History of St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Beverly. St. Peter’s was the first Episcopal church organized in Beverly. The first service was held on July 19, 1863 on the second floor in a building on the corner of Cabot and Essex Streets, then known as Union Hall. In the first years, mission support came from our mother church, St. Peter’s in Salem. In 1865 a Gothic style church was erected at the corner of Cabot and Bow streets at the site of today's Bell’s Market. The parish served a wide and diverse area. Along the shore of Prides Crossing and Beverly Farms, an active and affluent summer colony thrived. Their attendance and support formed a very important part of parish life. By 1900, mission services started in Beverly Farms with St. Peter’s supplying pastoral support. In 1902, this mission was made a separate parish and became known at St. Johns Church. St. Peter’s parish continued to grow through the beginning of the last century. The opening of the United Shoe Machinery Corporation (now the Cummings Center) in 1905 contributed to the growth of the parish. To meet the space needs of the growing parish, the Bancroft family donated land at the corner of the Hale and Ocean streets in 1928. The church was completed and dedicated on February 14, 1930, where it still stands today. In the post-World War II era, St. Peter’s experienced another surge in growth and space once again became and issue. In 1957 a building campaign was launched and a new building was built behind the church on Ocean Street. It included a gymnasium, kitchen and classrooms. This space continues to serve the parish and the community today by housing Friday and Sunday Night Suppers, AA meetings, Bean Suppers, the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program, and cultural events. Since the 1960s, St. Peter’s has experienced change and growth that in some ways mirror changes in society in general. Adoption of the 1979 Prayer Book, the ordination of women into the priesthood and the expanded role of young people and lay persons in worship are some examples of these changes. Overall, St. Peter’s begins this century with a solid commitment to serving Christ and the community, proud of our strong traditions and energized by the possibilities of our future.

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