In 1843, the cornerstone of St. James’ Episcopal Church was laid in a plot on Lancaster Avenue next to the old Masonic Hall. The church has remained in that same location ever since. With a strong sense of its rich and varied history, combined with an equally strong commitment to the future, the people of St. James’ continue to worship God as a diverse, welcoming and growing community.

In the Fall of 1842, the Rev. Gregory Bedell, then Rector of the Church of the Holy Trinity in West Chester, conducted a service of worship in the home of Dr. Andrew Wills for a group of Episcopalians living in Downingtown. That was the beginning of St. James’ Church. That same year, the Downingtown Episcopalians invited the Rev. William Augustus White of Boston to come to Downingtown as the rector of a new Episcopal church to be named after the Apostle James.

Plans for the building of a church were drawn up, and on June 20, 1843, the cornerstone of the church building was laid. The building itself was completed in just four months, and was consecrated on October 26, 1843 by Bishop Onderdonk of Pennsylvania. Early records indicate that “the church edifice belonging to this parish in neat, substantial and commodious, and built with good materials.” The final cost, including the land, was just under $2,000.00.

The first building was of classical design, with no steeple and no stained glass windows. In 1874, the graveyard, which had been behind the church building, was removed to Northwood Cemetery in compliance with a town ordinance of that year decreeing that the burying of the dead within borough limits was forbidden.

In 1863 the church building underwent a major renovation. The church was enlarged, the wings, sanctuary and steeple were built, various memorial stained glass windows were put in place, and the church building took on the appearance which it has today.

Over time, an office wing and a parish hall were added to the original church building. A community Nursery School (today’s Saint James’ Pre-School) came into being under the rectorship of Richard Lee Bartholomew, the Rector of St. James’ from 1962 until 1992. He also presided over the building of Saint James’ Place, a housing facility for low-income elderly, which opened its doors in 1979. Since that time, its forty apartments have always been filled.

Our many outreach activities continue to touch the Downingtown community, and our growing pre-school and Christian education programs help to insure our future.

St. James’ is a Gospel centered community, part of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania. Our members have a strong desire to live out the good news of God in Jesus Christ in their lives, their families and their community.

St. James’ is committed to enhancing the life of the Downingtown community, not only as a major focus of outreach activities, but by our participation in the life of the community. Our Thrift Shop, pre-school and involvement with the Food Pantry, which was originally housed at St. James’, and our annual participation in the Christmas parade attest to our community involvement.

St. James’ is blessed with a wide array of fun and meaningful programs for all of our young members. An adult run nursery allows parents to leave their infants and very young children in a safe environment, knowing that they will be well cared for.