Church of the Epiphany

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about the Church of the Epiphany in Robertson County. Now, some buildings just sit there. They hold their ground, they take the weather, and eventually they fade.

And then there are buildings like this one. The Church of the Epiphany in Calvert was organized on June 6, 1870, by Bishop Gregg. That date is worth sitting with for a moment.

Eighteen seventy. The ink on Reconstruction was barely dry, and here comes Bishop Gregg, standing in Calvert, Texas, calling a parish into existence. And from that day forward, this church has been in continuous use.

Not mostly continuous. Not off and on. Continuously, since the parish was founded.

Now, the building itself, the oldest church edifice erected in Calvert, has something to say about craftsmanship. Somebody brought real intention to this place. Fine wood scrollwork runs through the interior, and lancet windows catch whatever light Robertson County is offering that day, and together they complement a Victorian architecture that still commands attention.

There is a kind of quiet stubbornness to a building like this, standin in a town since 1870, outlasting everything around it, still doing exactly what it was built to do. Bishop Gregg organized a parish, and that parish built a church, and that church is still there. Some stories don't need a twist ending.

They just need to keep going.

What the marker says

Organized June 6, 1870, by Bishop Gregg. Oldest church edifice erected in Calvert; has been used continuously since parish was founded. Fine wood scrollwork and lancet windows compliment the Victorian architecture. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1967