St James Episcopal

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In the summer of 1920, the newly formed St. James Episcopal congregation purchased land at Douglas and Circle. Before construction could begin, an injunction was filed against Reverend Otis E. Gray by area homeowners. Fearing it would lower their property value, the homeowners stipulated that the area had to be used for homesteads and was not zoned for a church. The church had difficulty finding a spot that would be agreeable to the College Hill Neighborhood. More than once, they had been thwarted by similar land use arguments. But Reverend Gray promised a "Fine New Building," and the church was officially incorporated in May 1921. Lorentz Schmidt, area architect, designed the plans for this combination of Gothic and Tudor styles, which you can see echoed in his other East Douglas buildings such as Hillcrest Homes and East High.

Photo credit: Wichita Beacon, Sunday, December 3, 1922, page B-7