St. John's Episcopal Church (Fayetteville, North Carolina)

St. John's Episcopal Church in Fayetteville, North Carolina is a congregation of the Episcopal Diocese of East Carolina, a division of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. Founded in 1817, it is located on Green Street in historic downtown Fayetteville. The congregation was formally organized April 7, 1817, and it became the first Episcopal church in the city. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Public tours are available by appointment.HistoryOrganizationWhen the city was founded, Fayetteville's Episcopalian families had no congregation of their own. Because the town's population was mainly of Scottish descent, Episcopalians typically worshiped together with the Presbyterians. In 1816, John Winslow went to Wilmington to consult the Rev. Dr. Bethell Judd, and the following year St. John's Episcopal Church was founded in Fayetteville. The Rev. Dr. Judd became the church's first rector.Original churchThe foundations of the original church building were laid in 1817 by the local chapter of the Masonic Order. The church had a single spire which housed the town clock, and the total cost was about $16,000. In 1831 the Great Fire destroyed the church building, along with hundreds of other historic downtown sites.Current building and recent renovationsThe current church was constructed in 1832. The main church, which has a seating capacity of over 400 people, features stained glass windows from Munich, Germany depicting Biblical scenes. The Chapel of the Beloved Disciple provides a more intimate setting for smaller services. In 1990, St. John's purchased the Kyle House, a 139-year-old home adjacent to the church which is often used for receptions, classes, and meetings. In 2002, the parish dedicated a building project which connected the original church structure to the Kyle House. The project also included the addition of a gymnasium, a pre-school facility, and an expanded fellowship hall.