HomeMy WebLinkAboutWE-22 FOR OFFICE USE ONLY
BUILDING-STRUCTURE INVENTORY FORM
UNIQUE SITE NO, l�3�a•��Xs`I WE-22
0IIVISION FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION QUAD
NEW YORK STA'T'E PARKS AND RECREATION SERIES
ALBANY,NEW YORK (518) 474-0479 NEG. NO.
YOUR NAME: Town of Southold/SPLIA DATE: March 1988
YOUR ADDRESS:Town Hall, Main Rd. TELEPHONE: 516 765 1892
Southold LI NY 11971
ORGANIZATION (if any)- Southold Town Community Development Office
IDENTIFICATION
I. BUILDING NAME(S): St. John's Episcopal Church
2, COUNTY: Suffolk TOWN/CITY; Southold VILLAGE: Fishers Island
3. STREET LOCATION: Alpine Ave. , opp. (Oceanic Ave.
4. OWNERSHIP: a. public ❑ Ix private ❑
5. PRESENTOWNER: ADDRESS:
6. USE: Original: church Present: church
7. ACCESSIBILITY TO PUBLIC: Exterior visible from public road: Yes li No ❑
Interior accessible: Explain _^Yes
DESCRIPTION
H. BUII.DIN(; a. clapboard ® b. stone ❑ c. brick ❑ d. board and batten ❑
MATERIAL: e. cobblestone ❑ f. shingles ❑ g. stucco 0 other:
1). STRUCTURAL a. wood frame with interlocking joints ❑
SYSTEM: h. wood frame with light members ELI
(if kn(urn) c. masonry load bearing walls❑
d. metal (explain)
e. other
10. CONDITION: a. excellent 11 b, good ❑ c. fair ❑ d. deteriorates! ❑
11. INTEGRITY: a. original site R7 b. moved ❑ if so,when?
c. list major alterations and dates (if known):
Remodelled 1939-40. (see item # 20)
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14. THREATS TO BUILDING: a.none known il b, zoning 0 c. roads 1:1 A
d. developers El e. deterioration ❑
f. other:
t5, RELATED OUTBUILDINGS AND PROPERTY:
j. barn D b. -carriage house El C. garage El
d. privy El e. shed EJ f. greenhouse C1
g. shop El h. gardens El
j. landscape features: stinep hi 11, granite terrace Wal-1-sa
j. other: cemeter3l adjacent E/IRE
16. SURROUNDINGS OF THE BUILDING (check more than one if necessary):
a.open land IX-1 b. woodland W light
c.scattered buildings C7
d.densely built-up El c. commercial ❑
f. industrial El g. residential
h.other:
17. INTERRELATIONSHIP OF BUILDING AND SURROUNDINGS:
(indicate if building or structure is in an historic district)
Located in a low density, residential area SE of the Fishers
Island Village shops. Building set on a steep, grassy incline.
Predominantly open land surrounds the church, in a neighborhood
of historic houses.
18. OTHER NOTABLE FEATURES OF BUILDING AND SITE (including interior features if known):
Large, 1-2 story, rectangular, gable roof church set parallel to
the street. 2 story narthex and bell tower with shingled spire.
Pediment with modillions at roof line. Double leaf main door
with pilasters, cornice, and leaded transom with bulls-eye
glass. 12/16 windows. 9/12 in nave paired with molded surrounds
SIGNIFICANCE and lintels.
1 1). DATE OF INITIAL CONSTRUCTION: 1881 , 1939-40
ARCHITECT:
BUILDER:
20. HISTORICAL AND ARCHITECTURAL IMPORTANCE:
Originally, this church was a Late-Gothic style building.
After losing its steeple in the 1938 hurricane, it was rebuilt
in the "Colonial" idiom.
This church is noted for its stained glass window by Tiffany.*
U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, # 1508, 1882.
1. SOURCES: Fishers Island, N.Y. 1614=1925, by H.L. Ferguson, 1925,
p. 73, 74.
Fishers Island, A Book of Memories, James and Joanne Wall, 1982,
PRr�NIP6- 201 .
*Long Island Community News, magazine section, 3/1986, p. 18.
Fishers Island, Its History and Development. F.E. Hine, 1907.
Form prepared by Kurt Kahofer, research assistant
WE 22
St . Johns Episcopal Church
I Fishers Island
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Smith' took over to New London any of them who cared to s„r
attend Service there, but this plan was finally abandoned, ass,
head wind or tide meant too much of an element of uncertainty
to the trip in either direction."
The Episcopal Church
By 1880, increases in the summer and winter populations
had created a need for an island church.The following is taken
in its entirety from an insert to the program for the service
conducted at St.John's Episcopal Church in commemoration of
its centennial anniversary. July 12,1981.
"St. John's Church, the first church building on Fishers
Island, was built in 1881 on land donated by members of the
family of Robert R. Fox, the former owner of the island. The
church was built and paid for by private subscription, among _
the chief donors being Messrs. Henry Bowers, Richard H.
Chipman, George H. Bartlett and James H. Lyles. The first
minister war, the Rev. Josiah M. Bartlett, who held the first
service in the new church on Sunday. August 28, 1881, and G•
continued to serve St. John's until the summer of 1890 when
age and ill health forced his retirement. During this period the
Church apparently had no formal connection with the Episco-
pal Church other than to have title to the church property held
in the name of four trustees as the deed recited'to be used for
the maintenance of a church edifice for religious worship in s•. ; a `
the form of the Protestant Episcopal Church and for a burial w F tom.
ground.'„ t, y
Ill tlxa Summar of 18A0 the congregation—led by Henry
Bowers. James H. Lyles, E.M. Ferguson, W.E. Sluue, Wm. :
Hoes and G.H. Bartlett—petitioned Bishop A.N.Littlejohn,the
first Episcopal Bishop of Long island,to give his consent to the } ''
proper incorporation of the church, as a parish of the Diocese
of long Island. The bishop approved the application and the m,m r,<,m I 11. rr ,rn M,. „m
church was incorporated. On September 1, 1890 a parish
meeting elected the first vestry, including wardens Henry Episcopal Church when built .
Bowers and Edmund M. Ferguson. The vestrymen chosen
were: Christian Hansen. George H. Bartlett, Richard H.
Chipman, James H. Lyles, Walton Ferguson. D. Seymour
Willard, William H. Hoes and William E' Stone. Bishop -
Littlejohn consecrated the church on July 17. 189z.
Church records concerning ministers from logo to 1900 are
not complete. It is known,however,that Rev.William Tatlock
of Stamford, Connecticut, assisted by Rev. Charles E. Deuel,
served during the summer of 1890, and Rev. Joseph E. -
nrt- Norwood was in charge during the summers of 1891 and 1892.
At other limes, from 1892 to 1900, Rev. Charles Heartfield of
Iter
ition Poughkeepsie, New York, and Rev. James Stoddard were the
summer ministers. Fnr the summers of 1901 to 191(1. Rev. t
N
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Fishers Island, A Book of Memories.
James and Joannc Wall, 1982.
_ _ J
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tower and spire fell into the road.The roof was partially lifted:r
one flying limber came through the north wall like a spear,and
much of the plaster was broken. The main structure of the
church, however• remained intact.
Temporary repairs permilled services in 1939 and
the vestry
-•�- �Y= decided to use the tornado insurance they had carried and the
building funds accumulated over the years to rebuild the
' �.. church. A building committee was appointed by the vestry,
t-' . consisting of Rev_ James A. Mitchell and vestrymen John
Nicholas Brown and Henry L. Ferguson. The church, which
Nid be n a semi-Golhic, wooden structure with dark shingles
and white trim, was remodeled tote present ew ng a
Golonial.T e vests u e, a1110wer an s ire we e
the front of the butilding, from the former position on I e
southwest corner. Exterior shingles were replaced with white
: ! clapboard and the Gothic windows were replaced with
9 Colonial-style windows with shutters. The interior was simi-
� �' I ' larl remodeled to the present while Colonial style,giving an
effect of greaser width lot the nave of the church.
Reconstruction was completed during the winter of 1939-
tl
- 1940 and the renovated SI.John's was ready for its first summer
service on July 7, 1940. On July 21. 1940• with Bishop J.I. Blair
Larned. the suffragan bishop of the Diocese of Long Island
5t. )Olin's steeple in the road after the officiating, St. John's was formally reopened. St. John's had
15ra8 hurricane.-Standing in front of the successfully surmounted its most severe test to date.
stnnph+ is A- John(krclu Sr. Rev. Mr. Afilchell could not serve St. John's during the
Boveerly H. Warner of New Orleans. famed as a brilliant summer of V921 and the church was supplied with visiting
preanccr. served 81, John's. clergymen. largely obtained by the good offices of Rev. Mr.
In Ilitll there camp. to St. John's the first member of it family Mitchell. During the summers of 1114:1 and 1944, St. John's was
l which was it, serve Fang and faithfully: Rev. Arthur fl. not open for worship, World War II greatly reduced the
Kinsolving. Then the rector of Old SI. Paul's. the Mother summer population.Veslry records do not indicate whether the
Church of all the Episcopal Churches in Baltimore. For 24 church was open in the summer of 1945.
„•;its, k%iih ilio excoption of one summer spent in E:rtrope, he In 1946 th(t third member of the Kinsolving family to serve
j
govi, two months of his summer Hp SI. John's. Although St. St. John's hecamee Ilio.rrrinr. He was Rev.Arthur I,. Kinsolving,
John's Ithnnks In the wisdom :and generosity of its founding son of Dr, Kinsolving and then rector of St. Jarnes. Now York
pnrishioners) had lxeen debl-Free from its beginning. Dr. City. Much beloved by his congregation. his service lasted
Kinsolving %,nv to it Thal the c:hun:h was placed on a sound through the summer of 1963. 'Thus during 100 years the
fuaanciol basis and reserves were arrurmdaled for future Kinsolvings father, nephew and son conlributed 45 years of
f l r.nlar'gcnwnl or rebuilding of the struclure. He initialer{ outstanding guidance to St. John's.
,t financial help in the year-round Protestant rhurch, Union Among the more notable changes in St. John's in this period
'�f I
Chapel. were the purchase of a rectory in 1949, Munnatawkel Cottage
1 In the summer of 1935, Dr. Kinsolving was succeeded by his No. :1.and the arelnisiiion of arlclitional cemetery property.The
nephow. Rev. Arthur R. Kinsealking If, then the dean of the cemetery, designated as Ilse churchyard of St. John's in the
i Calhedritl of the Incarnation in t'arden City, Long; Island. He original deed. had long been a problem. As the only burial
inter'became. Bishop of Arizona. Afler three years of service he ground for the island. irrespective of creed.it had begun to fell
1 ti%as mccoeded in the summer of 1918 by Rev. James A. up in the Ince 1950's. Substanlial efforts had ter be applied to its
i Mitr.hell, Ilan rer-.Inr of St. Paid's Church, Englewood, New mainienancre hu-cause no perpeluad care endowments wf:re
If!r.sve available. Ic
1%'hrn the Ill:iii hurricane struck.Si. John's hell lolled madly 'There were three factors than made 11 a necessity In find I
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Ill,! tower+ tv iveree err c win .eau arra } I ua vas r u e .mother area to he eased as a burial ground First, the: ole( C�
Fishers Island, A Book of Memories. James and Joanne Will, 1982. 194
m