HISTORY
A Brief History of The Episcopal Church In Punta Gorda, Florida
The history of the Episcopal Church in Charlotte County, Florida can be traced back to 1896, when Mrs. Virginia Trabue, wife of the community's founder, Col. Isaac Trabue, requested Bishop William Gray, the Missionary Bishop of South Florida, to make arrangements for Episcopal services in the town. During the late 1800's, the name of the community was changed from Trabue to Punta Gorda.
Early services were held in the Community Church until January 1893, when Bishop Gray met with the Episcopalians in the community to establish a mission and select property for the church building. Albert Walter Gilchrist, who would become Governor of Florida in 1909, came forward and donated land on the corner of what is now West Virginia Street and State Route 41 South (Cross Street). The committee selected the name St. James for the new mission. During the late 1800's, Punta Gorda became a popular winter resort for the nation's wealthy.
One such family was the Colt family of Hartford, CT. Samuel Colt was the founder of the Colt Firearm Company and inventor of the famous Colt 45. During the winter of 1893, Mrs. Samuel Colt, his widow, donated $1,000 for the construction of the first church building. This amount reportedly bought every piece of lumber for the new church. The tragic drowning in Charlotte Harbor of her son, Caldwell Hart Colt, in 1894, prompted Mrs. Colt to donate the Tiffany Chancel Window of The Good Shepherd, which still serves as a focal point in the chancel area of the church. It was apparently this gift that moved the mission church to change the name at her request, to the Church of The Good Shepherd. The first building was consecrated on January 25,1896 by Bishop Gray.
The years that followed were full of changes, many of them brought on by natural disasters, such as hurricanes. In 1896, a hurricane blew the nave into the churchyard, and the belfry was thrown into the street. In 1926, the bell tower was damaged and had to be re-built. Likewise, Punta Gorda remained a small community until after World War II. During this period of time Good Shepherd has a succession of priests who served for short periods of time, and in between their tenures, the church remained closed. One such period extended from 1938 - 1945. In June 1945, the church was reopened and again served by a succession of priest until April 1948, when The Rev. John E.M. Massie became Vicar of Good Shepherd. He also served St. Andrew, Boca Grande and St. Edmund Martyr, Arcadia, where he resided.
In February 1958, The Rev. J. Saxton Wolfe became the first resident priest at Good Shepherd since 1938. His stay was brief and in 1959, The Rev. James D.B. Hubbs, a native of Geneva, New York, was appointed Vicar and shepherded the church during its early years of rapid growth. In the mid 1960's Good Shepherd was admitted as a parish and Father Hubbs became its first Rector. This was a time of continued growth and Good Shepherd was responsible for the formation of two mission congregations, St. James, Port Charlotte and St. Nathaniel's, North Port. The Good Shepherd Day School was started in 1963.
During the 1970's growth continued at a rapid pace in Charlotte County and new church facilities were needed. In 1978 Good Shepherd broke ground at its present location and construction began during the summer of 1979. The present facilities were dedicated on May 23, 1980. The interior of the present church is true to form of a type of architecture known as "Carpenter Gothic" and to whatever extent possible the furnishings of the former church were integrated into the new sanctuary.
In 1988 a new organ was purchased adding, for the first time, the beauty and sound of real pipes. In June 1998 Good Shepherd completed a three-year expansion program, adding more than 10,000 square feet of needed space and facilities.