Religion News / Niagara County History Center
Five miniature Episcopal churches joining history center’s collection
Choice honors 175th anniversary of Grace Episcopal
LOCKPORT — It will be the cat’s meow — the ecclesiastical cat’s meow.
We’re talking about the five new miniature, hand-painted, wooden Episcopal churches soon to be part of the Niagara County History Society, painstakingly created by Cat’s Meow Village of Ohio.
In an ecumenical move, they join the five Catholic churches added last year.
“We’re providing equal time for the Protestants this year,” quipped Douglas Farley, the History Center’s director of development.
What’s the appeal of these intricate, diminutive churches? Whatever the beguilement, they’re remarkable churches you never tire of looking at.
Farley said it’s about the history — and now they can be yours.
“I chose the Episcopal churches to follow up the Catholic churches from last year because Grace Episcopal is celebrating their 175th anniversary next year,” he added, “and I thought it would be a nice way to add to their celebration of heritage.”
They have much to celebrate. At Grace Episcopal, congregants know the value of having an architectural-replica of a church, having endured a devastating fire almost 35 years ago, when the church and part of the Parish House were destroyed. Only the towers and those breathtaking stone walls were left standing at 100 Genesee St. The congregation voted to stay in the city, and a rededication of the restored church took place during America’s Bicentennial year.
Grace Church members there still value a sense of place, as they contribute today to Habitat for Humanity, as well as the Salvation Army Soup Kitchen, Brothers Keeper Outreach and Hospice.
Grace Episcopal’s true-to-life miniature will be part of the Cat’s Meow Religious Heritage Series, which carefully shows the architectural features of the church and Lockport’s past.
Also in the series will be the Chapel of the Good Shepherd- Brookside, a chapel of Grace Church, at Day and Slayton Settlement roads in the Town of Lockport. It’s used for services during the summer.
Then there’s All Saints Chapel, at the corner of Vine and Walnut streets in the city, built in 1896 as a mission of Grace Church. An independent congregation still meets at the site.
Add to that old Christ Church, built at Market and Vine. In 1828, the members of this congregation were the first Episcopalians to meet in Lockport.
The congregation then moved to its new facility on Fieldcrest Drive in 1965, where the chapel in the lower level contains the stained-glass windows of old Christ Church. A modern sanctuary, Kenan Fellowship Hall, is named for industrialist William Rand Kenan, whose name is also on the Locust Street arts and education center.
The History Center is the regional distributor for Cat’s Meow and has put out about 30 collectibles to date of different area historic buildings. Last year, St. John the Baptist, St. Patrick, St. Anthony, St. Mary and St. Joseph Catholic churches were created, an appreciated move with the recent, painful diocesan church consolidation.
The center now has commissioned a limited edition of these Episcopalian-styled favored pieces and takes preorders for individual churches or a complete set of all five. Orders will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
Once the Cat’s Meow limited editions are sold, these pieces no longer will be available. The little churches will sell for $19, and the complete set of five churches will sell for $85. For more information or to place a preorder, call the History Center at 434-7433.
Have an idea about for Religion News? Write to: Louise Continelli, The Buffalo News, P. O. Box 100, Buffalo, NY 14240, or e-mail her at lcontinelli@buffnews.com
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