St. John’s Episcopal Church has roots dating back to Claiborne and Perdue Hill. Mrs. John C. Arthur requested Bishop Nicholas Hamner Cobbs to visit Claiborne in 1858 to establish the Episcopal Church, and in December of that year, he and the Rev. George F. Cushman began holding services in the Methodist church. St. James Church was organized during these services, and in 1895, a new building was erected in Perdue Hill.
However, over time, the membership declined, and the church became inactive, with the building eventually dismantled in the 1940s. In 1923, a group of seven ladies from St. James came together to form St. John’s Guild in Monroeville, aiming to purchase a church lot. They raised funds through a county-wide fair, sample sale, silver teas, handmade articles, and selling chicken salad sandwiches. In 1926, they purchased a lot from Judge M.M. Fountain for $1,035, and building began on the guild hall.
In 1977, the church was moved to its new location on Whetstone Street, and a new church building was added to the original structure, constructed according to the plans of member and architect Gordon Elliott. The new St. John’s Episcopal Church was dedicated on September 20, 1981.
