As centennial celebrations approach, The Cordova Times looks back on the beginnings of St. George’s Episcopal Church and the Red Dragon Reading Room. The church’s 100th birthday celebration will be held on Sept. 15.
A Historic Church Service will take place from 10:30-11:30 a.m., followed by cake, refreshments and children’s activities. There will also be a Historic Tea from 2-4 p.m. For details, contact the Rev. Belle Mickelson at 907-424-5143.
The following article was published by the Cordova Daily Times on April 19, 1919, marking the dedication of the church:
The new Episcopal church at Cordova, which will be consecrated by Bishop Rowe on Easter Sunday, is the outgrowth of ten years of activity in the local field of the missionary society of the Episcopal church.
During the summer of 1908, Rev. E.P. Newton, D.D. under authority of Bishop Rowe and during construction days of the Copper River and Northwestern railway, established the Red Dragon Club house, designed to provide a social home of those men, who without family ties in Alaska, had been called by the lure of the North and the hope of gain and adventure and who found the open saloon and gambling house the only place where they could meet their fellows. The Red Dragon was enthusiastically received by hundreds of men… The wide reputation gained by the Red Dragon is shown by illustrated articles in national weeklies such as Colliers, Literary Digest, etc. Rev. E.P. Zeigler, the present priest in charge, has recently completed his tenth year at Cordova and to him great credit is due for the construction of the church, the outgrowth of his ministry. Rev. Zeigler’s work has been varied. In early days, when no suitable buildings were to be had at construction camps and towns along the railroad, services were held in saloons, pool halls and sometimes in the open air with several hundred interested auditors. During the past year the Red Dragon Club House has been used as the headquarters for the Red Cross… The church is of English architecture, the plan of the present priest in charge and was constructed by Mr. Bartley Howard to whom credit is due for his workmanlike execution of the plans… Two bronze-tablets mounted on oak will be installed upon their arrival from the states, also a memorial to M.J. Heney, who willed to Bishop Rowe, ten thousand dollars for the work of the Episcopal church among the natives of the interior…
Taken as a whole the new chapel is a credit to the people who have so generously contributed to make its construction possible as well as to Bishop Rowe and to the Rev. E.P. Zeigler and to the town of Cordova.
