St. John's Episcopal Church, Lafayette Square facts for kids
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St. John's Episcopal Church
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U.S. National Historic Landmark District
Contributing Property |
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 Location in Central Washington, D.C.
Location in the District of Columbia
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1525 H Street, N.W., Washington, D.C., U.S. |
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| Built | 1815–1816 |
| Part of | Lafayette Square Historic District (ID70000833) |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000868 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | December 19, 1960 |
| Designated NHLDCP | August 29, 1970 |
St. John's Episcopal Church, Lafayette Square is a very old and important church in Washington, D.C.. It is located near Lafayette Square and just one block from the White House. Many people call it the "Church of the Presidents."
The church building has a Greek Revival style. It was designed by Benjamin Henry Latrobe. Since it was built in 1816, every U.S. president has visited the church at least once. This tradition started with President James Madison. Most presidents since Franklin D. Roosevelt have attended a service here on Inauguration Day. St. John's Church became a National Historic Landmark in 1960.
Contents
History of St. John's Church
St. John's Church became a parish (a church community) in 1815. It was named after Saint John the Evangelist. The church building first opened its doors on October 27, 1816. The first service was held on that day.
How the Church Began
In 1794, a new church area called Washington Parish was created. This was for Protestant Episcopal people moving to the new city of Washington. In 1814, people living near the center of Washington decided they needed a new church. The city was growing, and other churches were too far away.
Many important citizens worked to build this new church. Some of them were Peter Hagner, John Graham, John Peter Van Ness, William Winston Seaton, and John Tayloe III.
On May 10, 1816, a group of citizens met. They chose trustees to manage the church's business. These trustees included John Davidson, Peter Hagner, James Thompson, John Peter Van Ness, John Tayloe III, Thomas H Gillis, James H. Blake, and Roger C. Weightman.
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James Heighe Blake
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Joseph Gales Jr. around 1844
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William Winston Seaton
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John Tayloe III
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John Peter Van Ness
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Roger Chew Weightman
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On December 27, 1816, Bishop James Kemp officially dedicated the church. Benjamin Latrobe designed the building. He did not ask for money for his work. Instead, the church gave him a special gift to pass on to his children. John Tayloe III also gave the church a silver communion set. This set had been saved from being used for non-religious purposes.
Making the Church Bigger
By 1842, the church needed more seats. A committee was formed to plan how to make the church larger. This committee included Richard Smith, John Canfield Spencer, Peter Hagner, Benjamin Ogle Tayloe, and William Thomas Carroll.
In 1843, the church was changed a lot. The old box-shaped pews were replaced with new, lower seats. The floor was changed, and the altar area was made bigger. The old tall pulpit was also removed.
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Bishop William Meade
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John Canfield Spencer
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Benjamin Ogle Tayloe
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Bancroft Davis
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1835.jpg)
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More changes happened in 1883, led by Bancroft Davis and General Peter V. Hagner. Most of the windows were replaced with beautiful stained glass. These windows were often dedicated to people who had been part of the church. The altar area was made even larger, and a new organ was added. New rooms for the choir and offices were also built. These changes added about 180 more seats, bringing the total to 780.
In 1902, a special funeral was held at St. John's Church. It was for Lord Pauncefote, who was the British ambassador.
The "Church of the Presidents"
Every U.S. president has visited St. John's Church at least once. This is partly because many presidents have been Episcopalian. Also, the church is very close to the White House. People often call St. John's the "Church of the Presidents."
President James Madison started the tradition of a "president's pew" in 1816. He chose pew 28 for his own use. Even though the church offered it for free, he insisted on paying for it. During a renovation in 1843, the pews were renumbered, and the president's pew became pew 58. President John Tyler then asked for pew 58 to be assigned to presidents forever.
In 1883, another renovation changed the number to pew 54. This pew is still kept for the president to use when they attend church. However, during special events like weddings, the president usually sits in the front pew as part of official rules.
President Chester A. Arthur had a special stained-glass window made for his wife, Ellen Lewis Herndon Arthur. She had died in 1880. This window is in the south part of the church and can be seen from the White House. President Arthur even asked for it to be lit up from inside.
St. John's Church During the 2020 Protests
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On May 31, 2020, during protests in Washington, D.C., a small fire was set in the basement of the Ashburton House. This building is part of St. John's Episcopal Church. Firefighters quickly put out the fire. The church's leader, Reverend Rob Fisher, said the fire destroyed the nursery room. The rest of the church was not damaged by fire, but there was some graffiti.
An official report later explained that this fire attempt and injuries to police officers led to new security measures. The Secret Service decided to put up a stronger fence around Lafayette Park the next day.
On June 1, police and National Guard troops cleared the area around the church. They used tear gas and other tools to move demonstrators. Many news reports said this was done so President Donald Trump could take a picture in front of the church. The bishop who oversees the church, Mariann Budde, criticized this action. She felt it used the church as a background for a message that did not match Christian teachings.
However, the official report found that the police cleared the park for safety reasons. They wanted to install the new security fence because of the damage and injuries from the previous days. The report also stated that the police did not know about President Trump's visit until hours after they had started planning to clear the park.
Church Design and Features
In 1966, St. John's Church was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is a very important historical site. It is also part of the Lafayette Square Historic District.
The church building was designed by Benjamin Latrobe. He also designed the U.S. Capitol Building. The church is made of stucco-covered brick and shaped like a Greek cross. In 1820, a front porch (portico) and a tall tower were added.
The bell in St. John's steeple is very heavy, weighing almost 1,000 pounds (450 kg). It was made by Paul Revere's son, Joseph, in Boston in 1822. It was installed at St. John's on November 30, 1822. President James Monroe even gave $100 from public funds to help buy this bell. The bell was used to tell time and also as an alarm for nearby neighborhoods and buildings.
St. John's bell is one of only two bells made by the Revere family in Washington, D.C. Both were made and installed in 1822. St. John's bell is special because it has been ringing continuously since it was put in place. Some stories say that when the bell rings for a famous person's death, six ghostly men in white robes appear in the president's pew at midnight and then disappear.
The church also has beautiful artwork. This includes two sculptures by Jay Hall Carpenter. One is a polished brass cross in the chapel. The other is a bronze angel and child sculpture called Ascent Into Heaven. It watches over the church's columbarium, a place where ashes are kept.
See also
In Spanish: Iglesia Episcopal de San Juan (Washington D. C.) para niños
