Under the leadership of the Reverend Willaim N. Lyster, our church was founded as St. Patrick's Episcopal Church. The Reverend Lyster had organized a church in nearby Tecumseh in 1833, and this church was a mission of that pioneer parish until 1836. Completed in 1835, St. John's is the oldest remaining Episcopal church building in Michigan. Its hand-hewn beams, wainscoting, and stained glass windows all date back to 1835. In 1853, the parish voted to change its name to St. John's Episcopal Church.  The church is listed on the State Register of Historic Places.