Gethsemane Episcopal Church, Minneapolis

After three years of planning, the Gethsemane Episcopal Church threw open its Gothic doors in 1884. Founded in 1856, it began life as a simple, humble gathering in the first building in town created solely for worship. But as the years turned, so did the times. By the fall of 2019, this historic house of faith held its last service—closing a chapter that started in a fledgling town and ended amid the steel and glass of one of America’s major urban hubs.

Gethsemane’s story mirrored the explosive growth of Minneapolis itself, riding the wave of the city’s flour-fueled expansion. Flour power was the name of the game: starting in the 1850s and reaching its peak between 1880 and 1930, Minneapolis led the nation in production, earning the moniker “Mill City.” With that flour boom came a population boom—Minneapolis swelled from 13,000 souls in 1870 to a bustling 165,000 by 1890. All those newcomers needed spiritual sustenance, and Gethsemane thrived. By 1881, plans were drawn up for a grander, more permanent sanctuary, which still stands today as a historic landmark.

Edward S. Stebbins, a local architectural hotshot, envisioned Gethsemane as a Gothic homage to rural English churches, with a cozy, castle-like design that emphasized width over height. The square tower was a bold departure from typical church styles of the time, though it proved to be ahead of its time, as this approach gained popularity in the early 20th century. Inside, the open-truss roof and graceful stained-glass windows—one of which features a Louis Tiffany depiction of the Garden of Gethsemane—added a touch of elegance to this charming ecclesiastical castle.