Katharine Cipolla, Parish Historian, will present a survey of the historic building from her recent book A History of St. John’s Episcopal Church, Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, The First Century.

St. John’s Episcopal Parish was founded in 1839 in central Jamaica Plain. The first chapel was on what is now St. John Street. The parish inherited land from the estate of General William Hyslop Sumner, a long-time member of the parish, on which this building was erected in 1882. The architect was Harris M. Stephenson, also a member of the parish and partner with Daniel Appleton in the firm of Appleton and Stephenson Architects. Stephenson was responsible for the Murdock Hospital on Huntington Avenue, the Henry Nevins Home for Incurables in Methuen, the Sumner Hotel in Boston, the Turk’s Head Inn on Cape Ann. He also designed a twin to the Jamaica Plain Church in Keokuk, Iowa (which is on the a National Register of Historic Places). Stephenson was the architect of many notable residential buildings as well, some of which are in Jamaica Plain’s Sumner Hill neighborhood, where he lived. The sad end to Mr. Stephenson’s story is that all his files were destroyed.

Recently, however, Stephenson’s original drawings for the church and the parish hall have resurfaced. This survey offers a chance to explore the building’s history to date and to compare the existing edifice with the architect’s vision.

The SNOW DATE for this event is Sunday, February 12th. This event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served. All applicable COVID 19 protocols will be observed.