Church of the Ascension

The roots of this congregation can be traced to 1843 and the missionary efforts of the Rev. Greenbury W. Ridgely and the Rt. Rev. Alfred Lee, who conducted services every other Sunday in the Claymont Stone School. The church was accepted into the Episcopal Diocese of Delaware as an organized congregation on May 28, 1851. The Rev. Ridgely was elected the first Rector. The first church was erected on property donated by the Rev. John B. Clemson, on the corner of Church Lane and Philadelphia Pike. It was consecrated by Bishop Lee on September 14, 1854. The building was moved across the street to its present location in 1927 and attached to the newly constructed stone parish hall. The church was named for the Church of the Ascension in New York City. It was one of the first churches to offer Sunday school to black children in the area. As the congregation prospered in the 1960s under the leadership of the Rev. John C. Scobell, the church was enlarged. A new wing for Sunday school rooms and offices was also constructed. The sanctuary was further renovated with the addition of thirteen stained glass windows donated by parishioners between 1979 and 2001.