st. stephen's episcopal church

We toured St Stephens as part of our trolley tour of significant historical sites in Milledgeville. It is beautiful, both inside and out, with magnificent stained glass windows and a wonderful pipe organ.

Not sure how you get in here on your own. We were with a tour group and everyone was impressed with the beauty and serenity of the Church's interior. The stained glass windows were superb and the woodwork and craftsmanship was lovely. This was the church where the Union troops poured syrup into the organ pipes so the local citizens couldn't use the organ to signal or sound an alarm. Sherman also stabled his horses in the church during his time in this town. A good guide will have all the interesting details for you.

The history of the church was interesting, but it the outside of the church was being painted so the windows were covered with plastic. We could not enjoy the beauty of the stained glass on that day.

The coast aside, the Episcopal Church did not have a presence in Georgia until well into the 19th Century. This church therefore stands as one of the oldest (around the time the city was the state capital) in the state, established in 1841. Interestingly, the church was built in the Gothic Revival style that was gaining momentum at the time in Europe, though you don't see much of it here (though granted Georgia had some disruptive moments during the period, fair to say). Maybe I'm showing my preferences here, but there's probably nothing more I love than a Gothic Revival church with stained glass windows (well, other than an actual Gothic church, I suppose) and this does not disappoint.The church suffered damage during the Civil War, when Sherman's men dynamited an area nearby and blew off the roof. Further, they poured molasses down the organ pipes to mute its potential warning effects. But as with the Phoenix, so with the church - the remodeling done in 1873 gives a beautiful beamed roof, and the 1909 pipe organ has a brilliant reedy tone, as evidenced during a recent Eucharist. A church member told me that the stained glass by the altar was a gift from Savannah's Christ Church - as the Confederacy was expecting an attack on the coast, that area was fortified more securely than poor St. Stephen's, so a gift was given to rebuild.The church is a jewel box, but it is still a house of worship. We attended the Celtic Eucharist on Saturday afternoon (a music-free service consisting mostly of a recitation of an old poetic prayer with a homily) and then attended the Rite II Eucharist the next morning to hear the organ. The church appears to be on the more progressive side of the Episcopal church split, and the rector's words were philosophical but presented with a country charm. We came to Milledgeville to soak in the Flannery O'Connor influence, but it may be fair to say that this church was the highlight of our trip to Milledgeville.