St. John's Congregational Church & Parsonage-Parish for Working Girls, Historic church complex in Springfield, United States.
St. John's consists of a 1911 single-story wood-frame church at the southeast corner of Union and Hancock Streets and a 2+1⁄2-story Colonial Revival parsonage completed in 1913 next door on Union Street. Both were designed by architect B. Hammett Seabury; the church has a gabled roof and shingled exterior.
The congregation began as the Free Church in 1844 and merged with another Congregational body in 1889 to become St. John's. The buildings achieved National Register recognition in 2016 for their historic importance.
The church served as a gathering place where the African-American community built educational programs and support networks together. People came here to gain skills and find employment help, making it central to their neighborhood.
The buildings are located at the corner of Hancock and Union Streets in the downtown area. Visiting during daylight hours allows you to see the windows and architectural details most clearly.
The 1913 parsonage was first built as a house for educating and training girls; a matching building for boys and young men has not survived. It became a parish house and meeting space in the 1960s and today serves the St. John's congregation as an education center.
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