St. Alban’s Episcopal Church was
formed in 1909 when a group of people in Windsor
banded together and held occasional services in various members’ homes. In Feb. 1910, the Rev. Dr. B.W. Bonell, (also
known as Dean Bonell,) formed a Guild. Upon formation of the Guild, Dr. Bonell agreed to come to hold regular
services each Sunday afternoon. Church
services were held in various and sundry places in town for the next few years.
Four years later, in 1912, the
little group bought a building site at Sixth and Walnut and the nave of the
present church was built the building was soon paid for and the chancel and
Guild Hall were built. In 1937 the
kitchen was added.
The Guild Hall served for many
years as the meeting place in Windsor
for social events, dances, civic organizations, and youth gatherings,
especially those where a dinner was served.
The church is a copy of an English
country church, made of gray stone with Gothic style windows and doors.
The church did not have a regular
priest, but was served by faculty members and students from St.
John’s College in Greeley. After Dr. Bonell’s retirement he moved to Windsor
to supervise the work at St. Alban’s.
Fred Wells, a lay minister, came to
Windsor in1940 and served the
church along with help from surrounding clergy. He was followed by Rev. George B. Oakes who served as a full time rector
until 1970.
In the 1950’s a basement apartment
was constructed behind the church at 315 Sixth Street. The house above was completed in 1968 and
served as the parsonage for clergy.
In 1973 Fr. Robert Warner began his
ministry here. In 1977 some members of
the congregation formed the Community of New Life. Copenhagen Hall, (originally the teacherage)
two doors east of the church, and the house next to the church were purchased
by the members of the community where they carried out their ministries of
inner healing and help to those in need.
St. Alban’s Guardian Angel Thrift
shop was opened across from the old town hall and later moved to a building Sixth
Street behind what is now the General Store.
The Community of New Life was disbanded in 1987 and Copenhagen
Hall again became an apartment building. The house next door was sold to St. Alban’s and became the parsonage for
Fr. David Wood who later purchased it. Fr. Wood served St. Alban’s from April of 1990 until his retirement in
2003.
During the summer of 2003 the house
at 315 Sixth Street under
went extensive remodeling to make room for the growing congregation’s need for
nursery, class rooms and meeting rooms.
Karla Lind was organist and
music director at St. Alban’s from 1977-2004. Dr. Jo Anne Grace now serves in that position. Fr. Scott Turner serves as Priest
in Charge at this time.
Information
from “Highlights in the History of Windsor” by Roy Ray and “A Walk through Windsor” by Mary Alice Lindblad
contributed to this article.
Submitted
by Karla Lind
