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 St.
Andrew's Church had its beginning in
1893 when a small, loyal group of Episcopal men
and women met in each other's homes for worship
and prayer. They tried to journey once a month
to St. John's Church in Wilkinsonville for Holy
Communion. The rector in Wilkinsonville, Rev. H.
B. Trussell, was impressed by the sincerity of
this small group, who came to his church for
communion and was working so hard to have a
church of their own in North Grafton.In
August 1894, Finlayson, Bonsfield and Co., later
known as the Linen Thread Company, gave a lot of
land on Shrewsbury Street on condition that a
church would be built and services be held that
fall. In August 1894, the building was started
and the first service was held in the completed
structure on Christmas Day, 1894. The
consecration of the building by the Right
Reverend William Lawrence, Bishop of
Massachusetts, was in June 1897.
This building served the congregation well
through the years, but in the mid-50's, as the
population of the town grew; it was felt that
larger facilities were needed. The lodge next
door had to be rented for Sunday school classes.
It was decided to build a larger church further
back from the road with an attached parish-hall
and additional rooms for offices and Sunday
school classrooms. Consequently, in 1957, the
people gathered for a Loyalty Dinner that
started an expansion fund drive to raise the
necessary money for the new edifice. The
proposed budget was pledged in full within three
weeks. On May 25, 1958, Bishop Robert M. Hatch
of the Diocese of Western Massachusetts visited
St. Andrew's to turn the first spade-full of
earth for the site and on May 1, 1959, he
returned for its dedication.
St. Andrew's has had a succession of
dedicated priests who have ministered to its
congregation. The Rev. John A. Atkins served the
longest, over a period of 26 years. Rev. A.
Raymond Smith was the vicar at the time of the
building of the new church.
St. Andrew's celebrated its 100th
Anniversary celebration in November of 1993, and
in the year 2003 changed its status from a
Mission to a Parish.
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