St. Matthias Anglican Church

(Was St. Matthias' Episcopal Church)

107 South First Avenue
Oakdale

St. Matthias’ Episcopal Church was founded in 1884 and was officially recognized in 1887.  Members attended services conducted by visiting clergy in several temporary locations including a saloon and the Union Church.  The Little Church in the Wildwood was built then dedicated on January 29, 1905.  That wooden church was painted red and was heated by a small wood stove.

The church survived through good times and bad.  At one time, the church school went though high school, but during the depths of the depression, the church was boarded up.  After reopening in 1938, it eventually became a parish and outgrew the little wooden church.

The new church, designed by G. N. Hilburn and constructed by John Biaggi, was dedicated in October 1957.

The stained glass windows, as well as many other art pieces were made possible by the generosity of members of the church.  The window, Jesus and the Lambs, in the pictorial style popular in the mid-1920’s, was originally installed in the old church, and was moved to the redos behind the altar of the new church.  The seven arched windows in the sanctuary were created by Carl Huneke, Century Stained Glass Studio, San Francisco, and were installed from 1957 to 1961.  The arched window in the narthex was also created by Mr. Huneke, and was installed in 1964.  The transom window above the entrance was designed in 1994 by Phyllis Pottel, a resident of Oakdale.