St. James Episcopal Church, Danbury (1867)

The Episcopal Church in Danbury was organized in 1762 and was known as the First Episcopal Church. The original church building was erected in 1763 on South Street, near where the South Street School stands today. It was replaced in 1802 by a second church at the same location. It was officially named St. James’ Church in 1810. According to James M. Bailey’s History of Danbury, compiled with additions by Susan Benedict Hill in 1896:

The second [church building in Danbury] was the Episcopal St. James, which was built in 1763 on South Street. The graveyard on that street was the churchyard of this structure. The building was moved to the west corner of Main and South streets, where it was modernized and converted into a tenement, and is thus occupied to-day.

A new church was erected in 1844 at a new location on West Street. As the congregation grew, a larger church was again required. It was built in 1867 and incorporated parts of the previous church on the same site, 25 West Street. As related in the History of Danbury: “In 1867 the present chapel, the chancel, and first bay of the nave of the new stone church was erected, and in 1872 the nave and tower were completed all save the stone spire.” The Gregory House, next door, became the rectory and was remodeled as a parish house in the early twentieth century, when a new parish house was erected on Terrace Place. In addition to an organ, the church has the 25-bell Ella S. Bulkley Memorial Carillon in its bell tower. It is the oldest carillon in Connecticut and the first carillon made in America (cast in 1928).