Early History of Saint Peter’s
In the early 1950’s, one Episcopal priest served the churches of the entire County of Pinal. He died tragically in a car accident and it was a tremendous shock to his family, parishioners, and friends. After his death, a small group of Episcopalians in Casa Grande placed a newspaper advertisement in December 1951 inviting local residents who had an interest in forming an Episcopal Church in Casa Grande to meet at Kenneth and Patricia Law’s home. The Saint Peter’s Mission was formed with ten original members in the parish including Dr. Hugh and Elena Guinn, Diane Spilsbury, Meg Bianco, Mary Lou Smith, Vada Smith, Carolyn McMakin and Pearl & Al Burton. The group held services in Rebekah Hall on Pinal Ave in Casa Grande and Reverend Ed Freeland from Phoenix conducted the service with his sister, Louise, playing the piano.
The first full-time priest for Saint Peter’s was the Reverend Allen McMahan who was appointed by Bishop Kinsolving in 1952. Fr. McMahan also served Florence and Hayden, AZ. Mary Lou Smith of Maricopa, AZ served as the Directress of the Altar Guild at that time. Each Sunday after service in Rebekah Hall, she would remove the Altar cloth and pack it away in a suitcase and take it home. At that time, she was pregnant and the night she delivered in Glendale, she asked her husband to hurriedly go home to Casa Grande and take the Altar Cloth suitcase to Rebekah Hall so they would have it for services. The next morning, when Fr McMahan opened the suitcase he found baby clothes and a billowy, white, ruffled organdy bassinet cover.
In 1953, members formed a Building Committee to build a small church. Mr. and Mrs. Harold Earley donated three city lots for the church at the corner of Kadota and McMurray Blvd. The lots were so far away from any established buildings in Casa Grande that some people thought it was too far out to attract new members. On April 9, 1953 Bishop Kinsolving conducted a confirmation service. Following the service, the Bishop and the congregation met at the building site where the Bishop blessed and consecrated the ground and turned the first spade of earth. Mr. Chet Jones donated $4,000 to pay for the roof, Colorado Rock and Sand donated the cement and the remainder of the building budget came from funds from members of the congregation. At the completion, the Committee had a deficit of $2000. Bishop Kinsolving donated the $2000 which he had won when in a fluke he had bet on a horse race.
The first service in the new church building was conducted on February 28, 1954. The church school building was added in 1956 and was named Burton Hall in memory of Pearl Burton, the first Sunday School teacher and the wife of Al Burton, the Church’s Superintendent. Church pews were installed in the sanctuary in 1961 with funds donated by members of the congregation in memory of loved ones. A new kitchen was built in 1981. An additional school room was added in 1990 and a patio adjoining Burton Hall was built in 1992.
In the early 2000’s, a group led by David Dennis restarted the Sunday School. David insisted that this was needed to attract younger families. Now there is a fully functioning nursery and a Sunday School that is using Burton Hall for classes. In 2018, with capital funds from the congregation, David Dennis, Junior Warden, contracted for all the pews in the sanctuary to be refinished. A large storage building was also erected under his direction. This allowed for better utilization of space in Burton Hall and adjoining classrooms and offices.
In the early 1950’s, one Episcopal priest served the churches of the entire County of Pinal. He died tragically in a car accident and it was a tremendous shock to his family, parishioners, and friends. After his death, a small group of Episcopalians in Casa Grande placed a newspaper advertisement in December 1951 inviting local residents who had an interest in forming an Episcopal Church in Casa Grande to meet at Kenneth and Patricia Law’s home. The Saint Peter’s Mission was formed with ten original members in the parish including Dr. Hugh and Elena Guinn, Diane Spilsbury, Meg Bianco, Mary Lou Smith, Vada Smith, Carolyn McMakin and Pearl & Al Burton. The group held services in Rebekah Hall on Pinal Ave in Casa Grande and Reverend Ed Freeland from Phoenix conducted the service with his sister, Louise, playing the piano.
The first full-time priest for Saint Peter’s was the Reverend Allen McMahan who was appointed by Bishop Kinsolving in 1952. Fr. McMahan also served Florence and Hayden, AZ. Mary Lou Smith of Maricopa, AZ served as the Directress of the Altar Guild at that time. Each Sunday after service in Rebekah Hall, she would remove the Altar cloth and pack it away in a suitcase and take it home. At that time, she was pregnant and the night she delivered in Glendale, she asked her husband to hurriedly go home to Casa Grande and take the Altar Cloth suitcase to Rebekah Hall so they would have it for services. The next morning, when Fr McMahan opened the suitcase he found baby clothes and a billowy, white, ruffled organdy bassinet cover.
In 1953, members formed a Building Committee to build a small church. Mr. and Mrs. Harold Earley donated three city lots for the church at the corner of Kadota and McMurray Blvd. The lots were so far away from any established buildings in Casa Grande that some people thought it was too far out to attract new members. On April 9, 1953 Bishop Kinsolving conducted a confirmation service. Following the service, the Bishop and the congregation met at the building site where the Bishop blessed and consecrated the ground and turned the first spade of earth. Mr. Chet Jones donated $4,000 to pay for the roof, Colorado Rock and Sand donated the cement and the remainder of the building budget came from funds from members of the congregation. At the completion, the Committee had a deficit of $2000. Bishop Kinsolving donated the $2000 which he had won when in a fluke he had bet on a horse race.
The first service in the new church building was conducted on February 28, 1954. The church school building was added in 1956 and was named Burton Hall in memory of Pearl Burton, the first Sunday School teacher and the wife of Al Burton, the Church’s Superintendent. Church pews were installed in the sanctuary in 1961 with funds donated by members of the congregation in memory of loved ones. A new kitchen was built in 1981. An additional school room was added in 1990 and a patio adjoining Burton Hall was built in 1992.
In the early 2000’s, a group led by David Dennis restarted the Sunday School. David insisted that this was needed to attract younger families. Now there is a fully functioning nursery and a Sunday School that is using Burton Hall for classes. In 2018, with capital funds from the congregation, David Dennis, Junior Warden, contracted for all the pews in the sanctuary to be refinished. A large storage building was also erected under his direction. This allowed for better utilization of space in Burton Hall and adjoining classrooms and offices.