All Saints History
 
Significant Dates in the Life of
All Saints Church
1835 First Episcopal service in Worcester held in the Town Hall on December 13
1843 The name "All Saints Church" was adopted in June; services held at Brinley Hall
(site of 340 Main)
1846 First service held in the new building, on Pearl Street (site of G.A.R. Hall) in June.
1862 Dr. William Reed Huntington conducted his first servie at All Saints, Pearl Street.
(He was the man largely responsible for two revisions of the Book of Common Prrayer.)
1868 All Saints Choir of Men & Boys was founded.
1874 A fire on April 7 destroys the Pearl Street Church
1877 The second All Saints Church opens, a Gothic church designed by Stephen Earle and built by Norcross Bros. of Worcester (builders of many important buildings, including the Boston Public Library and Trinity Church). During the construction, two doves fly into the church and build a nest in the rafters, considered a good omen, Dr. William Huntington (Rector 1862-1883) has a pair of doves painted in the chancel.
1884 Alexander Hamilton Vinton installed as rector; became first Bishop of Diocese of Western Massachusetts in 1902
1897 Under Alexander H. Vinton (Rector 1884-1902), All Saints reconstructs the chancel and installs a new altar and reredos, designed by architect Henry Vaughan.
Girl's Choir was founded.
1903 Thomas F. Davies installed as rector became bishop of Western Massachusetts in 1911.
1907 All Saints installs a rood screen, designed by Ralph Adams Cram and built by Irving & Casson of Boston. Cram also designed a 1910 redecoration of the chancel, including the installation of a fresco by Danish artist Sofus Masterson, as well as restoring the doves (painted over in 1897).
1912 Lewis Gouveneur Morris installed as rector.
1916 The cornerstone is laid for the new Parish House, designed by Ralph Adams Cram and built by Edward F. Miner Company. The facility is dedicated in 1917, and the upstairs assembly hall named after Alexander Vinton.
1917 Parish House was formally opened in May.
1921 Henry Wise Hobson installed as rector; became bishop
1928 The chapel is renamed Huntington Hall, and the chancel is converted into a library (currently the choir room.).
1930 Girl's Choir became St. Cecilla Choir.
1932 January 19-20: Most of the 1877 church and Huntington Hall are destroyed by an arson fire, except for the tower and some exterior walls. The Parish House survives intact, although the connecting portion is partially destroyed. The Parish vault with its records survives, as well as the safe containing the communion vessels. The historic Bible, which survived the 1874 fire, is found weeks later, waterlogged in the ruins, and restored. The processional cross is rescued from the fire, and the altar cross, bent and blackened, is repaired and reused. Huntington Hall is rebuilt as a temporary Chapel, and the first services are held there on All Saints Day, 1932.
The cornerstone of the present building was laid by Bishop Davies.
1933 Richard Greeley Preston installed as rector.
1934 Opening services are held in the third All Saints Church on Easter. Frohman, Robb, and Little architects of the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., were the architects for the third All Saints, and E.J. Cross Company the builders. During construction of the third All Saints, two doves again nested in the rafters, and were again painted in the chancel.
1939 All Saints Choir of Men and Boys sang at New York World's Fair. Director William Self.
1954-
1956		 Irving Street wing of the Parish House is built. G. Adolph Johnson is the architect and the builder is the James B. Lowell Company.,
1959 Wm. Bradford Turner Hastings installed as rector; became suffragan bishop,
Diocese of Connecticut in 1981
1960 All Saints celebrated its 125th Anniversary.
1965 Choir of Men & Boys sang again at the World's Fair.
1966 Edward L. Hook installed as rector.
1971 Clyde H. Cox, Jr. installed as rector.
1975 Choir of Men & Boys and St. Cecilia Choir spend week in residence at Worcester Cathedral.
1984 All Saints Men & Boys Choir tour to York, England.
1985 All Saints celebrated its 150th Anniversary.
1993 Mark M. Beckwith installed as rector; became bishop.
1998 New West entrance,vestibule and parish office completed.
2001 The Columbarium at All Saints completed; restoration of the Guild Room and additions to the Parish House completed.
2002 Arbor Society founded.
2006 Kairos Spiritual Life Center founded; Nancy Elder-Wilfrid as director.
2008 Kevin D. Bean installed as rector; combined All Saints choirs on England tour sang at cathedrals in Worcester, Gloucester and Hereford.
2010 All Saints begins celebrating its 175th Anniversary.