Dwight and Virginia Robinson stand outside St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Old Tacoma wearing some of the fall season's new fashions. Mrs. Robinson is wearing a coat of Bolivia cloth and a Canadian fox collar. Mr. Robinson, president of Western Furnaces, chose a conservative three-button lounge sack guit and a Dobbs hat. The exterior of St. Peter's has weathered and some of the windows are broken. Restoration of the early Tacoma church was begun in 1956. The small, 21 ft. x 45 ft., Carpenter Gothic church was built in 1873. It was designed by Rev. Charles Bonnell. The timber was donated by Hanson-Ackerson Mill and construction took 10 days. The building was placed on the National Register in 1975. Ordered by the Tacoma News Tribune for their fall fashion section. (TNT, 9/11/1952, p.C-7)

Episcopal churches--Tacoma; St. Peter's Episcopal Church (Tacoma); Aged persons--Tacoma; Robinson, Dwight; Robinson, Virginia; Clothing & dress--Tacoma--1950-1960; Spouses--Tacoma;

ca. 1873. St. Peter's Episcopal Church, Old Tacoma. Small Carpenter Gothic church, built 1873, with a tall cedar stump covered with ivy for a bell tower. Copy of early photograph for Mr. Short of the Tacoma Times. Two weeks after the Right Reverend B.W. Morris, Episcopal Bishop of Washington and Oregon, rode into Tacoma in the bed of a wagon used for hauling earth on the North Pacific grade, St. Peters Church was built. It was the first church in Tacoma. This photograph was reproduced by Turner Richards from a faded photo made by Joseph Buchtel of Portland after the bell tower on the top of the 40 foot fir stump was completed. The photograph was loaned to the Times by Mrs. Alice Rector Watson. (T.Times 9/27/1935, pg. 16)

Episcopal churches--Tacoma; St. Peter's Episcopal Church (Tacoma);

St Peter's Episcopal Church, 2910 North Starr Street in Old Tacoma (W.T.) Photograph courtesy of the John Ogden Collection. At the time of this August, 1888, photograph, St. Peter's was 15 years old. The small (21 x 45-foot) Carpenter Gothic church was built in only ten days in August of 1873 on land donated by Edward S. "Skookum" Smith and Captain Starr. It is Tacoma's oldest church. As the label on the photograph notes, St. Peter's had the oldest church tower in the United States. An aged fir, cut at 48-feet, served as the bell tower. The age of the tree trunk was used in the calculation of the tower's age. The original tree was replaced by a new tower in 1935 when it was damaged by a windstorm. St. Peter's Episcopal Church is on the City and National Register. TPL-10166

St. Peter's Episcopal Church (Tacoma); Episcopal churches--Tacoma;

ca. 1903. St. Peter's Episcopal Church, 2910 North Starr St, as viewed circa 1903. The tiny 21 x 45-foot wood church is considered to be Tacoma's oldest church, built in 1873 on land donated by Edward S. "Snookum" Smith and Capt. Starr with timber donated by the Hanson-Ackerson Mill. The unusual bell tower is actually a fir tree cut at 48 feet with its bell donated by the Sunday School of St. Peter's Church in Philadelphia. A windstorm in 1935 resulted in a new tower which replaced the unique Old Town fir tower. St. Peter's is on both the City and National Registers.

St. Peters Episcopal Church (Tacoma); Episcopal churches--Tacoma;

ca. 1971. 1971 Richards color stock footage. St. Peter's Episcopal Church, located in Old Town at 2910 No. Starr St., held its first church services in August of 1873. It had taken only ten days to build the tiny 21 x 45-foot wooden structure on land donated by Edward S. "Skookum" Smith and Captain Starr. Tacoma would boast of having the "oldest bell tower in America" as a aged fir, cut at 48-feet, served as the church's bell tower. The bell in the tower was donated by the Sunday School at St. Peter's Church in Philadelphia. It was necessary to replace the fir tree with a new tower in 1935 when it was damaged in a windstorm. Considered Tacoma's oldest church, St. Peter's has been placed on the City, State and National Registry.

Episcopal churches--Tacoma; St. Peter's Episcopal Church (Tacoma);

• Built in 1873, St. Peter's Episcopal Church was constructed in 10 days.
• Printed on front: Old Church Tower--Tacoma, Wash.

• Built in 1873 at 2910 N. Starr St., St. Peter's Episcopal Church boasted having the oldest bell tower in America, here covered in ivy. circa 1906.
• Printed on front: Oldest Church in America. Tacoma, Washington.

Circa 1906.

Circa 1917.

Circa 1905.

Circa 1910.

Circa 1907.

Circa 1908.