St. John in the Wilderness Church prides itself on being the oldest church in Walworth County. It was established in October 1841 by some of the earliest pioneer families to settle in Elkhorn. Our name refers to the fact that at that time the Elkhorn area truly was in the wilderness. The first service of the new parish was conducted by the Rev. William Adams on October 31, 1841 and was held in the local school house. For several years services were conducted in the school house on alternate Sundays by the Revs. Adams, James Lloyd Breck and Henry Hobart; the founders of Nashotah House Seminary. In 1847 the Rev. G.R. Bartlette, graduate of Nashotah House, was appointed to Elkhorn and Delavan by  Bishop Jackson Kemper, the first missionary bishop of the Episcopal Church and later first the bishop of Wisconsin. Services were moved to the Courthouse under the leadership of the Rev. John McNamara and his successor, the Rev. J. Ludlum. In December 1849 plans were begun for the construction of a church. On September 6, 1854 the corner stone of the first frame church building was laid by Bishop Kemper and the Rev. Gerret Peters, then Rector of the parish. The building held “forty-three pews, each one having its own little door, with a latch to hold it. A price was put upon the pews in those days and each bought his pew and held a deed for it. The church was carpeted in red and had a sheet iron stove…” The pew rental system was finally abandoned in favor of the collection envelope system in 1869. In 1854 the church bell was purchased in Chicago. That original bell is still in regular use today.
            As time went on the parish grew and various societies and ministries were established including; St. Katherine’s Guild, for young women, St. Agnes Guild, for young girls and the Brotherhood of St. Andrew. From the very early days of the parish, a church school was maintained for the children of the congregation. The church building was also enlarged and a rectory was built in 1876 - 1877.
            In 1891, it was decided that the church should be rebuilt and enlarged and that the Guild Hall built on the northeast corner of the church. The cornerstone was re-laid in October of 1892 and the completed brick building was opened in the spring if 1893. Most of the furnishings currently in the church; including the stained glass windows, marble baptismal font, eagle lectern and candlestick holders were given as memorials and date from this re-building and re-furnishing in the 1890’s. The culmination of this effort came in 1899 with the consecration of the white marble altar and carved oak reredos behind the altar.
            The organ was installed in 1937. It is what one organ expert called “a mystery organ”, being a combination of at least three instruments. It is believed that the console and other parts were removed from a local theater. Some of the pipes and the front panels come from the parish’s previous organ and originally come from new England and date from before the Civil War.
            Of course the history of our church is about much more than wood, stone, brick brass and marble. It is a story of people; people of faith, who have come together as a small part of the Body of Christ. It is a story of people, who while maintaining the ancient faith, “once delivered to the saints” are open to new people, new times and new ideas. Throughout our long history, St. John in the Wilderness has encountered many ups and downs. But throughout these many years, that faith and community of our parish has made us strong.
Today, St. John in the Wilderness is a small but active and growing congregation that takes seriously its mission to know and love Christ and to make Him known by being a warm, welcoming and loving Christian community. We are aware of and seek to be responsive to the needs of the world around us. While we treasure our heritage, we look forward to continuing our mission and writing our own pages in the history of our church. Thank you for your interest in the history of St. John in the Wilderness Church and please remember; at St. John in the Wilderness, All Are Welcome.