The Church of the Advent, Jeannette
1890

In an older residential section of the city, a short distance from the central police and fire station, The Church of the Advent stands at the juncture of Clay and Cuyler Avenues and South First Street.  The dark red brick gothic structure with a tall square tower has a rather severe look, which gives no hint of its amazingly beautiful and intimate interior.  The Church of the Advent is probably one of the Diocese’s most attractive small Anglo-Catholic places of worship, lovingly attended by its faithful congregation.

About 1890, Bishop Cortland Whitehead and Fr. George Van Waters together with the Jeannette contingent of Christ Church, Greensburg, explored whether they could establish an ongoing church family in Jeannette.  The first Episcopal worship in Jeannette occurred on November 2, 1890, and Bishop Whitehead confirmed the first class in early 1891.  During the 1890s, pioneer members of St. Stephen’s mission of Christ Church met in various locations ranging from storerooms to church buildings of other denominations and from hotels to livery stables.

In the early 1900s, planning began for The Church of the Advent and on July 26, 1904, Bishop Whitehead laid the cornerstone of the current building.  Construction continued through 1904 and early 1905 culminating with the opening of the church on January 22, 1905.

The By-Laws and Charter were adopted at a parish meeting on December 4, 1905, and granted by the Court of Westmoreland County on August 3, 1906.

In 1953, the vestry contracted with local companies to build the addition which houses the offices and Sunday school and to make repairs to the kitchen and undercroft of the church.  A second addition, which included a nursery, vestment room, and more office space was completed in 1959. The sanctuary was renovated in 1970.

The size of the congregation peaked in the 1980s.  Near the end of the century, membership declined reflecting the demise of Jeannette's glass making industry and the loss of other area manufacturing jobs.  Since then, membership has stabilized with a faithful, devoted congregation.

Through the efforts of dedicated priests, vestry, and parishioners, The Church of the Advent grew throughout the last century and has now served its parish family for more than a century.