This video produced by All Saints' member Mary Brennan gives thanks for All Saints' rich history and its resolve to be a church for the city, serving with and among the neighbors God placed before us, during a time when many urban congregations relocated to the suburbs. More videos on the topic of All Saints' history can be found using the link below.
All Saints’ parish dates from 1901, when Mary Jane Peters donated a small parcel of land at the corner of West Peachtree Street and North Avenue to the Diocese of Georgia to be used for “church purposes.” Two years later, on June 7, 1903, All Saints’ Church was founded as the third Episcopal parish in Atlanta, in what was then the northern outskirts of the city.
Harriett Dozier, one of the few female architects of the time, designed the original wood and stucco chapel. It was built on a corner lot in a residential subdivision called Peters Park, in memory of Mrs. Peters’ husband, Richard, who had developed the land. The original chapel was torn down to make way for a new church building. Architects Thomas H. Morgan and John R. Dillon generously donated their services to design the present church building, which was dedicated on Palm Sunday 1906. The All Saints’ seal, stenciled in gold on the vibrant red walls of the chancel and apse, carries reminders of the day—the cross and the crown symbolizing the feast of All Saints, a phoenix representing both the resurrection and the city of Atlanta, and crossed palms indicating Palm Sunday.
Over the century since that Palm Sunday, All Saints’ has grown to a parish of around 3,000 members. What was once a suburban parish now can be described as an urban church centered in worship, focused on right relationship with God and one another, and continually transformed through urban and global ministries.
As our city continues to grow and change, our ministries and challenges will, also. However, some aspects of the parish will remain the same—our determination to stay put and offer witness and ministry to our urban neighbors, a heritage of outstanding preaching and music, innovative programs, a climate of openness, and the willingness to take risks.
634 W Peachtree St NW, Atlanta, GA US 30308 | 404-881-0835 | © 2024 All Saints' Episcopal Church | All Rights Reserved.
