1893 First Services
As part of the Missionary Territory of Montana and the Dakotas, Episcopal Bishop Leigh R. Brewer offered the first Holy Eucharist service in a converted boxcar along the railroad right-of-way.
1894 Property Acquired
Charles Hall gave the property on Third Avenue and Sixth Street South for the church building. The Guild, the women’s organization, was the most active in establishing the church. Mrs. J.E. Flaherty was the first president. Through the Guild’s efforts, St. Matthew’s Mission was the third church to establish a congregation in Glasgow. They met first in the Courthouse and later in the Methodist Church. The Guild borrowed lumber from J.L. Truscott and erected an ice cream stand and bowery. They hosted dances and served ice cream to pay for the lumber. After the walls were built, the building was rented for shows, dances, and other events until it was paid for. Tradition has it that the first building on the site of the present church was the opera house, which was moved to parish property, and consecrated as the church. The so-called Guild House was built next door to the church and was used as a civic center until 1910. It is significant to note that St. Matthew’s Guild was also instrumental in starting Highland Cemetery in Glasgow in 1894.
1910 Present Church Built
In September, the old Guild House gave way to the present church. The following Christmas the congregation opened the new building. We have a picture, without positive identification, of presumably the first church, which seems to be identical to the current church. In the same photo, seen to the south, two well-known landmarks have been verified: the old South Side School with the tower, and some buildings on the south of the allie. These were owned by Cecil Harrison and were rented as residences during the building of the Fort Peck Dam in the 1930s. In the picture, the Church appears to be east of the present church building. Some suggest that at first, the church building was there and probably in the late 1930s, it was moved onto the basement, placing it in its present location on the corner of Third Avenue and Sixth Street South.
1911 Church Building Consecrated
On May 8, 1911, Bishop Leigh R. Brewer consecrated the church for divine services only. The same building has been in use, with several modifications, until the present time. Several dates are significant for the church building: 1976 basement renovated; 1979/1980, new siding installed; 2000, Sacristy renovated, June 2007 siding on the west side destroyed by hail and replaced in the spring of 2008.
1950’s Rectory Built
Throughout the years, parish priests and their families lived in the rectory. When the Parish was without a priest, or when the priest preferred, they lived elsewhere and the house was rented. In 1999, the Rectory was converted to a Parish Center, with a new roof installed in 2001 and in 2002, new siding. Today, it is a busy site of education and fellowship for the Parish and the community as well.
1996 Parish Hosts Diocesan Convention in Glasgow
2000 Handicapped Access Ramp Installed
This important addition links the Church with the Parish Center and gives access to all events for everyone.
2007 The Blessing of the Animals
After celebrating this loving event on a small scale for five years, the Parish pulled out all the stops and hosted the community to an afternoon of blessings, live music, games, and food. The event has become an annual celebration each year since.
2011 Tuesday's Child
2011 marks another milestone in Saint Matthew's history with the start of Tuesday's Child, an outreach program that provies a safe afterschool environment from 3:30pm to 6:00pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays for youth ages 10-14. It includes tutoring, an Internet Cafe, snacks, and activities.
... view historical photos from the archives
