The parish of St. Luke's was organized by Charles Todd Quintard on March 28, 1864, in the midst of the American Civil War. On April 22 of that year, Stephen Elliott, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia, consecrated the parish's first church building, with Quintard as its rector. This church house, bounded by Broad Street, Walton Street, and Forsyth Street in downtown Atlanta, cost $12,000 to build and held its first church service on April 24. On June 15, Quintard and Reverend John W. Beckwith hosted funeral services for Confederate major general and former Episcopal Bishop Leonidas K. Polk, who had been killed a day prior at the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain. Several days later, a funeral was held at the church for the infant son of Richard Peters. In August, shells fired by Union forces severely damaged the building, which was later destroyed during the burning of Atlanta.