Spokane's Evolving Arms

Arms of the Episcopal Missionary District of Spokane (Washington)
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

Earlier this winter, I was fortunate to spend a few brief moments in one of my favorite libraries, DuPont Library, at my alma mater Sewanee: The University of the South.  During my days there as a seminarian, I would bounce from stack to stack pulling books whose titles caught my eye.  With my little pile of gems I would sit on the floor and take them all in.  I probably should have spent that time on homework, but looking back now I'm glad for those moments getting, "lost in wonder, love, and praise." 

The theological section contains virtually every diocesan journal and I had a list of arms that I wanted to get confirmation on while there.  Time was not on my side; however, I did manage to nail down a few.

The Episcopal Diocese of Spokane's coat of arms was one item on my list to research.  While I was aware of two designs that existed--the earlier version and a later revision--I could not track down their dates.   

(L-R): Arms of the Episcopal Missionary District of Spokane
Arms of the Episcopal Diocese of Spokane
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

The illustration above shows the two designs that I referenced.  Both coats of arms were designed by Pierre de Chaignon la Rose (1872-1941).  I was able to date the coat of arms on the left as being adopted in 1921 by then Missionary District of Spokane (Missionary District of Spokane, 1921).

In la Rose's initial design, we see the national colors of red, white, and blue used--albeit Argent contains ermine in a rather unusual way.  Likely, the ermine referenced the City of Spokane's role in the fur trade.  The dancetty lines referenced mountainous terrain in the area while the stars in chief are a differenced version of those found in the historic arms of Washington (Dekay, 1993).

Blazon for the 1921 coat of arms for Missionary District of Spokane:  Ermine, a cross throughout Gules on a chief dancetty Azure three mullets Argent.  

Arms of the Episcopal Diocese of Spokane
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

Merely 8 years later, the Missionary District of Spokane adopted a revised version of its coat of arms (Missionary District of Spokane, 1929).  Why?  Dekay (1993) cites that the design of arms from 1921 simply did not garner widespread acceptance causing a new design to become necessary.

In 1929, we see la Rose's revision containing a color combination he rarely used in his designs.  In this design, forests, farming, and the timber industry would dominate as references in the new coat of arms.

Blazon for the 1929 coat of arms for Missionary District of Spokane:  "Vert, three crosses-crosslet Or on a pale Purpure fimbriated Argent between two garbs of the second" (Dekay, 1993, 71).  

Today, the Diocese of Spokane continues to use la Rose's revision of 1929 as its coat of arms.  Let's quickly compare Spokane with its neighbor Olympia.

Arms of the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

During its third convention in 1913, the new Diocese of Olympia adopted a coat of arms designed by la Rose.  Along with his draft, la Rose offered the following rationale.

"It is based upon the voyage of Captain Gray which conserved the Territory of Washington to the United States, just as now the Church will conserve it to the Kingdom of Christ. The sail of the heraldic ship is charged with the arms of George Washington, in honor of whom, of course, the state is named. And to indicate the state rather than the city of Washington, D. C., I have charged the pennant at the masthead with the single star of an American State.  Had it been the city I should have used a 'mural crown' instead of a star.  So much for the sail and pennant. 

"The flag itself is charged with the St. George Cross, which in Ecclesiastical arms is constantly used to symbolize the Anglican Communion. The colors of the whole should naturally fall into a patriotic combination of the American colors. And I think that even without a knowledge of Gray’s voyage and the analogy involved, the whole symbolism of the Diocesan coat will be clear to the least instructed" (Diocese of Olympia, 1913, 20).

La Rose's blazon for the arms of Episcopal Diocese of Olympia:  "Azure, an ancient galley under sail with pennon and flag all Argent; the sail charged with the arms of Washington—two bars and in chief three stars Gules; the Pennon charged with a hurt and thereon a star of the second; the flag charged with a Saint George cross Gules" (Diocese of Olympia, 1913, 21).

The diocese's arms are completely different from Spokane's design.  You'd never guess they were neighbors.

Works Cited

De Kay, E.J. (1993).  Heraldry of the Episcopal Church.  Acorn Press. 

Diocese of Olympia. (1913). Journal of the 3rd annual convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Olympia.  Diocese of Olympia, 19-22.

Missionary District of Spokane. (1921).  Journal of the 29th annual convocation of the Church in the Missionary District of Spokane.  Missionary District of Spokane.

Missionary District of Spokane. (1929).  Journal of the 37th annual convocation of the Church in the Missionary District of Spokane.  Missionary District of Spokane.