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. As well as dedicated windows, some of the artefacts within the church have been dedicated to past parishioners, such as the large brass cross in the nave, dedicated in loving memory of Fay Foster. Fay (Newell) Foster, born in 1889, passed away in Deer Lodge in 1984 at the age of 95. No further information on Fay could be found.
The plaque, mounted on the west wall of the sanctuary, reads:
The Brass Cross
In Loving Memory
Of
Fay Foster
1889 - 1984
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.