Our History

Historic Altar

The parish was organized on May 5, 1869, by the first Episcopal Bishop of Texas, Alexander Gregg, who was a personal friend of Mrs. J.C. Higgins, and was named after Mrs. Higgins’ parish church in Tarboro, North Carolina.

The local Methodist church was used one Sunday each month for services, and Mrs. Higgins began teaching her friends the chanting of the Psalms, the Te Deum, and hymns. A small organ was carried from the Higgins’ home to the church, which caused quite a stir in the town. Since some of the old-timers thought it a sin to use a “machine” in the church, only a tuning fork had been used before.

When the Rev. John Phillips, a Methodist minister, left his denomination to become the first Rector of Calvary, it caused dissension between the two congregations and the Episcopal denomination was denied further use of the Methodist building. At this time Col. J.C. Higgins left the Methodist church and became an Episcopalian. Services were held in a building owned by Col. Higgins for a dozen years until the present church building was created.

Col. Higgins’ son Horace died of Typhoid fever in January of 1880. Horace, a popular young attorney and the partner of the future Gov. J.D. Sayers, was a lay reader of Calvary. As a result of his son’s death and as a memorial to him, Col. Higgins put the force of his wealth into constructing a new building, and the cornerstone was laid on August 11, 1881. The first services in the new church were held April 25, 1883, and by 1887 its interior furnishings had been completed and the plaster walls had been added.

In 1997 the needs of the growing congregation and the desire to continue to use the old church and still welcome all newcomers led to a decision to expand the church, and the first services in the completed building were held in 1998. The old part of the church has become the altar area, and the addition forms the nave. The design won an award for the architects who provided it. Materials taken out of the old church were used as much as possible, including the stained glass windows in the nave and the old sun-dried bricks, cleaned by the congregation, used in the projection behind the new altar.

In 2003 the church added a Christian Preschool to its family. For further information, select www.calvaryschool.net At present, it has an enrollment of approximately fifty children ranging in age from 2-years of age through Kindergarden.

The growth continued in 2006 when the church purchased the old First National Bank building across the street from the church. This property is now used for the staff offices, meeting rooms, and new Parish Hall. It has frontage to Main Street which has enabled the church to participate in many outreach programs, drawing the community into the fellowship of the congregation. A picture of this building can be seen in the lower left corner of the following link to an historic map of downtown Bastrop. The two-story building connected to the bank building was included in the purchase. The church has converted this building into an incubator for start-up specialty shops and small businesses. It has been named the R. A. Green Mercantile building, and is managed by its board of directors that form an LLC reporting to the church. www.bastroptexas.net/maps/images/bastropmap1c.gif

The church is located on the banks of the beautiful Colorado River in the heart of this historic community. It is opened each day to visitors. Please feel free to visit and walk around the church, along with its beautiful garden, and view the combination of old and new elements that make it the unique home for this congregation.