←George Waldorf

Church of St. John the Evangelist, Barrytown

St. John the Evangelist is a picturesque Carpenter Gothic church. Designed by noted architect William Potter, it was erected in memory of John L Aspinwall by his wife and was affiliated with St Stephen's College, now Bard College. The cornerstone was laid May 9, 1874, completed over the summer and consecrated on October 4th by the Right Rev. Horatio Potter, Bishop of New York. The cemetery encloses the church on two sides and is believed to have existed prior to its construction. Two local buildings were moved and joined to the sanctuary in 1926 to create the current church complex. The first became Breck Hall, the church’s welcoming, spacious narthex. The parish house, Aspinwall Hall, was originally St. Peter’s Chapel in Red Hook. The stained-glass windows have been restored recently, bringing light and color throughout the church and halls. As well, the ceiling of the apse has been returned to its original deep blue color, overlaid with gold leaf stars. Under each star, invisible to the eye, is the name of a person buried in the cemetery.