Church of the Holy Family, Anglican Church, Casper Wyoming.

This is the first church we've added from South Casper. There are several churches in this district, which border being outside of the city limits, and in one case actually are outside the city limits.

This is the Anglican Church of the Holy Family. It's a log structure, a not uncommon style in Wyoming but this one, from the exterior, lacks some of the features we'd normally expect on a church.

Generally, as this blog is limited to architecture, and not theology or doctrine, no comment has been made on those topics anywhere here on this blog. Here a slight exception will be made as while this church is officially called the Church of the Holy Family, the sign for the church points to "Holy Family Anglican Catholic Church". This is not a Roman Catholic Church, and is not claiming to be one, nor is it a Catholic Church featuring "Anglican Use". As those who have followed these topics are aware, some formally Episcopal or Anglican parishes have come into the Roman Catholic church with the "Anglican Use", i.e., preserving the Book of Common Prayer.

This is a bit of a confusing topic, but generally what this story reflects is the development of a centuries old dispute in the Episcopal Church about the degree to which the Episcopal Church claims to be Protestant, or Catholic. The dispute is an internal one, and the Episcopal Church is not regarded as Catholic by any of the Catholic Rites nor by the Catholic Church itself. The Episcopal dispute has become particularly acute in recent years, resulting in some formerly Episcopal churches separating themselves with the distinction of naming themselves Anglican or Anglican Catholic, thereby signalling that they view themselves as looking to the theology of the Catholic Church rather than to Protestant theologies and that they regard developments in the Episcopal Church in chief (or the Anglican Communion in chief) sufficient distressing that they are separating from what would otherwise be the local Bishops, and aligning themselves with Bishops who hold their views. In Casper, this has lead to the interesting situation in which there are now two Anglican churches, (the other being the Church of the Resurrection) but they are not aligned with the same Bishops.

This note was added not to enter this dispute, but so as to make sure that this entry isn't confusing for Anglicans, should they stop by, nor for Catholics, should they stop by, as this Church is not regarded as a Catholic Church by Catholics, and it is one of two Anglican Churches in Casper.

Grace Lutheran Church, Casper Wyoming

This modern architecture Lutheran church arguably is outside of the architectural focus of this blog, but as the church is located on the edge of Casper's downtown district it is included for completeness.

This small church replaced an older, more traditionally styled church, several decades ago. I know very little about the church other than that I've been inside of it once to attend a wedding and it's surprisingly small. A class room type building adjoins it, and takes up much of the lot on which it sits.

Church of the Resurrection, Casper Wyoming

This church is of a very unusual style for this area, with the only church comparable to it, that I am aware of, being a Methodist church in Wheatland Wyoming.

I do not know the history of this building, but based upon its location, the church must have been built sometime between World War One and 1950. My guess is that it was built in the 1920s, but I do not know for sure.

Currently, this building is occupied by an Anglican Mission church, but it has not always been. Up until relatively recently the church was, I think, a Christian Scientist church. Christian Scientist structures seem to favor this Greek Revival style, as evidenced by the large First Christian Scientist church in Denver.

Grace Bible Baptist Church, Casper Wyoming

This church, Grace Baptist Bible Church, is located just off of Second Street in Casper Wyoming. It is styled in the manner of many churches built in Casper after World War Two, but I don't know when it was built. Some time prior to 1960 in any event.

I actually was not aware that this church was here, being located on a neighborhood street I would not have had the occasion to normally travel down, but I ran across it doubling back to take the photograph of the church located in the post immediately above this one. This church is located one block away from that church.

St. Patrick's Catholic Church, Casper Wyoming

St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Casper Wyoming was completed in 1962. The church came about due to the expansion of Casper in the 1950s, and this church is the newest of the three Roman Catholic churches in Casper. Unlike Our Lady of Fatiima, which represented an expansion to the west side of Casper, this church is located in east Casper.

Plans for the church commenced in 1955. Like Our Lady of Fatima, a school was constructed on the site but was never used as a regular grade school. The church is also the largest of the three Catholic churches in Casper, having a very large interior.

St. Mark's Episcopal Church (the original one)

This is the original building for St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Casper, Wyoming. This church was used until the impressive newer structure, featured below, replaced it.

This is also the oldest existing church in Casper. Other churches would have been contemporary to it, but when they were replaced with larger more substantial buildings, they were generally taken down. This church is now located at the Natrona County Fairgrounds.

Full Gospel of Christ Church, Casper Wyoming

I don't know anything about this church at all, other than that it is located in an older section of Casper, Wyoming, and it has an unusual, almost old fashioned British Isles look to it. It's located in a residential neighborhood, as quite a few churches are, but it's fairly distinct looking.

Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, Casper Wyoming

This is Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, the Greek Orthodox Church in Casper, Wyoming. This is one of only four Orthodox Churches in Wyoming, and one of only three Greek Orthodox Churches. The other two Greek Orthodox Churches are located in Rock Springs, Wyoming and Cheyenne, Wyoming, communities that obviously had substantial enough Greek communities for the establishment of a church. A fourth Orthodox Church can be found in Gillette Wyoming but it is an Antiochian Orthodox Church.

First United Methodist Church, Casper Wyoming

This church is located completely downtown, across from the Natrona County Public Library. It's exterior is deceptive in that the church is not as large as it might appear, as the church building includes interior rooms used by the church. The church itself is joined to a new meeting area off to the right.

Two tones of brick featured on the church suggest that it might have been built in two stages, or perhaps three, but I do not know this to be the case. The corner stone gives three dates, with the first being 1907, the second 1927, and the third 1951, so presumably this was the case.

St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Casper Wyoming

This traditionally styled Episcopal Church includes the office buildings for the church a meeting room, kitchen and a day school, so the interior space used for services is smaller than the large exterior might suggest.

The view featured on the bottom photograph could not be seen until recently, as a large house once stood in what is now an open area. The church is across the street from the former St. Anthony's Catholic School, which has moved to a new location across town. The church was built in 1924.

First Baptist Church, Casper Wyoming

This is the First Baptist Church in Casper, Wyoming. It's one of the Downtown churches in Casper, in an area that sees approximately one church per block for a several block area.

This particular church was built in 1949, and sits on the same block as Our Savior's Lutheran Church.