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History of St. John's Episcopal Church

Built in 1879-1880, St. John's is the oldest church building still standing in Ouray. Its rock walls were laid by Cornish and Welsh miners trying to strike it rich in the West.

With them they brought the Anglican faith, and with typical vigor they pitched in to reproduce their idea of a proper Anglican church according to the tastes and building materials of their remembered homeland. The stone walls of the sanctuary were originally intended to be the foundation for a second story, which was never built.

Though the church never rose to the heights envisioned by its builders, the sanctuary with its ornate Victorian Gothic altar screen remains one of the most intimate and lovely settings for worship to be found anywhere. Beautiful and unusual stained glass widows by artist Virginia Laycock celebrate God's gifts to the people of Ouray, depicting many of the area's most beloved animals, mountains, flowers, birds and even minerals.

The photo to the left show two early 20th century St. John's Clergy. The picture on the righ shows St. John's in the 1890's.