Alvord Memorial Church of Our Savior Records

In 1898, settlers from England and parts of Canada came to the Langdon, North Dakota, area and established an Episcopal mission. It became known as the Mission of the Holy Spirit, and would later become Alvord Memorial Church of Our Saviour. At the time the mission had only ten communicants. In 1900, under the Rev. Edward W. Burleson, a vicar at the Episcopal Church in Park River, the name of the mission was changed to St. James. Until 1903, St. James was located in a rented building and was served by Park River priests. However, the Missionary District of North Dakota was given $4,000 by Mrs. Edward J. Brown of New York City to build a memorial church for her parents. The mission in Langdon was chosen as the recipient of the gift and construction of the new church building was started later that year. The church was consecrated January 6, 1904, by the bishop of North Dakota, the Rt. Rev. Cameron Mann. The name was then changed to the Alvord Memorial Church of Our Saviour. By 1913, there were still only twelve communicants listed. The reason for such slow expansion was the absence of a resident priest. From 1913 through the 1950s, there was only one resident minister and he only stayed for two years. The church was mainly served by priests from Park River and Devils Lake. By 1963, the church saw considerable growth, having 50 members consisting of 17 families. The church was eventually deconsecrated November 15, 2003, one hundred and five years after the mission initially began.

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