor to the fretwork on the beams inside. The work was all done by slaves. It was consecrated in October of 1858. There was no center aisle. The pews extended across the room from front to back. The windows were originally clear glass. The heavy spires on the roof have a Nordic character about them.

Notice the massive “slave masonry” on the walls inside the church. In the 1890s, the chancel was built and the apse pushed up and back, the pews were cut in halves and the wide center aisle provided for. The large window over the altar was installed in 1913 in memory of the grandparents of Edward Hull “Boss” Crump of Memphis, Tennessee, at a cost of a little under $350.00 by the Frei Company of St. Louis, Missouri.

The present organ is actually the third organ. It was installed during the first week of May in 1899 by Henry Pilcher ands Sons of Louisville, Kentucky and is a tracker (completely mechanical) organ. The first organ was destroyed by Federal troops in the occupation of Holly Springs during the Civil War, who used the church as a stable for their horses. The altar was turned upside down and used as a trough. The Pilcher was totally and authentically restored in the spring of 2001 using parts from Germany and Great Britain.

The beautiful stained glass windows were installed mainly after the Yellow Fever epidemic of 1878 as memorials to some of the thirty or so communicants who perished in that late summer holocaust. An appraisal done in the late 1950s valued them all about the same except for the third window back from the front on the south side of the church which was valued at $50,000.00. We could easily double or triple that figure today.

The Rev. Dr. Joseph Holt Ingraham, author of “Prince of the House of David” and other popular religious novels of the day, was Rector of Christ Church from 1858 to 1860. Tragically, he died from an accidental gunshot wound received in the sacristy on December 10, 1858. Though the wound was not immediately mortal, he died of infection eight days later and the church was decorated in black crepe that Christmas. The Rev. J. T. Pickett succeeded Dr. Ingraham as rector and lead the parish through the difficult years of the Civil War and the Yellow Fever plague of 1878.

Christ Church completed a major renovation in 1994. Parishioners of Christ Church have enjoyed a glorious history in Holly Springs. The congregation is comprised of a wide diversity of people and is very active in the community at large and the Diocese.

If you happen to be in town on Sunday morning, please feel free to join us at 11:00 and be a part of our family of worship. We also have a service of Healing with Holy Communion each Wednesday afternoon at 5:15. For more information, please contact the Rector, the Rev. Bruce McMillan at 252-6172.