What’s That Chatt? Thankful Memorial Episcopal Church brought the faith to St. Elmo
Staff photo by Matt Hamilton/ Bob Wright, senior warden, lights candles at Thankful Memorial Episcopal Church. Staff photo by Matt Hamilton/ Bob Wright, senior warden, lights candles at Thankful Memorial Episcopal Church.
By Sam Still 7 min read
Nowadays, the journey from St. Elmo to downtown Chattanooga takes about 12 minutes by car, but this has not always been the case.
For the Episcopalians of the historic St. Elmo neighborhood, there was a time when they had to make the long trek to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church on West Seventh Street to worship. But with the construction of Thankful Memorial Episcopal Church at the turn of the 20th century, the faithful of St. Elmo finally had a house of worship close to home.
April 24, 1904, was a “notable Sunday for Chattanooga Episcopalians,” a subhead in the next day’s edition of The Chattanooga Daily Times said. Not only was the bishop of the Tennessee diocese making a regular visit to the city’s Episcopal churches, but the St. Elmo congregation laid the cornerstone for what would become the Gothic-style, stone Thankful Memorial church — a project a decade in the making.
Today, Thankful Memorial stands in the heart of St. Elmo, just one block off the neighborhood’s main thoroughfare.
Chattanooga Public Library / Thankful Memorial Episcopal Church is pictured in 1907.Staff photo by Matt Hamilton/ A figure of the Virgin Mary is seen at Thankful Memorial Episcopal Church.Staff photo by Matt Hamilton/ A sign hangs outside at Thankful Memorial Episcopal Church.Staff photo by Matt Hamilton/ Jonquils soak up the sun outside Thankful Memorial Episcopal Church.Staff photo by Matt Hamilton/ The altar is seen at Thankful Memorial Episcopal Church.Staff photo by Matt Hamilton/ The sanctuary is seen at Thankful Memorial Episcopal Church.Staff photo by Matt Hamilton/ The sun shines on Thankful Memorial Episcopal Church.Staff photo by Matt Hamilton/ The cornerstone is seen at Thankful Memorial Episcopal Church.Staff photo by Matt Hamilton/ The sun shines on Thankful Memorial Episcopal Church.Staff photo by Matt Hamilton/ Bob Wright, senior warden, lights candles at Thankful Memorial Episcopal Church.Staff photo by Matt Hamilton/ Bob Wright, senior warden, talks during an interview at Thankful Memorial Episcopal Church.Staff photo by Matt Hamilton/ Bob Wright, senior warden, talks during an interview at Thankful Memorial Episcopal Church.
