CHURCH HISTORY
Christ Church the Episcopal Church in the Village of Manlius, has the distinction of having the oldest church building in Onondaga County and the oldest parish in the Episcopal Diocese of Central New York, established in 1798. Its earliest years were marked by worship in people’s homes and later at the Franklin Schoolhouse. In 1804, the parish was organized and incorporated, first as Trinity Church, then Christ’s Church, and finally, as Christ Church.
The present building was erected in 1813 with the assistance of Trinity Church, Wall Street, New York City, but it was located on the site of the present village cemetery on route 173. Remarkably, in 1832 the building was rolled on logs to the site on which it stands today. Early church lore tells us that the move was achieved “with bells hanging and the organ ready to play without jarring so much as to remove even a square foot of plaster.”
Over the years, there have been many structural and stylistic changes to the building. In 1867, the placement of the stained glass windows began. Two of these windows are from the Tiffany Studio in New York City. In 1949 the Parish House was built and in 1962 the Hospitality House was purchased. More recently, 1997 marked the year when the interior of the church was redesigned and refurbished, most notably by creating a new balcony, a baptistry, and by placing a new organ.
In 2009, Hospitality House was taken down and a new addition was built. This space, commonly known as Crosby Hall, houses a kitchen, community room, classrooms and a large meeting room.
We continue to share our sense of faith,identity, and mission as a vibrant part of the Manlius community.
