St. James Episcopal Church, built 1895

208 North Fourth Street

The charter of St. James was founded in 1844, this building was built circa 1895. One source has it that Margaret Taylor, wife of 12th President Zachary Taylor, was one of the founders of the church.

I love the red brick, so rich in color, it give such character to this Gothic Revival style church. The red clay uses in making the brick may have come from Mississippi or parts of Louisiana where it is found.

St. James Altar photo from 1960's

 St. James stands on an old antebellum home site, 
which home was built about 1855.

The Plaque reads: This building stands on the site of the above pictured antebellum home built about 1855. Saint James Church purchased the property in 1922. Mary Fisher Maxwell, daughter of a former owner, donated her home on the adjacent property to Saint James in 1949. Yielding to the needs of a changing era. Both houses were replaced by the present structure in 1967. This plaque is given to the Glory of God and in Loving memory of Mary Fisher Maxwell.

Plaque reads:
ST. JAMES EPISCOPAL CHURCH - The congregation first organized 1819, received their charter as St. James Church in 1844. The second church, of Gothic Revival style, was completed in 1895 Mrs. Zachary Taylor was an early member. ~end~

Zachary Taylor settled his wife in Baton Rouge when he went off to Mexico to fight in the Mexican-American war.  They moved into the commandant's house of the U.S. Garrison in Baton Rouge.
There is a good bio on Zachary Taylor here. He when on to become the twelfth U.S. President 1869-1877.

Image of all the President's here.

Baptismal Font

The font was given to St. James by the family of General Thomas Williams commanding officer of the occupying Union forces of Baton Rouge in appreciation for their (or Baton Rouge's) kind treatment of Williams when he was mortally wounded and later in his death. General Williams attended St. James during his time in Baton Rouge.

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