Early History of St. John’s Church
St. John’s Episcopal Church was formed in 1790 and was initially named the First Episcopal Society of Old Saybrook, as the Town of Essex was not incorporated until the mid-1800s.
The first church building was erected in 1793 in a section of town called Mud River, near what is currently the Essex Steam Train Station. Around 1800, this building was moved to Pound Hill, which is now called Prospect Street. A steeple was added in 1817, and the church was enlarged in 1821. This church was sold to the Roman Catholic Church, after the current church was constructed in 1897. Unfortunately, a fire destroyed this church in 1926.
The current church building was built in 1897 and funded by a generous donation from the Hayden and Tucker families. Captain Joseph Tucker was a prominent ship master who married Mary F. E. Hayden. Their niece, Susan Loomis also contributed to the funding. The Tucker bequest stipulated that the new church building be erected on Main Street, adjoining a rectory building which had been purchased in 1833.
The church was designed by architect Joseph W. Northrup from Bridgeport. Construction of the church was completed in seven months using granite and brownstone that was obtained from local quarries along the Connecticut River. The Romanesque style was considered an outstanding form of church architecture at the time. St. Paul’s Episcopal Church on Nantucket, which was built in 1901, is nearly identical and was likely also designed by Northrup.
In 1896, Mary Hayden Tucker died and bequeathed her home to St John’s. Her home became the next church rectory. The house, located on Main Street near the Griswold Inn, was built in 1807 and is believed to be the first brick structure in Essex. The home originally belonged to Samuel Hayden, who was Mary’s father and a descendant of one of the original founders of St. John’s Church, Uriah Hayden. The original rectory, located next to the church, was turned into a parish house, and ultimately torn down in 1927 when the east wing of the church was made into the current Parish Hall.
