605 Lurleen Wallace Blvd N
Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35401
This church was a vital
part of the Leland family in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. In the beginning
Dr. William Archibald Leland and his wife Margaret Warren Ish were members
of the Catholic Church in Tuscaloosa. Some time during reconstruction
the Leland family changed its allegiance to Christ Episcopal Church. William
A. Leland, Jr. and his wife Margaret Ella McLester were married by the
Rev. George H. Hunt of this church.
The Snow family, cousins by
way of the McLester family were very instumental in the Church. Three of
the Memorial windows are in memory of the Snow family, Henry A. Snow, father
of E.N.C. Snow. Secondly, Dr. Charles Snow & his family, Dr. Snow was the brother
of Henry. Lastly, Lester Jared Snow, grandson of Henry & son of E.N.C.
Snow & Caroline McLester Snow. There is also a window in memory of
Julia Leland Foster, daughter of Henry Hume Leland & Julia Dubois.
The first altar of this church
was of wood and given by E.N.C. Snow & his wife Carrie McLester in
memory of his parents, Henry Adams Snow and Abby Hazard. The second
altar of white marble was given in memory of Mr. & Mrs. E.N.C. Snow
by their children, Alden & Edward Nicholas Snow, and grandchildren
Annie Ross Snow, James Searcy Snow, McLester Snow and Henry A. Snow, Jr.
Annie Ross Snow is responsible for donating the circular staircase of the
McLester Home to the Tuscaloosa County Board of Education. There
are other donations to the church associated with this family circle, but
as I am still learning this family circle I hesitate to list them.
I would like to thank Christ
Episcopal Church and their rector, Rev. Michael Wyckoff, for their permission
to use the pictures of the Memorial windows that were taken by Chip Cooper,
distinguished photographer of the University of Alabama, and are from the
book, "Let Us Keep The Feast," The History of Christ Episcopal Church,
Tuscaloosa, Alabama, 1828-1998, by Henry Walker. The book,
sells for $30.00 through the church, address above. I would also like to
thank Mrs. Elizabeth Hamner, for her assistance in finding information
about my family in Tuscaloosa. Mrs Hamner has provided not just dates
but pictures and articles about Tuscaloosa and its citizens. The
two pictures of the Memorial Plaques honoring the communicants of Christ
Episcopal Church who served in the two World Wars, were found by her during
her search for me.
There were 403 communicants in the Church in 1940, 99 of them served in
WW2. On the WW1 plaque Lester (McLester) Jared Snow, whose window
is "Christian Soldier," is one of the three killed, his son McLester Jared
Snow, Jr. served in WW2 and is listed on that plaque. Also from WW2, William
Gray Little III is the son of Julia Leland Foster, whose window is "Three
women holding vases."
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"To the Glory of God and In Loving Memory - Julia Leland Foster."
d. 12/8/79
This window is on the right side of the Narthex and the symbols represented
are Cross & Oil.
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"The Citizens Memorial of Henry A. Snow"
From "Let Us Keep the Feast," by Henry Walker
" Henry A. Snow (1798-1864) was a double first
cousin of President John Quincy Adams. On April 24, 1829, he was
"elected to the vestry to supply the place made vacant by the removal of
Mr. William P. Gould to Louisianna". (Vol. I, p.3 Vestry Minutes) He was
on the vestry for many years. He was treasurer of The University of Alabama
from 1848 until 1860. Dr. Charles Snow was Henry A. Snow's brother." |
Christian Soldier
"In loving memory of Lester Jared Snow-October 2, 1886-September 30, 1918."
From "Let Us Keep the Feast," by Henry Walker
"This window was given by his wife, Mary Nuzum
Snow. Above the inscription are shown the wings of the WWI Naval Aviation
Corps. Lester Jared Snow was a member of that branch of the service
when he died." |
The Hymn of Praise
From "Let Us Keep the Feast," by Henry Walker
"The window is in memory of Charles Snow, M.D.
1803-1884; Virginia A. Penn Snow, 1810-1888; Elizabeth Adams Snow, 1832-1903;
Julia Penn Pearson, 1838-1911."
"Beautiful memorial gifts to Christ Church
include a beautiful window which Dr. Henry Pearson, of New York, has
given in memory of his mother, Mrs. Julia Snow Pearson, his aunt Miss Lizzie
Snow and his grandparents, Dr. Charles Snow and Mrs. Virginia Penn Snow.
These were among the earliest members in the Church in Tuscaloosa. Miss
Lizzie Snow was the faithful organist for 21 years." (Tuscaloosa Gazette,
April
7, 1912) |
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