Overview

The Gethsemane Episcopal Church is one of the oldest surviving churches in Minneapolis. It is significant for its Gothic Revival architectural style. 

• Location: 901 4th Avenue South 
• Neighborhood: Downtown West 

Historic profile

The Gethsemane Episcopal Church is one of the oldest surviving churches in Minneapolis. It is significant for its Gothic Revival architectural style. The area around the church has changed over the decades and is much more commercial than it used to be.  

The Episcopal parish was first organized in 1856 and they built their first church that year. By 1881, the congregation expanded and planned to build Gethsemane Episcopal Church. Edward S. Stebbins, a prominent local architect, designed this church. The design is based on the small English Gothic style parish churches found in rural England. The building is broad instead of tall, which was unusual for churches built in the 1800s. Its square tower without a spire was also unusual at the time. This style did not gain popularity until the early part of the 1900s. 

Inside, a stained-glass window above the altar depicts the Garden of Gethsemane. Louis Comfort Tiffany designed the window, and it was installed in 1895. 

The church building has not changed much since it was built. A two-story parish house was added to the south side in 1895. The parish house has undergone some change over time.