Georgetown House Tour

St. John’s Episcopal Church, Georgetown Parish

St. John’s Episcopal Church has organized and hosted the Georgetown House Tour since 1931 to raise funds for ministry and outreach. From the start, parishioners saw the Tour as an expression of the church’s own spirit: “to open the door for better living for everyone in the community, regardless of race, color, or creed.”

St. John’s Episcopal Church, Georgetown Parish, at 3240 O Street NW, Washington, DC 20007, has a long and storied history. It was founded in 1796 by the Reverend Walter Dulany Addison and was the first Episcopal congregation in Georgetown. Its Federal-style church was designed by William Thornton, architect of the U.S. Capitol, and opened in 1804. The foundations, walls, roof, and bell tower are original. Early members and benefactors included Benjamin Stoddert, the first Secretary of the Navy. Francis Scott Key served on the vestry when he wrote “The Star-Spangled Banner” in 1814. President Thomas Jefferson contributed $50 toward the original building.

The church’s survival is a story in itself. After years of financial hardship, St. John’s closed in 1831 and its building was sold and rented as a sculptor’s studio. In 1838, a group of young women from the parish raised $50 to buy it back and return it to sacred use. Nearly a century later, the women of the parish began the Georgetown House Tour.

Today, St. John’s continues to serve parishioners and the wider Washington community, including through its preschool. Its outreach is supported in part by the Georgetown House Tour and includes:

  • Georgetown Ministry Center, which St. John’s helped found, providing food, showers, laundry, medical and counseling care, and housing support for unhoused neighbors
  • Grate Patrol, a nightly mobile meal service run with the Salvation Army
  • Feast on the Street, a weekly meal and fellowship with unhoused neighbors in McPherson Square
  • An emergency food and clothing pantry, opened in 2023
  • School partnerships and the Angel Tree ministry, supporting families facing food insecurity and families in need at the holidays
  • Clinica de Protección in Honduras, a health clinic St. John’s helped build and continues to support