The Bonne Terre Historical Society invites everyone to attend an Open House at St. Peter's Episcopal Church building in Bonne Terre, Missouri, on Sunday, December 13, 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. In an effort to preserve and protect this old church building, the Bonne Terre Historical Society is making an effort to raise money to be used toward its upkeep and preservation. For more information, please call 358-2260. In case you missed it, the following article was published last May concerning the donation of the church building to the BT Historical Society: Little brick church has new owner St. Peter's Episcopal Church now home to historical society By T.RESSEL Daily Journal Staff Writer May 29, 2009 - BONNE TERRE — The cute little brick church on Main Street in Bonne Terre will soon have new owners. For the past two years, the Bonne Terre Historical Society has been working with the Church Diocese to make St. Peter’s Episcopal Church their home. On June 2, it will be official. Janet Barton, a member of the historical society, said they plan to meet with representatives of the diocese that day. The diocese will be donating the building to the society. Barton said they hope to have it ready for an open house on July 4. “I’m very excited...” she said. “The Bonne Terre Historical Society finally has a home in a historic building.” Previously, the society has held their meetings at the library up the street. Barton said off and on for the last year, volunteers have been taking care of the property. One of the volunteers is Mayor Fritz Gower who has done some of the mowing. Barton said it has taken some time to work out the agreement with the Diocese. She said the Diocese has a lot of property and many other priorities. The little church on Southwest Main Street had five members when it was built in 1908 — all women. In 2007, when it closed, its membership was also listed as five. There were services every Sunday and a priest from Ironton served communion one Sunday each month. Church member Pauline Kohler served as warden for the church, opening it every week and conducting services. Often she would be the only one in worship. According to a history of the church written by its treasurer, Emily dePuystar Conover, in 1912, St. Peter’s began as a mission in March of 1908. She wrote of how Archdeacon W.M. Walton came to Bonne Terre and found little support from the people, but Conover wrote to him to come back and try again. They began meeting together for worship — all the members were women. Later that year, St. Joe Lead President Dwight Jones gave the church a lot and building on Main Street valued at $1,500. He also gave them a check for $100. To raise money for a new church, they made quilt tops and sold them for as much as $50. The congregation met in the building until it built the church in front of the old structure in 1910. Mrs. Conover described it as 18 by 38 feet with white walls and ceiling with a roof in a Gothic style and woodwork finished in cherry stain. The building cost $1,500 to build.