OUR HISTORY
A remarkable journey
to Buzzards Bay
For generations, St. Peter's has been shaped by faith, community, and a deep connection to the waters that surround us. Its story is one of ingenuity, perseverance, and the people who made an extraordinary place their spiritual home.
On March 27, 1938, Archdeacon Howard Barrow held the first Episcopal service in Buzzards Bay at the town hall. About 100 people gathered in the simple space, with folding chairs and an unpainted plywood altar. The surroundings were modest, but a congregation had begun to take shape, and as the new mission continued to grow, it became clear they would need a church to call their own.
The next several years were spent raising money toward that dream. In 1944, the Rev. J. Samuel Stephenson was called to serve as St. Peter's first resident priest, and by 1946 enough had been raised to begin making a permanent church possible. Then in 1947, Stephenson learned of an unused church building in Hull, Massachusetts, about sixty miles away. It was just what the growing mission needed, but transporting an entire building that distance by highway would be prohibitively expensive.
The solution was as ingenious as it was extraordinary: bring the church by water.
Church is towed through the Canal, 1947
Church arrives in Buzzards Bay, 1947
On May 27, 1947, the church arrived in Buzzards Bay after a remarkable voyage from Hull, carried intact on a barge across Massachusetts Bay, then Cape Cod Bay, and through the Cape Cod Canal. Against the familiar landscape of water, bridges, and shoreline, the little church came at last to the community that would become its permanent home.
The voyage across the water had come to an end,
but one final passage remained: bringing the church home.
Parishioners pull church toward Main Street, 1947
When the church reached Buzzards Bay, its journey still wasn’t over. The building was unloaded from the barge onto logs for the final passage to Main Street. Getting it there presented one last challenge, but parishioners and townspeople rallied together, taking hold of ropes and hauling the church toward its new site. There, after nearly a decade of worshipping in borrowed space, their shared effort and determination had finally given them a church of their own and St. Peter's could begin its life in the community.
In 1963, St. Peter's Church-on-the-Canal was formally consecrated as a parish of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts, marking another important chapter in its story. The following year a steeple and chimes were added to the building, yet another sign of how far the congregation had come.
As St. Peter's continued to grow, so did its need for space. Two former barracks from Camp Edwards were added, providing room for expanding activities, and the Church Exchange Thrift Shop was opened next door, supporting the parish for many years. The building has become a familiar part of Buzzards Bay, while the life within its walls has continued to grow and change with the community around it.
Today, the little church that once traveled across the water remains at home in Buzzards Bay, a remarkable reminder of the people who brought it here, the generations who have cared for it, and those who continue to call it home.
And the story continues...
Early St. Peter's choir
KEEP AN EYE OUT
The fisherman above the door
Perched in his boat above St. Peter's entrance, our fisherman has become one of the church's most recognizable - and beloved - features. With his yellow slicker, net and catch in tow, he offers one more reminder of St. Peter the Fisherman before visitors even step through the door.
You really can't miss him.
FROM THE ARCHIVES
A look at our church's unique maritime history.
The story of the journey from Hull to Buzzards Bay.
An article about how the church building made its way home.
LOOKING AHEAD
Celebrating 80 Years
In 2027, St. Peter's will mark 80 years since the church building made its remarkable journey from Hull to Buzzards Bay. We give thanks for the generations who transformed it into a beloved church home and have cared for it ever since.
Plans for our anniversary celebration are beginning to take shape, with more details to come in the months ahead.
1947 - 2027
