A history of St. John's Parish on Cape Ann

Gloucester has long been proud of its history, both because of the deeds of its ancestors and because it was one of the earliest English settlements in this country. St John's church is no different in this respect from the community in which it is located. The first religious services of any kind on Cape Ann. were those of the Church of Engiand and were conducted in Fisherman's Field (now called Stage Fort Park) by The Rev. John Lyford. As he held political views different from those of the Puritan rulers of the Massachusetts Bay Colony at that time; he soon emigrated to Virginia. With the founding of King's Chapel in 1689, services of the Church of England began in Boston, and parishes later were established in Newbury, 1714; in Marblehead, 1716; and in Salem, 1734. Although services were occasionally held in private homes in Gloucester and Cape Ann, it was not untii 1861 that an Episcopal Society was formed to hold services according to the Book of Common Prayer. This group met in Magnolia Hall which was located where our present church now stands, and on May 15, 1863, the Episcopal Society in Gloucester, Massachusetts formally became a part of The Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America, sister church of the Church of England, both of whom arc members in the Anglican Communion. , ,

In 1863, Mr. Theron Johnson Dale, a wool and cotton merchant in Boston who had a summer home in Freshwater Cove and whose parents lived on Middle Street, purchased the land on which Magnolia Hall stood and largely through his efforts, the parish was organized.

The Rev. John R. Pierce was called from St. John's Church in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and the Episcopal Society voted to henceforth be called St. John's Church. The group accepted the constitution submitted by the committee, and the first parish meeting was held on April 8, 1865.

In the early 1900's special summer services were held at The Hawthorne Inn and The Moorland at Bass Rocks. Services were also held in Rockport resulting in the formation of St. Mary's Mission in 1886, which in 1948 became St Mary's Episcopal Church and independent of St. John's.

Many individuals and families throughout St. John's history have helped to support not only the church but also the community at large. Family names include Thompson, Babson, Gorton, Webber, and Hall. Prominent individuals who were associated with the parish include: Theron Johnson Dale, John Hays Hammond, William Babson. John Stagy, Capt. Ben Pine, Judge and U.S. Congressman Charles P Thompson, Capt. John. A. Vibert, Sumner D. Vibert; Col. Leslie Buswell. Capt. Cecil Moulton, Grace Thompson, and Elizabeth S. Beach. It is due to the commitment of these and many other families and individuals that St. John's is ever present in this cornmunity to carry on their efforts in support of this parish and the communities of Cape Ann at large.

St. John's Church with attached parish house stands today where it has always stood on Middle Street since the Episcopal Society held its first meeting in Magnolia Hall. The church itself was designed by Alexander R Esty /Architect of Boston by agreement on May 26, 1864 and was built by Edward Hoyt and Isaac Andrews. The church was completed on September 20, 1864 and cost $4,150.

The design of the building includes vaulted ceilings with exposed beams, indicating our Anglican traditions coupled with simplicity of furnishings, and while plaster walls typical of the best of NewEngland and its Puritan roots. Part of the intrigue of this type of construction is that the inside of the structure resembles that of an upside-down ship and that the structural members make crosses in various forms and triangles which signify the Holy Trinity.

The outside of the building was originally stick style with some decorative shingle work. This was modified in the early 1900's to its present stucco facade to better withstand the weather. The annual meeting of 1897 authorized the construction of a new choir room, which is now called the Thompson Room in memory of all the family members who worked so tirelessly for many years for this parish. The existing Parish Hall was built in 1908 and has been modified and refurbished as the needs of the parish have changed.

Throughout the years, various properties on Cape Ann have served as rectories. The first rectory, located next to the Oak Grove Cemetery was purchased for St. John's by John Hays Hammond.