St. John's Chapel

A Brief History of St. John's Chapel

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In 1782, Vermont was an independent republic. The British surrender to Gen. Washington at Yorktown, VA in October of 1781 was still a current event. The Treaty of Paris would not formally end the Revolutionary War until the next year.

 

The Church of England was a minority church in New England. The Church had suffered losses and persecution during the War. Other denominations looked down on the Church. In Manchester there was no church building, no Diocese of Vermont and no bishop in Vermont or anywhere else in the country.

 

With the end of the Civil War the number of summer visitors to Manchester continued to grow. In 1853, Franklin Orvis had opened the spacious Equinox House. Other inns and taverns were also growing. This activity was concentrated in the Manchester Village area. Some Zion Church members who lived in the village had also wanted a chapel there.

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In spite of some opposition, Mrs. Levi Orvis, mother of Franklin Orvis, joined with others to raise money to buy a lot on Seminary Avenue, behind the Orvis Inn. Construction began in 1867 and St. John’s Chapel began welcoming residents and guests. Over the years the building deteriorated and was finally dismantled in 1910.

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As the building deteriorated it became clear a new chapel was needed. Some in the parish hoped to build a stone edifice with local marble. But, by 1910 a convenient site on Route 7 was found. A sturdy, wood-frame building, which had earlier served as a grocery store, was adapted to become the new chapel.

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The simplicity of the New England architecture and charming stained glass windows combine to make a beautiful House of God. Today, the chapel is open from mid-June to September. The chapel provides Sunday services at 11 am during the summer. It also hosts numerous weddings, baptisms and other special occasions each summer as well as a Christmas Eve service.