St. John's Episcopal Church (East Hartford, Connecticut) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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St. John's Episcopal Church
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 Location in Connecticut
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1160 Main St., East Hartford, Connecticut |
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| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1867 |
| Architect | Tuckerman, Edward Potter |
| Architectural style | Gothic |
| NRHP reference No. | 83003567 |
| Added to NRHP | November 28, 1983 |
St. John's Episcopal Church is a very old and special church building in East Hartford, Connecticut. It's located at 1160 Main Street. A famous architect named Edward T. Potter designed it, and it was built in 1867. This church is a great example of a style called High Gothic Revival, which means it looks like old European churches, and it's made of stone. The church group, or congregation, started way back in 1854. Recently, this group joined with another church in Vernon. Because it's so important, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
Contents
About the Church Building
St. John's Church is in a very noticeable spot in downtown East Hartford. It sits on a piece of land surrounded by three streets: Main Street, Burnside Avenue, and Rector Street.
What It Looks Like
The church is a big building made of brownstone. It has a single story and a roof that slopes steeply. The roof is made of different colored slate tiles. On the front of the church, facing the street, you can see many tall, narrow windows with pointed tops. These are called "lancet-arched Gothic windows."
The Parish Hall
Behind the main church building, there's another part called the parish hall. This hall was built in 1912. It's special because it was one of the first buildings to use concrete blocks as a building material.
History of St. John's Church
The story of St. John's Church goes back many years.
Early Beginnings
The first attempt to start an Episcopal church group in East Hartford was in 1842. Students from Trinity College helped start it, but it didn't last very long. A second try in 1852 was much more successful. This led to the official start of the church group in 1854.
Finding a Home
Before the current church building was constructed, the church group met in different places. They also had a few different names. In 1868, they finally decided on the name St. John's Church.
The First Minister
The first minister for St. John's Church was John James McCook. He also graduated from Trinity College. Mr. McCook served as the church's minister for a very long time – 61 years! He likely helped with the plans for designing and building the church.
The Architect, Edward T. Potter
The church was designed by Edward T. Potter. He was a student and follower of another famous architect named Richard Upjohn. St. John's Church is one of only a few buildings Potter designed in Connecticut. He even attended church services here himself.
See also
