150 Years of Sunrise Celebrations & Counting
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church has been serving Lincolnton and Lincoln County since
November 29, 1841. This traditional Easter Sunrise Service was instituted at St.
Luke’s by The Reverend W.R. Wetmore in 1865 on the Easter following the surrender
of General Robert E. Lee on Palm Sunday and the assassination of President
Abraham Lincoln on Good Friday. It was an Easter Service of Hope in a time of
uncertainty. Rev. Wetmore would stand every Easter Sunrise Morning in the same
spot in the graveyard where he now rests eternally.
It has been a continuous celebration for over 150 years.
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, founded on
November 29, 1841, has a rich history in Lincolnton,
North Carolina. Our current church building, constructed around 1854 (with the tower possibly added in 1859), has been the site of the Easter Sunrise Service since at least 1865, the year following General Lee’s surrender at Appomattox.
A clipping from The Lincoln County News on April 10, 1914, confirms this tradition,
stating: “The usual sunrise service will be held at St. Luke’s Episcopal church Sunday
morning at 5:30 o’clock… This is a custom which has been observed by this church for
more than half a century, and is beautiful and impressive.” Since 1914 minus “more than
half a century” (50 years) places the tradition’s start before 1864, this aligns with the oral
history that the service began on Easter Sunday, April 16, 1865, as a communal act of hope
and renewal post-Civil War. This makes our Easter Sunrise Service one of the oldest
continuous traditions of its kind in the region.
Rev. William Robards Wetmore (1821–1887) was the rector of St. Luke’s from 1859 to 1867, a pivotal period that includes the start of the Easter Sunrise Service in 1865. Born in Raleigh, North Carolina, Wetmore graduated from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1844, where he studied theology and was influenced by the Oxford Movement, a 19th-century Anglican revival emphasizing liturgy, hymnody, and tradition. Ordained in 1845, he served as a missionary priest in the Diocese of North Carolina, ministering to small parishes like St. Luke’s during a time of growth for the Episcopal Church in the South.
Wetmore’s tenure at St. Luke’s coincided with the Civil War, a period of immense hardship in Lincolnton. Historical records note that he remained in the area throughout the war, even as Union troops passed through in 1865. His presence during the first Easter Sunrise Service suggests he played a key role in establishing the tradition.
The service has two distinct musical components: The Churchyard Hymn (Angels Roll the Rock Away is sung in the graveyard before the congregation enters the church, a dramatic opening to the service. Easter Day (As the Dawn) is sung inside the church, a narrative hymn that celebrates Christ’s resurrection with an antiphonal chorus. These hymns have been passed down through oral tradition, with transcriptions made in 1999 by H. Gilbert (for the Churchyard Hymn, from a tape by Clara Eaddy) and by Fred C. Pullen (for Easter Day). Their preservation is a testament to the dedication of the St. Luke's congregation over generations.
Clergy of this era often composed or adapted hymns for their congregations, especially for significant occasions like Easter 1865, which marked a turning point for the community. While there’s no direct evidence Wetmore wrote "Easter Day (As the Dawn)," his education, liturgical focus, and leadership at St. Luke’s make him a plausible candidate for its authorship or at least its introduction into the service.
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Ed house sings the Churchyard Hymn (Angels Roll the Rock Away) every Easter morning for the Sunrise Service.
Photo Credit: Mary Whisonant
Excerpt from:
ST. LUKE'S PARISH IN LINCOLNTON, N. C.
Founded, November 29, 1841.
A Record of the first One Hundred Years of
service of the Parish.
Published by the Vestry of the Church 1941.
This page is still a work in progress. As more information is unearthed regarding this historic service it will be added to the page including vocal clips of the hymns included in the service. Credit for much of the content on this page goes to
Mona Ramsey whose expertise is in Genealogy & History Research.