History of Saint Margaret’s Episcopal Church

The Very Beginning

St. Margaret’s began as a mission in August 1957 with the Rev. Charles Hunter as Vicar.  The first services were held in the homes of the members.  Once a month Father Bigliardi from Emmanuel, Mercer Island, officiated at the Holy Eucharis at St. Margaret’s.  In April 1958, the congregation had grown so much that we had to find larger spaces.  We met first in the Factoria School and later in the Eastgate School.

Our Own Building

We acquired the property on the corner of 128th Avenue Southeast and Newport Way and dedicated it on February 1, 1959.  The congregation moved into a greenhouse, the only existing building on the property.  In spite of repairs and painting, the greenhouse was obviously not adequate as a church building.  “Old-timers” at St. Margaret’s remember young boys throwing pebbles at the windows during the church services. The congregation was still growing, and the building was too old and unsuitable for major renovation.

The Little White Church

In 1960, we acquired a surplus barracks building and moved out of the greenhouse. The Little White Church was born.

Sanctuary Constructed in 1968

In 1968, we built a beautiful sanctuary.

Parish Status

St. Margaret’s attained Parish Status in 1976 and has continued to grow in number and spirit since that time.

More Expansion

Continued growth of the parish led to further expansion of the building.  On March 19, 1984, the Right Reverend Robert Hume Cochrane dedicated and blessed the rooms of our expanded building.  The expansion included new offices, library facilities, narthex, vesting sacristy, a commercially equipped kitchen and a Great Hall. Downstairs, the twenty-four-hour Mary Lawrence Chapel was opened, new classrooms and a choir room were included. In 1988, Father Stephen Gehrig assumed the duties of Rector at St. Margaret’s.  A Columbarium was added to the Chapel in 1994.  The Great Hall was later named Bristol Hall in honor of Wally & Betty Bristol on the occasion of their 50th wedding anniversary.

The Pipe Organ

The dream of purchasing a pipe organ to replace the existing electric organ began to become a reality in 1980, when a committee studied our needs, interviewed organ builders and gathered cost estimates.  Since the design of an organ is closely tied to a building, plans were put on hold until details of the expansion to the building were finalized.  In July, 1987 the Vestry approved the purchase and installation of a fine pipe organ.

Our Sanctuary Replaced in 2003

The old sanctuary from 1968 was replaced with a new larger sanctuary in 2003. The new sanctuary was constructed with special attention paid to accessibility and acoustics. The pipe organ was temporarily stored while the new building was constructed.  It is now relocated in the new sanctuary, where it continues to provide beautiful music for our enjoyment. Existing stained glass windows were saved and reinstalled in the nave and narthex in the new construction.