The parish of St. Matthew's was founded in St. Anthony Park in 1889, holding services at first in homes and subsequently sharing a chapel at the corner of Raymond and Wheeler streets with Congregational and Unitarian congregations. The prime figure in the early days of St. Matthew's was the Reverend Dr. C. Edgar Haupt, who established the first church building on Knapp Place, opposite the Methodist Church.
After some time away from St. Matthew's, Dr. Haupt returned as its rector in 1909. He led the movement to purchase new property and build the present church at Carter and Chelmsford in 1914. Dr. Haupt was a dynamic leader who served as architect, building superintendent, and purchasing agent for project, drawing from his earlier experience as a surveyor, banker, and sawmill operator (among other things!). He splurged on the church by building the walls of enduring stone, rather than the stucco originally planned, adding $600 to the $19,000 cost of the building.
The parish flourished under Dr. Haupt's leadership. A man of many talents and interests, he was particularly keen on education. He helped relocate Breck School in St. Anthony Park, moving it from the small town of Wilder, Minnesota to a large house on Carter Avenue, a couple of doors away from St. Matthew's. Breck students regularly worshipped in the pews of St. Matthew's. Dr. Haupt's long tenure came to an end in 1931; he continued to live in the neighborhood and presided occasionally at services until his death in 1942.
Several rectors led the church for shorter periods of time during the 1930's and 40's. The parish remained small, but vital. The building was enhanced by the addition of the beautiful handmade stained glass windows, including the large window depicting the Ascension at the north end of the church as a memorial to Dr. Haupt. The parish established itself as a place that ministered to University of Minnesota community, including international students and faculty who were drawn to the St. Paul campus.
In 1951, St. Matthew's undertook the risky, but ultimately profitable, venture of buying and operating a restaurant at the Minnesota State Fair. The restaurant not only produced revenue for the church, but also brought the congregation closer together as members pitched in to cook and clean; doctors, lawyers, and university professors gladly flipped hamburgers and washed dishes. The church sold the restaurant in 1959, as economic conditions diminished its profits.
Earnings from the restaurant years, as well as growth in the congregation, enabled the church to undertake an expansion and renovation of the facility, including construction of classrooms and a chapel. The Reverend Douglas Pitts (rector from 1959 to 1979) led the church through good times and some bad times, most notably a fire on Easter Sunday, 1970, which severely damaged the church interior.
In 1981, the Rev. Grant H. Abbott was called as rector of St. Matthew's. Under his excellent leadership, the congregation grew and considerably expanded its outreach to the community. In 1997, the congregation undertook its largest building renovation, adding lovely meeting rooms, offices, classrooms and exhibit space for art. Long an advocate of ecumenical efforts, Fr. Abbott left in August, 2003 to become the Executive Director of the St. Paul Area Council of Churches, where he is working to help the city's churches to collaborate on new and meaningful projects. In January, 2004, the Rev. Lyn Lawyer retired from her longtime role as Deacon, having served the parish for over 20 years with tireless pastoral care and insightful Bible study.
The Rev. Blair Pogue began her ministry at St. Matthew's in August, 2005, and with her husband the Rev. Dwight Zscheile, is helping our community to deepen its spirituality and broaden its ministry. These are good and exciting times at St. Matthew's! top
