The Quarter Century of Darkness

After Archibald Beatty resigned the second time, in 1879, there were various fellows who came around to help us when they could, for the most part all missionaries and a couple of deacons. But regretably, no priests were available. In 1880, the vestry voted to close the building, and suspend further services until that situation could be rectified; it took 24 years, about a quarter century before Epiphany was to re-open and function as a full time Episcopal church once again. During that 24 year period, the building was poorly maintained, and for a number of years was rented out by the Vestry to the Seventh-Day Adventist people.

We had Episcopal services only rarely, (those occassions were called 'church days') and often as not, we had to use the Congregational Church to do so. Bishop Millspaugh came once to visit, and found the church in such dreadful need of repair, he set about redoing the roof himself.

The 1890's were a time of financial depression in the United States also, and things did not look very good for Epiphany Church, but finally things started to look a bit better: in 1903, Reverend A.S. Freese -- a supply minister -- decided to add Epiphany into his already busy schedule serving Cherryvale and Neodesha. People started coming back to church, but only in small numbers. But 1904 was just around the corner, and Epiphany would soon come to life once again.

PAT