St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Gothic Revival church in Dallas County, Alabama.
St. Luke's is a Carpenter Gothic church built in 1854 at Cahaba, Alabama's first capital, following plans published by architect Richard Upjohn in his 1852 book Rural Architecture. Its exterior has lancet windows, pointed arch doorways and vertical board and batten sheathing. The original square bell tower at the front corner was not rebuilt when the church was moved in 1878.
The church was built in 1854 in Cahaba, Alabama's first capital, and moved to Martin's Station in 1878. The relocation took place during the post-Civil War period, when many communities had to reassess their structures.
The church was built in 1854 for an Episcopal congregation on Vine Street. After it was moved to Martin's Station in 1878, it served an Episcopal congregation for several decades, then an African-American Baptist congregation for more than 60 years before the Alabama Historical Commission acquired it.
The church stands at the corner of Beech Street and Capitol Street, across from the Old Cahawba Archaeological Park visitor center. It is viewed from the outside; the original Vine Street site was rejected because it lies in a floodplain. The square bell tower was not rebuilt after the 1878 move.
The church has stood on three sites: Vine Street in Cahaba from 1854, Martin's Station from 1878, and its present spot near Beech and Capitol Streets since 2007. The return was possible because the original Vine Street lot proved to lie in a floodplain, so a new location was chosen across from the park visitor center.
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