Calvary Episcopal Church

Calvary Episcopal Church was organized in 1864 as a second effort to found an Episcopal parish in Americus. The cornerstone for the original wood-framed church was laid here in 1869. The current building was completed in 1921 under the leadership of Rev. James Bolan Lawrence and renowned architect Ralph Adams Cram. Cram is primarily known for his Gothic designs in college campuses and churches nationwide, including the Princeton University Chapel and New York's Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Rev. Lawrence founded churches in Pennington, Vienna, Cordele, and Blakely, and also established congregations in Cuthbert, Dawson, and Benevolence. Rev. Lawrence served the Calvary parish from 1905-1947. Because of his dedication to evangelism and church planting in Southwest Georgia, Rev. Lawrence was recognized as a saint in Georgia by the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia in 1999.