History of St. John’s Ft. Hamilton

St. John’s Episcopal Church was founded in 1834 in the village of Fort Hamilton, as the area was then known.  St. John’s was the third Episcopal church in Kings County.  During the church’s first half century, services were held in a small and modest wooden structure in close proximity to the Ft. Hamilton Army Base.  Given its geographic proximity to the army base, St. John’s early congregation was filled with servicemen and generals.  In fact, so many generals attended St. John’s services during its first few decades that it was nicknamed the “Church of the Generals.”

Around 1896, a new building was erected at 9818 Fort Hamilton Parkway, replacing the initial wooden structure in which services had been held.  In its new space, the church’s connection to the military continued, and in 1951, St. John’s led a dedication to a local GI, John Richard Paradise, who had served in the Korean War.  In its new location, St. John continued its service to the Bay Ridge and surrounding neighborhoods for more than a century.

Merging of the Christ Church and St. John’s

In 2014, the parishioners and communities of St. John’s and Christ Church merged, now worshipping together at the Christ Church location on Ridge Boulevard.