St. John’s traces its roots to the year 1732, when a group of Anglican churchmen under the auspices of the Venerable Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts established St. James Parish in Waterbury. The first church building was erected in 1743 at the corner of West Main and Willow Streets. The parish outgrew this small building by the turn of the century.The second church was built and consecrated as St. John’s Church on November 1, 1797. It was located on the Green where the Soldiers’ Monument now stands.St. John’s third church was erected on the current site in 1848 and was totally destroyed by fire on Christmas Eve, 1868. Services were held in a temporary building for over four years.
The fourth and present church was consecrated on June 24, 1873. Designed by architect Henry Dudley of New York, this neo-gothic structure was built on the foundations of the burned building.
A thorough history of St. John’s from its beginnings until the early 20th century may be found in the book, A Narrative and Documentary History of St. John’s Protestant Episcopal Church, by Frederick John Kingsbury, L.L.D., published in the year 1907.
A summary of the church’s history is available at A History of St. John’s Parish, 1677-1990
Major renovations in 1956 included installation of a gallery organ, expansion of the balcony, and modifications to the chancel.
A tornado swept through the Waterbury area on July 10, 1989. This caused one and one half of the towers that surround the spire to fall through the roof, which destroyed two-thirds of the gallery organ. Slates were blown from the roof and several of the stained glass windows were broken. Repairs to the organ and building were completed in 1991.
In 1998, to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the church building, a major restoration of the tower exterior was done to replace mortar joints and sandstone.
In 2010, the eight chandeliers in the chancel were completely rewired and restored to their original beauty.
Throughout its long history, St. John’s has had a strong tradition of serving the needs of the community. The Waterbury Visiting Nurses Association was founded in the early 1900’s under the direction of Rev. Dr. John Lewis. To this date, St. John’s is home to many 12-step groups, self-help organizations, and programs that help the community in numerous ways. The undercroft (basement) is used to store food for the Food Bank. The Greater Waterbury Interfaith Ministries’ Soup Kitchen was housed in the Parish House for many years, feeding thousands of men, women and children yearly. Outreach Programs continue to flourish.
St. John’s became a center for the training of clergy for the Episcopal Church under Dr. Lewis, whose tenure as Rector lasted 40 years (1901-1940). Nine bishops began their ministries at St. John’s as a curate, assistant, or rector. The Rt. Rev. Andrew Smith, recently retired Bishop of the Diocese of Connecticut, served as Assistant at St. John’s from 1971 to 1976.
In 2003, we added an Hispanic ministry to serve the needs of this growing community, by creating a noontime Spanish-language service and new outreach opportunities.
A two-year discernment process led to the creation of a Five-Year Plan for the years 2004-09. Known as “Sharing the Vision,” this plan called for growth in the congregation through a long-term commitment to the Hispanic Ministry, and by deeper engagement with youth in the community. The latter resulted in the creation of a Chorister Academy (now known as the Waterbury Youth Chorus) and Saturday Festival of Learning.
In 2007, past clergy, families, old friends, and new friends, came together to celebrate 275 years of St. John’s ministry to the greater Waterbury area with a harvest picnic in the Close. Some of the guests were fourth and fifth generation St. John’s Episcopalians.
St. John’s has been blessed by the generosity of generations past. The parish has attempted to use its resources in a responsible, Christian way. We hope St. John’s will continue as a vital parish in the center of Waterbury and all the surrounding communities, ministering to all people in the name of Jesus Christ.
