History

St. Giles’

St. Giles’ Episcopal Church came into being November 9, 1950 when nine Episcopalians met with Archdeacon Herbert Craig to plan the celebration of Holy Communion on Thanksgiving and Christmas at the Jefferson Fire Station. In January of 1951 the first Bishop’s Committee was elected. The Rev. Robert Frazier of Wiscasset was appointed Priest in Charge of the new mission.
Two years later, on land given by the Ernest Hunt family, ground was broken and the cornerstone laid. Under the direction of William Fish, many volunteers worked hard to build the original building. On September 9, 1956 a memorial gift made the addition of the steeple and the carillon possible.
St. Giles’ continued to grow under several clergy with St. Philip’s in Wiscasset. The Rev. Jack K.W. McCall was ordained at St. Giles’. He served as the first Vicar of St. Giles’ from January of 1976 until September of 1978. In 1978 the Very Rev. Frederic R. Murray, a member of St. Giles’, assumed the position of Interim Vicar.
The Rev. William H. Murdoch, Jr. lead us as our Vicar beginning in 1979. He guided us from our status as a mission church to a parish, was called as our first Rector, when St. Giles’ attained Parish status in April of 1984. He served in that position until June of 1986. Father Murdoch  followed the call of the Holy Spirit to serve three mission churches in the Diocese of Iowa in 1998, where he later became the Archdeacon.
In July of 1987, Rev. Stephen I. Woods came to St. Giles’ as a Deacon. On December 16, 1987 Father Woods was ordained a Priest at St. Giles’ by the Rev. Edward C. Chalfont, Bishop of Maine. Father Woods left in July 1988. The Very Rev. Frederic R. Murray again served as Interim during the search period. The Rev. Veronica Knapick was called in October 1990 and served as Rector until June 1992.  The Rev. William H. Murdoch, Jr. returned and served as our fourth Rector from February of 1993 to January 1995. Several local clergy served as supply priests until The Rev. Robert A. Jewett was called to St. Giles in November 1996 and served as Priest in Charge until his death on February 23, 2007.
Under Bob’s leadership, St. Giles’ completed a new handicapped-accessible addition housing a library, classrooms and an all-purpose meeting room which has now become known as Jewett Hall. In the year following Bob’s death, the Rev. Jeffrey C. Lewis served as our Priest in Charge, followed by the Rev. John Van Siclen, who served as Priest  in Charge from 2008 to 2010. The Rev. Dr. Susan Kraus served as Priest in Charge and then Rector from 2011-2019. The Rev. Dana Stivers began as St. Giles’ Rector in January of 2021 and tendered her resignation in January of 2023.