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St. Michael's Episcopal Church

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1851–1852, George Brooke(?); c. 1872; 1885, Furness and Evans. Mill and Church sts.

The central location of St. Michael's attests to the support of the Brooke family who owned Birdsboro's industrial core. Episcopal services in the area were first conducted at St. Gabriel's, Douglassville ( BE1), but in 1852 were held in the small brownstone church (attributed to a member of the Brooke family) here, while the Sunday school building next door was added in 1872. In 1877, the Brooke family assisted with the construction of the brownstone rectory to the right of the church (probably by Frank Furness), and in 1885 paid for a significant renovation of the church that resulted in the brilliant red walls, blue ceiling, and raised sgrafitto ornament highlighted with gold that exemplified Frank Furness's decorative church work in that decade. The same phase added the tower and transepts. In 2002, the diocese abandoned the church, its leaded glass windows were removed, and it presently sits vacant.

Writing Credits

Author: 
George E. Thomas
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Data

What's Nearby

Spruce Street Houses
Edward Brooke House
St. Gabriel's Episcopal Church
Henry Fisher House and Farm
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Citation

George E. Thomas, "St. Michael's Episcopal Church", [Birdsboro, Pennsylvania], SAH Archipedia, eds. Gabrielle Esperdy and Karen Kingsley, Charlottesville: UVaP, 2012—, http://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/PA-02-BE2.

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