You’re looking for a church with soaring stone walls, pointed arched windows, and a tall bell tower rising up from the northwest corner-just set your sights on the corner of Huntington and Federal and you’ll find St. James Episcopal Church standing proud.
Let’s step into the layered story of St. James, one of New London’s most historic congregations. Its roots? Way back in 1725, long before the U.S. was even a twinkle in the Founding Fathers’ eyes. Picture this: their first church was a humble wooden building on the bustling Parade. Now, legend has it a Native American chief visited, not with a gift basket, but with an arrow-firing it straight into the golden ball atop the steeple. The arrow hung up there for years... until 1781, when fire swept through the city during the British attack under Benedict Arnold. Yes, THAT Arnold, the American-turned-British General hailing from neighboring Norwich, burned the church right to the ground.
After the Revolution, New London rebuilt, and St. James came back stronger-in more ways than one. Their new rector in 1785 was none other than Bishop Samuel Seabury, America’s first Episcopal bishop. Seabury was so important, they didn’t just lay him to rest here beneath the Hallam Chapel, they gave him a cenotaph-essentially a fancy headstone-designed by Richard Upjohn, the same architect who’d design the church you’re looking at now.
By the mid-1800s, the congregation was outgrowing their second church, so they called in Upjohn, the man responsible for Trinity Church in Manhattan. Clearly, Upjohn was on a bit of a “churchetecture” tour. He crafted this beauty in the classic Gothic Revival style, with intricate stonework, flying buttresses, and a dramatic cruciform layout. The bell tower looming over your shoulder? It’s not just for style-it’s the literal and spiritual heart of the place. The experts in New York griped about the "Moorish" styling of the roof (they were a tough crowd), but New Londoners loved it, and you can see why.
Inside, stained glass is serious business here. The original windows came from Henry E. Sharp’s New York studio in the 1850s. Over time, many were swapped for works from none other than Tiffany Studios-yes, the same Tiffany as lamps and jewelry. One gigantic window commemorates the Lawrences, big names in the whaling trade, showing saints Sebastian, Joseph, and Francis, all glittering in brilliant color. Another, honoring Lyman Allyn, shows the Holy Family-again, funded by New London’s whaling fortunes. Money really did talk-donating a window like that back then would be a several-thousand-dollar affair, easily the equivalent of over $100,000 today.
But wait-there’s drama in glass and drama in war. The J&R Lamb window from 1922 is a deeply moving memorial to two best friends, both just nineteen, who died during World War I, immortalized with the Archangel Michael and a quote promising that the brave “shall mount up with wings as eagles.”
And if you’re into music, don’t miss the mighty Ernest M. Skinner organ-boasting some 2,680 pipes, it’s played for everything from church service to silent movies, which is quite the local treat.
St. James isn’t just history frozen in stone and glass. It’s still a beacon for New London, with community meals, shelter programs, and choirs that fill these stained-glass halls with life. Kind of makes you want to linger.
When you’re ready, the Acors Barns House is just a minute north on Huntington. Let’s keep the story rolling.
