St Thomas Church

In 1875, as recorded in Bishop Garrett's Diary, there was one church building in Ennis, a thriving railroad town with approximately 1000 inhabitants. Episcopalians used the church building for services when Bishop Garrett visited.

Bishop Garrett made his first visit March 28, 1875. On April 19th of 1875 he formed a commission to look into securing property for a church building for the Episcopal Church. It was not until 1888 that a cornerstone was laid at the corner of Knox and McKinney (across from present Post Office 1987) facing Knox Street N.E. Corner.

In approximately 1895 the Episcopal Church burned. The parish became inactive untll about 1920-1921 when Bishop Moore released funds which had been set aside from St Thomas' sale of Knox property to build a new Church on the corner of Sherman and Tyler streets.

The old cornerstone had been preserved and stood outside the building until 1987 when it was moved to St Thomas' new location at 901 Park Street.

On this date, July 24, 1987, the plan is to move the frame church from Sherman and Tyler Streets to Park Street.

A new parish hall, which is now being used for worship, also, was completed in June 1987.

Plans for the future call for a new Church building to be built on the west end of the Park Street property. The old City Lake Dam across from our present locaon is being rebuilt with a splash basin being constructed on the church property, the parish today is small with 35 active families. The mood is one of hope and promise for the future. The newness of our recent relocaon gives us a sense of being a new parish and the challenges a new parish offers. (E. Dennis Smart, Rector).

The Chapel was moved from Sherman and Tyler Streets to the Park Street location in December 1987 and the first service was held there May 11 (Peeler Wedding) 1988. (On May 9, 1988, I suffered a heart attack during a vestry meeting and was on sick leave untill October 1, 1988 on which date I retired.) E. Dennis Smart