A bit of History
In the spring of 1946, a group of 108 interested people met with the Rev. Winfred H. Ziegler in the basement of the Congregational Church to propose a mission congregation. They had noted the city's expansion, particularly to the east in building homes during war days and the post-war days. Their convictions became so compelling that in the spring of 1946, they presented to this Bishop their ideas and hopes that a mission could receive his endorsement. Out of that meeting, a new mission congregation was formed.
The first worship service for the new group was held at the YWCA Playhouse on August 17, 1946, according to the records of the Diocesan office in Laramie. The YWCA Playhouse, located at 1704 House Avenue had once been a stable and was used for meetings and Saturday night dances. There were 69 people present.
The next dream was “to have a place of our very own to worship!” Building a Parish House seemed the best idea. To raise funds for a Parish House personal contacts were made, advertising from local merchants appeared on the card tables used for social events, a “pence box” was on each dining table and church families faithfully tucked away one penny for each meal. Symbolic “building bricks” were sold for $1 each and a list of those buying bricks was to be included in the cornerstone of the Parish House.
Autumn of 1947 ground was broken. The actual building period was almost ten months. The Masonic Order laid the cornerstone before the end of 1947. Many of the women were members of the Eastern Star and many of the men were Masons. Some members served in the military.
March 24, 1957 ground was broken to build a new building. A few weeks later the cornerstone was laid and the building was completed before Thanksgiving of that year. The Service of Dedication was held on Dec. 18, 1957.
St. Christopher’s is an all-brick building of some 7,696 sq. ft., with a composition shingle roof. The parish hall was built in 1947 and the church was added in 1957. The lot, 31,423 sq. ft. is improved with asphalt parking on the east side, a children’s playground on the north and landscaping on the south and west side. The full basement is finished with a chapel for children’s church school services, three offices, seven classrooms, a large meeting room, a kitchen, two furnaces and water heater rooms, ample storage and four lavatories. The parish has a fully equipped kitchen on the south side, and a raised stage on the north, with two small rooms opening off the stage (one the rector’s office, the other a reading room). There is a handicap-accessible lavatory just off the narthex. Handicap-accessible ramps are located outside the building and from the parish hall to the narthex.
The congregation consists of military personnel and their families, State employees, railroaders, teachers, bankers, retirees, lawyers, homemakers, sales professionals, students, and health professionals, just to name a few.