THE EHRICK ROSSITER STONE CHURCH
The present St. John’s Church was designed by the distinguished architect Ehrick Rossiter, whose vision made an important imprint on the Town of Washington. The cornerstone was laid on May 19, 1917, and the first service was held on Easter Sunday, 1918. (For more information about the history of the parish, which has had a church on the Washington Town Green for over two hundred years, click HERE.)
Although the building remains structurally sound, both mortar and cast-stone coping elements have badly deteriorated over the years. The damage is so bad that one can insert a hand 14 inches into some joints between stones due to mortar loss. It is imperative to repair the damage now to safeguard the future of this beloved house of worship, which is also a significant historical monument for Washington and southern Litchfield County.
Therefore, we have started the initial phase of what will become a full renovation project. For engineering expertise, we have engaged Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. (WJE), a highly respected firm that undertook an extensive review of St. John’s in 2011. For masonry expertise, we have engaged Benjamin Pear Masonry (BPM), which is working under the advice and supervision of WJE. The present place of work is the north wall, where you can find scaffolding erected.
The current project has two main goals related to the building itself: 1) To get information about the nature and extent of damage, which cannot be determined by visual inspection alone. 2) To repair two of the worst-damaged sections. The project is an opportunity to practice good stewardship for future generations, as well as to strengthen bonds of fellowship and community, both within the parish itself, and between the parish and our beloved town and neighbors.
The St. John’s Foundation is sponsoring the renovation of our historic stone church. We are able to begin this initial phase of renovation entirely due to some early generous financial contributions. However, we need additional funds to ensure that we can cover expenses. Please consider helping us with this important work.
There are two ways to make a contribution to support this work.
BY CHECK: made payable to St. John's Foundation, with “Foundation Renovation Project” in the memo area. Mail contributions to St. John's Foundation, Attention: Jane Marin, P. O. Box 1278, Washington CT 06793.
ONLINE: via PayPal. Click the yellow button to the right to make a secure, online donation.
The Saint John's Foundation was established in 2015 as a 501(c)(3) tax exempt for the purpose of supporting programs focused on historic preservation, architecture, art, music, interfaith relations, and education in various areas, including ethics & spirituality without reference to any specific religious tradition. The Foundation has received formal approval of its tax exempt status by the IRS and therefore is eligible to receive matching gifts from corporations and grants from foundations.
The Foundation Mission ~ The Foundation was established principally for purposes of supporting historic preservation and restoration efforts The Foundation also supports educational programs, publications, seminars, and symposiums relating to the broader Anglican tradition in such areas as interfaith relations, ethics, spirituality, liturgy, architecture, and music.
ST. JOHN’S FOUNDATION EFFORTS - 2015 to 2017
After 100 years, the Church stood in need of substantial restoration. In addition to the historic stone Church, restoration work also needed to be done on the Rectory (part of it dating from 1750 and one of the three remaining Leavitt houses on the Green), as well as the Parish House and Cottage, which was moved from the Gunnery property in the late 1920’s and was the early home of the Washington Montessori School.
From 2012 through 2015, as the Foundation raised needed funds, vital projects were undertaken. These included the following: reinforcement of the Parish Hall roof trusses; restoration of the Memorial stained glass window in the Lady Chapel of the Church; structural and exterior work on the Rectory; replacement of the boiler and hot water tank in the Rectory and the boiler in the Church; and installation of new temporary covers for the window wells.
By far the most significant and ambitious of the Foundation’s projects in this period was the repair and replacement of the church’s slate roof. This effort was requisite in order to safeguard the church from leaks and to prevent rapidly growing moisture damage to the masonry structure. The roof replacement began in mid-November of 2016 and was completed in the spring of 2017.
Read MORE on all the restoration work that was completed through 2017.