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St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Georgetown, Pennsylvania, traces its origin back to the earliest settlement of the area.
Episcopalianism was first introduced into Beaver County, around the year 1799, by the Reverend Francis Reno. He was born near Richmond, Virginia, February 7, 1757, and at the age of ten, his parents moved to Washington County. He was ordained in Philadelphia by Bishop White in 1791, and was sent out under the care of the "Bishop White Prayer Book Society," and settled at Rochester, Pennsylvania in 1799. He built a square log cabin on the side of the hill, just below the spot where the buildings of the Passavant Memorial Home now stands. From here he traveled by way of boat, carriage, horseback and stage, to Sewickley, Beaver, Ohioville and Georgetown and surrounding communities by regular appointment. Reverend Reno served St. Luke's Church between the years 1819 and 1825.
Prior to Reverend Reno's tenure at St. Luke's, the Reverend Mr. Taylor of Pittsburgh was the first to have served the St. Luke's parish, and it was the latter who organized the congregation in 1814. St. Luke's was admitted into union with the Convention of the Diocese of Pennsylvania this same year.
Consequently, long before the present Diocese of Pennsylvania existed, there was an Episcopal parish in Georgetown, and St. Luke's is considered to be the oldest parish in the Diocese today.
Bishops of the Church had to travel by horseback and by boat f rom Philadelphia, the city of the Diocese, in order to make their visitations in Georgetown. One of the first Bishops to visit Georgetown for Confirmation and inspection of parish facilities, was Bishop White, of the Diocese of Pennsylvania. St. Luke's by virtue of his visitation in 1825, thus ranks among the few churches in the United States ever to have been visited by the first Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church. The church building which he visited at that time was constructed of logs. The Reverend Francis Reno served the,' congregation at the time of Bishop White's visit, and seems to have been the first priest to hold services in the log church; however, there is some obscurity with respect to the first services held in this building. Prior to its construction in Georgetown, services were held on a flat boat anchored to the left bank of the Ohio River, and it is believed that this is where the first Church was formed.
In 1833, the present brick church was constructed. Still in union with the Diocese of Pennsylvania, it was not until 1852 that the Church was consecrated. This was performed by Bishop Alonzo Potter on October 2, 1852, and was reported by him to the Diocesan Convention of 1853, held in Philadelphia. Correspondence which can still be found in the parish records indicate that a Bishop's schedule then, was as busy as it is now. Bishop Potter traveling from Philadelphia, visited Butler, Pittsburgh, New Brighton, Georgetown, and Washington, Pennsylvania, all in the space of three days, and traveled most of the way by carriage.
The plot of ground on hundred eighty feet square was given to St. Luke's parish by John Beaver, the pioneer surveyor. The present neat brick edifice was built at a cost of three thousand dollars. The bricks were baked in the orchard of the John Cristler farm. John Cristler furnished the lumber for the Church, and his son was killed by a team of run-away horses at Shippingport during the construction, and this circumstance led the father to join St. Luke's Church.
St. Luke's Church was formally opened for worship on Sunday, December 15, 1833. This was during the second administration of Andrew Jackson, seventh President of the United States. Martin Van Buren was his Vice President.
Dramatic moments in the history of St. Luke's
were recorded during the Civil War. On July 26, 1863, General
Morgan of "Morgan's Raiders" was captured at West Point
which was across the river from Georgetown, but was close enough
to cause furor and excitement during the evening Church service.
The Reverend Henry Mackay, was rector at the time, and gave the
following account to his Bishop: "When I arrived in Georgetown,
the village was in great excitement. The people were armed with
all kinds of
weapons. I had rung the bell and began worship. Soon the building
was surrounded by a yelling, howling, demonical crowd. Angry words
and threats were made. The women were fearfully frightened. At
some time during the prayer, someone entered the Church and fired
a pistol. Judge the terror it caused. I closed the service. They
then took me to a magistrate and went through the form of swearing
me to loyalty to the government. I was a "damned copperhead"
and in that they were wicked liars. That is all I can tell you
about Georgetown at present."
In 1876 the trees were planted about St. Luke's Church. They were brought to Georgetown from nearby forests and planted by H. J. and J. M. Kinsey and J. D. Machall. By 1890, the congregation of St. Luke's numbered about thirty-five members.
On October 18, 1903, members of St. Luke's celebrated the 70th anniversary of the present brick structure.
On October 18, 1933, St. Luke's celebrated its Centennial, and in 1964, its Sesquicentennial. The Rev. William S. Thomas, Suffragan Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh, was present for this celebration.
A parish with such a rich history as St. Luke's, Georgetown was visited by many of the leading personalities in the early history of the Episcopal Church and of this region. It was served by many men in the long years of its history , and at least two who served, went on to be Bishops.
As the Diocese of Pennsylvania was divided, and as the Diocese of Pittsburgh became one of the divisions, St. Luke's then became part of the newer Diocese. It remains today, the oldest congregation in union with the Diocese of Pittsburgh.