Saint John's Church (Hagerstown, Maryland) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Saint John’s Episcopal ChurchMount Prospect |
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| 39°23′02″N 77°26′01″W / 39.3839°N 77.4335°W | |
| Location | Hagerstown, Maryland, United States |
| Denomination | Episcopal |
| Churchmanship | Broad church |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Founded | 1786 |
| Founder(s) | Maryland General Assembly |
| Dedication | John the Evangelist |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architect(s) | E.T. Littell |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic |
| Groundbreaking | 1871 |
| Completed | 1872 |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 300 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Saint John’s Parish, lower Cumberland valley |
| Diocese | Maryland |
| Province | Third |
St. John's Church, also known as St. John's Episcopal Church, is a historic church in Hagerstown, Maryland. It was founded in 1786. The church is located at 101 South Prospect Street. It is part of the South Prospect Street Historic District. St. John's is the main church for Saint John's Parish. This parish covers most of Washington County, Maryland.
Contents
A Look at St. John's History
St. John's Church in Hagerstown is like a "mother church" for its local area. But it also came from an older church called Broad Creek Church. The building you see today is actually the fourth church building. The first one was a "Chapel in the Woods" built in 1747. It was a smaller church connected to All Saints Church in Frederick.
Church services started in 1744. About 40 years later, the people built a brick church on Mulberry Street in Hagerstown. This spot is still used as the church cemetery today. In 1786, the Maryland government officially separated this church from All Saints' Frederick. They created a new parish named "Frederick Parish."
In 1797, Bishop John Thomas Claggett dedicated the church building. Later, in 1806, the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland changed the parish's name. They renamed it after Saint John the Evangelist.
Important Leaders and Education
One important leader at St. John's was Reverend Thomas P. Irving. He was a great scholar of Greek and Latin languages. Reverend Irving taught at schools in New Bern and later at Hagerstown Academy. The educational work of Hagerstown Academy is now carried on by Saint James School.
Teaching and learning have always been important to St. John's Church. Reverend George Lemmon gave weekly lectures until 1827. In 1842, another rector, Theodore Benedict Lyman, helped find and buy the land for Saint James School.
The Church During the Civil War
A second church building was finished in 1823. It was built in the Federal style at the corner of Jonathan and Antietam Streets. During the American Civil War (1861-1865), many people attending St. John's Church supported the Southern states.
However, the church's leader, Reverend Henry Edwards, strongly supported the Union. He worked as a U.S. Hospital Chaplain in Hagerstown after the battle of Antietam. On the Sunday before that big battle, he preached to Confederate soldiers and officers. But he still prayed for Abraham Lincoln, the President of the United States. He even did this in front of a large group of Confederate soldiers on another occasion.
The Church's Architecture
The church building you see today was built in 1872. Its design was inspired by the Oxford Movement. This movement encouraged a return to older, medieval church styles. The church is built with rough blue limestone. It has brownstone details around the windows and doors. It also features beautiful stained-glass Gothic windows.
The church has a bell tower with a stone steeple. Two heavy red oak doors are decorated with fancy bronze patterns. These patterns remind people of the Lichfield Cathedral in England. The entrance area at the base of the tower has an Arts & Crafts style. Its ceiling has sixty small six-point stars that light up from above.
In December 1871, a fire in Hagerstown destroyed the previous church building. This was the Federalist style church built in 1832. The first space inside the new church was simple but elegant.
The High Altar and Reredos
In 1899, Mollie Magill Rosenberg donated a beautiful Gothic Altar and a Reredos. A reredos is a decorated screen or wall behind an altar. An identical set was also placed in Grace Episcopal Church in Galveston, Texas.
On Easter Sunday 1899, St. John's dedicated the High Altar. This was part of a 60-year effort to change the church's style. They moved from a colonial style to one that looked back to medieval forms. This change continued with new stained-glass windows. These windows show scenes from the life of Christ in order.
Mollie Magill Rosenberg saw the High Altar and Reredos at the Columbian Exposition in 1893. They were on display in the Swiss Pavilion. This exposition, like the Oxford Movement, focused on older art and architecture. People thought these older styles could help with the big changes happening during the Industrial Revolution.
The High Altar and Reredos represent Christ as the "Word Incarnate." A wrought iron screen separates the altar area from where the people sit. The Reredos is a smaller version of a large medieval Rood Screen. A bronze picture in the center shows what would have been a walkway in a larger church. Above it, a small bridge connects what would be the north and south parts of a cathedral. This bridge allowed clergy to move around unseen during services. So, the Reredos is both a decorative screen and a model of a larger church feature.
Between the Reredos and the High Altar is a special ribbon with words from the Bible. These words are from Isaiah 6:3. They are followed by words from Psalm 50:5. This psalm talks about being judged for one's actions before God.
Carvings on the Altar
The base of the High Altar has three carved panels. The two side panels show Old Testament stories that set the stage for Christ's role. These are:
- The Binding of Isaac (left side): This is from Genesis 22:1-24. It shows Abraham offering his son Isaac to God.
- The Blessing of Abraham (right side): This is from Genesis 14:17-20. It shows the high priest Melchizedek blessing Abraham.
The center panel shows The Last Supper (John 13-21). This is where Christ started the Holy Eucharist. The carving is based on the famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci.
Between these three panels, the Swiss woodcarvers added a clever detail. They used carvings of three important Church leaders as pillars supporting the Altar. These are Peter, John, and James. The Apostle Paul called them "pillars" of the Church in Galatians 2:9. Peter holds keys, Paul holds a sword, John carries the New Testament, and James leans on a club.
Christ and Saint John are shown three times in the Altar and Reredos. This highlights the church's patron saint and Christ's roles. The number "three" is a common theme. For example, there are three-leaf shapes (trefoils) in the pointed gables. These represent the Holy Trinity.
The Last Supper carving forms one arm of a Greek cross. The Reredos forms the other three arms. In the center of the cross is a bronze picture. It shows the Nativity (Jesus' birth) and the Crucifixion. Look for the Star of Bethlehem in the center. This star often marks the moment when Jesus became divine. Angels stand on each side of the bronze picture.
Across the arms of the Greek Cross are the four writers of the Gospels: Saints Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. John holds a chalice, which refers to a story where he miraculously purified a poisoned cup. The other three Gospel writers hold quills and tablets, showing their work in writing the Gospels.
Images for kids
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A close-up of the Reredos at St. John's Hagerstown.
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The Tennant Memorial Window.
