Old Stone Church
Formerly Calvary Episcopal Chapel
Rock of Ages
The Old Stone Church has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Federal Governments list of buildings worthy of recognition and preservation.
History
Plans for Calvary Episcopal Chapel in Buffalo began in 1884. There were no church buildings of any kind when the Rev. McCarthy arrived in Buffalo. The Buffalo congregation grew rapidly, and plans were made to erect a church building.
In July of 1885, the corner stone was laid. The occasion was one that marked an important step in the history of Buffalo. The enterprising Episcopal Society was composed of many of Buffalo’s leading citizens, and the edifice was to be built at once.
The Church, designed by prominent Fargo Architect George Hancock was constructed using mostly uncut native fieldstone, gathered by the parishioners. The family of Sophia Helen Newburg (Mrs. Peder Berg), immigrants from Oslo, Norway, were among the many early settlers who hauled rock to town during planting season.
Whenever possible Bishop Walker encouraged his congregations to build stone churches. He explained his preference in this way: “In this fire-swept tornado-racked climate it has seemed the wisest of policies to rear such massive, stable churches as will pass the ordeal of fire and storm... I find that men and women will give more labor, love, and money to the abiding sanctuary than the timber makeshift. And so whenever a stone church is built, the enthusiasm among the people is hot and self-sacrificing.” Rural communicants many almost penniless, “who” as Walker wrote, “when coming to their market town, carry a load of stone and lay it on the church lot. It is a rugged type of loyalty.... which rarely meets the gaze in the East. It is a beautiful Western devotion.”
Calvary Chapel was built by Angus Beaton , a Canadian stone mason, and was the first stone church in ND to be built with a stone tower. Construction progressed rapidly, and the cost of the building was estimated at $1,200.
The building of the church must have served as a welcome sign to the more refined citizens of the day. An account in the Tower City, ND ' History' describes the atmosphere in Buffalo during the fall of 1885. “Buffalo had been cursed that fall with the toughest crowd of pimps that ever visited. They were stealing chickens, drinking poor whiskey, and raising hell generally. They won’t work and prowl around endangering property and lives.” the Hope, ND 'Pioneer’ urged the citizens “to unite, and run them out of town at the end of a shotgun.”
The early membership of the Episcopal Society consisted of 12 families and 26 individuals. Included in a list of early church members were: Socrates Squire, a heavy stockholder in the Northern Pacific Railway; his daughter, Gertrude Squire-Talcott, who named the town "New Buffalo" after her birthplace, Buffalo, New York; and her son, Frank Talcott, who organized the very successful Talcott farm and was a state senator from 1900-1913 and appointed warden of the State Penitentiary by Governor Louis B. Hanna. Other early members included Mrs. S.G. More, who in 1892 became the first female bank president in Cass County, and many other prominent citizens, a veritable who's who of early Buffalo. The cost of the building rose almost as fast as the walls themselves. The dedication of these early settlers was evident by the active fund-raising engaged in by the Episcopal Society. Dramatic readings, literary entertainment, gypsy fortune telling, formal balls, and raffles were held.
The idea of dancing and lotteries, advertised publicly, and associated with a Christian house of worship, brought on a pile of letters filled with “fire and brimstone” from the other local communities and priests. They were refuted with powerful letters of support from prominent business leaders and citizens of Buffalo. One such letter stated that the Episcopal Society would “dance all the way to heaven” if it needed to. An outpouring of like responses effectively ended the criticisms.
Calvary Chapel
The first service in the church was held on October 15, 1886 by the Reverend John Trenamen . The finished cost of the building was close to $2,500. The church was consecrated Calvary Chapel on June 5, 1887, by Bishop Walker. Calvary Chapel, New York, contributed substantially to the building fund, and also donated many of the furnishings to its namesake Calvary Chapel, in New Buffalo (Buffalo), Dakota Territory.
The 1890s were years of financial depression and caused the closing of many missions, at least temporarily. Rev.Trenaman was appointed vicar of Casselton, ND in 1891, serving Buffalo only occaisionally. The lack of clergy to serve the churches and missions of North Dakota was a constant problem, limiting the growth of congregations severely. During these years, the Women's Guild held bazaars, bake sales, and other fund raisers, with the funds used for church needs, mostly improvements and repairs. There was also a thriving Sunday School, which was a rarity in Episcopal Churches of the day. Dr. S.B. Clark, who was the Sunday School Superintendent, also served as Warden of the chapel.
Without a resident rector, and regular services the spirit and momentum of a congregation was hard to maintain. So in 1895 the congregation deciding that to attract and keep a reverend they would have to provide comfortable living quarters, so the size of the rectory was tripled with a two-story addition. The plan was a good one, and it attracted the services of the Reverend Roderick J. Mooney in 1896.
Under Reverend Mooney's guidance, a rebirth of the mission took place. Numerous communicants were added, and the congregation was revived. On September 5, 1897 Mooney was called to serve Gethsemane Church in Fargo, ND. And Buffalo was again without a rector, and services were again infrequent.
The Reverend T.H.J. Walton took charge of the Buffalo mission on June 5, 1898, and also served Casselton. New altar furnishings in seasonal colors and a brass altar cross were secured. The church, which had been seated with chairs up to this point, was fitted with beautiful oak pews. Also a fine Estey organ valued at $450 was purchased. With 25 communicants, the congregation was flourishing. During the winter of 1899-1900, the stone tower on the church, which had become unstable, was pulled down to avert disaster. A wooden replacement bell tower was built in the spring of 1900.
Reverend Arthur Chard took charge of the Buffalo-Casselton mission in July of 1900. Under the leadership of Reverend Chard numerous improvements were made, a barn was built on the rectory property in 1900, a cistern was built for the rectory, and choir stalls were constructed in the church. However, hard times were just around the corner and before the year was up, the congregation was in debt. For the first time they had to secure a loan from the Bishop, and ask the Bishop Chancellor and Standing Committee for a reduction in the amount of salary paid by them to the Reverend Chard. The Bishop responded by increasing Buffalo's yearly grant from $100 to $250.
The removal of four communicants, and a number of families that had supported the church in the past, in 1902, made matters even worse. Reverend Chard reported that the strength of the congregation was materially decreased. Reverend Chard had a rectory built in Casselton, a larger congregation mission with what he felt was a brighter future. Buffalo was described at the time as having a fine church building, but a dead congregation. Following Chard's move, during the Bishops visit to the congregation, over 100 people showed up for Sunday services hoping to persuade him to call another rector to their parish, but to no avail. The church would never again have a resident rector.
Bad luck continued for the small parish. Five more communicants were removed in 1903. On the night of July 3, 1903, during a severe rain and wind storm, the southeast corner of the stone wall under the wooden tower of the church fell away leaving an unsightly hole and leaving the remaining portion of the tower unsafe.
Back form New York for the summer, Mrs. G.S. Talcott and her sister, Miss Squires, who were early residents of Buffalo and did much toward the establishment of the church, began a subscription for the purpose of repairing the tower and other necessary items. By November 1903, the congregation had rebuilt the wall of the tower, and at the same time, strengthened the masonry walls by adding heavy buttresses at the corners, of the vestry, the entry, and the main building. Total cost of repairs was $175.
Bishop Mann declared that "the church was now in condition to withstand the piercing blasts of our North Dakota winters." Again, the church was crowded to overflowing during services. The Sunday School was doing well, and the Women's Guild was busy at work holding activities and fund raisers. They earned over $103 selling needlework, and refreshments in the park on July 4th. The funds were used to repaint the rector and barn.
Reverend Chard was replaced by Reverend G.J. Childs, who served the mission from Casselton. Through 1905, congregations were large, filling the church to its capacity.
Attendence at church, however, began a steady decline in 1906-07. Due to members moving and passing away, and the inconsistent schedule of church services caused by scheduling problems with the passenger service on the railroad. Many services were delayed, missed or canceled. Severe weather summer and winter alike, and rough county roads hindered attendence. By 1910 services were held so infrequently and so unannounced, that the only members in attendance were the two Talcott women, who lived across the street from the church.
By April of 1912, because of the dangerous condition of the bell tower it became necessary to hold services in the homes of the parishioners. Madam Talcott's home was used, until her move to Bismarck, North Dakota in 1913. Later, several services were held in the Presbyterian Church, until Reverend Childs left in 1914.
The energy of a new rector provided the spark that was needed to get the church going again. The needed boost was provided briefly by the Reverend J.C. Ferrier of Casselton. Who initiated a restoration of the church building. It was at this time, that the gable roof was placed over the entry.
The exterior restoration was completed by October 1917, and attention was focused on the interior which was badly damaged by dirt, rain, and snow. Vandals has destroyed the beautiful stained glass windows, while the building was unused from 1912-1916. In November of 1917 the new glass had arrived, and was being replaced, but due to severe cold, the project would not be completed until March of 1918. The men of the congregation gave the church a thorough cleaning, and once more Calvary Church would hold services. On June 16, 1918 assisted by Reverend A.H. Beer of Casselton, Bishop Tyler reopened the church. Regular services were held throughout the summer.
Early that fall, Spanish influenza spread across North Dakota and by the end of August 1918, all churches in North Dakota were ordered closed by a government ban on all public meetings. The work at Calvary Episcopal came to a stand still. The ban was lifted in November of 1918, but a visit by Reverend Beer to Buffalo revealed that all of the church people were sick, so plans were made to return to hold services in December. Early that month, the Reverend Beer finally succumbed to the ravages of the influenza and took to his bed. Before he had a chance to return to Calvary, he accepted an appointment as missionary in Santo Domingo. The departure of Reverend Beer left the church at Buffalo without services again. From 1920-1926, no services were held in the recently repaired church, and the windows were boarded up.
In July of 1926, Calvary Chapel of Buffalo was once more reopened. The congregation's search for a rector eventually lead to Reverend T.A. Simpson of Valley City. Several services were held at Calvary Church each year from 1926-1932, but with a high of only eight communicants, the church had no real strength. As hard times took their toll on the congregation and people moved on to hopefully brighter futures, it became increasingly difficult to attract a resident rector. Reverends of the Episcopal Church were always in short supply, because of low salaries and the harsh climate. Without a Reverend it was hard to hold a congregation together, and some frustrated with the irregularity of the services joined other congregations. The Great Depression, lowered the number of communicants to two by 1933; and in 1934 after many hardships, trials and tribulations, through years of enduring faith, Calvary Episcopal Church closed its doors for the last time.
Masonic Temple
In 1936, the building was purchased by the Buffalo Masonic Lodge #77 AF & AM. It served as the Masonic Temple which was also used for meetings of the Order of the Eastern Star Aurora Chapter # 59, until the Masons donated the building to the Buffalo Historical Society in 1985.
Its inspiring atmosphere remains almost untouched by the modern age. It is a small, simple, sturdy church, and an excellent architectural example of Gothic Revival design, adapted to suit the needs and materials of the rugged North Dakota prairie.
The Old Stone Church as an experience, is hard to put into words. The unassuming comfort provided by the honest use of materials, the simple granduer of the vaulted wooden ceiling, and the atmosphere created by the sunlight shining through the gothic windows combine to inspire a sense of awe. Brilliant colors radiating from the remaining stained glass window, the original kerosene light fixtures, and the oil stove sitting where a coal stove once warmed icy hands, transport the visitor back in time to the early settlement days of Dakota Territory. The Old Stone Church is truly a 'prairie cathedral' and stands today as a monument to the spirit of the early pioneers and settlers of Buffalo, North Dakota.
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