History & Legacy
St. Thomas' on Field Street
Interior of St. Thomas' on Field Street
Bishop Brent
1889
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St. Thomas' Church begins as a Sunday School for neighborhood boys at Will Congdon's home at the
corner of Pearl and Goodman Streets​
1889-1898
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The Sunday School becomes a Mission and moves
to various rented quarters on Monroe Avenue.
1899-1900
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The Mission is abandoned. ( 1899 - 1900)
​
1901
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St. Thomas' first full-time vicar revives the Mission
and rents space in Number 35 School on Field Street.
1902
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The Mission builds its church on Field Street.
1909
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St. Thomas' Mission becomes an incorporated parish.
1909-1926
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The mortgage on the church is paid off and planning
begins to expand the church and add a parish house.
1927
Instead, Bishop Brent suggests that St. Thomas' move
to a new neighborhood.
1929
-
The Episcopal parishes in the City of Rochester conduct
a pledge campaign in support of St. Thomas' relocation
to the corner of Winton Road and Highland Avenue.
St. Thomas' holds its own parish pledge drive, as well. -
Construction begins in May. The stock market crashes
in October.​
1930
-
The new building is completed, but the total pledged is less than the goal and the economic conditions make collecting unpaid pledges impossible. St. Thomas' falls deeply into debt.​
1931 -1945
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Throughout the Depression and the World War II years,
St. Thomas' continues its ministry.
1956
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Great growth of the parish occurs in the post-war era.
St. Thomas' builds a large addition to provide classrooms, offices and meeting facilities.
​1961
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St. Thomas' completes payment of its debt from 1929.
1962
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At last, the parish celebrates the consecration of its church.
1963-1966
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St. Thomas' donates $30,000 from its regular budget
to assist a mission in Henrietta, NY.
1966-1978
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A parish outreach project helps large inner-city families become home owners.
1979
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New furnishings enhance the completely redesigned
and renovated chancel.
1981-1983
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In response to the Episcopal Church's nation-wide
program called Venture in Mission, St. Thomas' decides
to provide wide-ranging volunteer support to the Monroe Developmental Center.
1986
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A magnificent new Andover tracker-action organ
is built and installed.
1989
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St. Thomas' celebrates its centennial.
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"In thanksgiving for the many parishes and individuals
who helped us during our first one hundred years," the
Vestry votes to give $10,000 to a new parish in Hilton, NY.
1994-1996
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St. Thomas' builds an addition to the nave to house a new fully accessible restroom and multi-purpose lounge area.
2002-2004
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A major capital campaign provides funds for extensive accessibility improvements throughout the building and
for glorious new stained-glass windows in the nave.
2024-2025
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St. Thomas' reorganizes the programmatic portions of its commission system by creating the Council of Ministries.
Church Exterior Prior to Addition
Church Exterior (Circa 1955)
Nave Prior to Renovations
Architect's Rendering of Church and New Addition
Church Interior Circa 1970s
Andover Tracker-action Organ
Winton Road Entrance Doors
Worship Service Prior to Pandemic
Chapel Altar