Inside the church are many stained glass windows, some of which appear to be original and some of which were installed later. Most are dedicated to past parishioners. This window was donated in memory of Armistead H. Mitchell Sr., who passed away on December 20, 1898.
Prior to his arrival in Deer Lodge, Armistead sat on the State Council in Virginia City in 1869, when it was the Capitol of Montana and was still a council member in 1879 when Helena became the Capitol. Born October 27, 1832 in La Grange, Oldham County, Kentucky, he is interred in Hillcrest Cemetery in Deer Lodge, Powell County, MT.
Dr. Armistead H. Mitchell was a civic leader in the Deer Lodge community and co-founder of what became the state hospital at nearby Warm Springs. Dr. Mitchell died at Warm Springs in 1898; his estate financed the Mitchell Block[, which was built in 1913]. By 1920, Kate McGillis, who later owned the building, lived upstairs with her two young sons and ran the lodging house.
From the Montana History Wiki
The inscription on the window reads:
In Memoriam Of
Armistead H. Mitchell Sr.
Obiit Dec, 20. 1898
The first Episcopal services were held in Deer Lodge in 1868 with Bishop Daniel Tittle conducting services. The church did not have a resident priest until 1875, when Reverend Mahlon Norris Gilbert took over the little congregation. Still without a church, services were held at the town hall then later at the courthouse.
On December 2, 1877, after years of fundraising, the first services were held in St. James Episcopal, the same church that serves the congregation today. Built of locally quarried stone, it was built by the Reverend and the parishioners. At the time the little town of Deer Lodge had a population of about 500.
St. James was the second congregation to have a church in Deer Lodge, the first being the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, which opened their second church in 1875.
On November 23, 2011, the Silver State Post published the first of a series of articles on the religious history of Deer Lodge, Montana. This article, entitled "Local Faiths: St. James Episcopal", was the first of the series. Much of the historical information contained therein is from the memories of a 90 year old parishioner, Marge Beck, who joined the parish in 1921.
Distribution and reproduction of archived articles at the Silver State Post website is prohibited so, instead of reproducing it here, I've provided a link to
The Story on the Silver State Post's website.