The Wall of Bishops and Vicars.  Bishops and vicars, serving since 1828, are recognized in framed photos on the walls of the Narthex.

The Burial Stone.  On the floor of the narthex, flush with the wooden boards, a burial stone is carved with these words:
In memory of
RALPH BROWN BLAISDALE
Born Dec. 27, 1831.
Died Nov. 23, 1832.
Also
his infant brother
JAMES
Born Oct 30, 1833.
Aged 2 ½ days.
These boys were the sons of The Rev. Silas Blaisdale, who served as rector at St. John’s from 1830 until 1836. (History of Ashfield Massachusetts, vol. 1, p168)

There is another memorial stone on the wall of the chancel of the church that reads:
Sacred to the memory of
REV. THOMAS BRINTON FLOWER
BORN AUG. 2, 1813
DIED JUNE 23, 1863.
HE RESTS FROM HIS LABORS.
MARY W. DAU. OF
Rev. T.B. & R.T. FLOWER,
DIED AUG.6, 1864,
AE.4 yrs.
James Frisbie Flower, son of the Rev. Thomas Brinton Flower, was born in 1851, and died March 18, 1873. He is also buried beneath the chancel.

The O’Donnell Plaque.  In 1984, Walter and Angelina O’Donnell granted St. John’s the land where we now have our beautiful garden, our Memorial Garden, and where we host our picnics, coffee hours, and outdoor services.

Their gift followed several others, which combined to become the present-day property of St. John’s Church. Charles A. Hall, in his historical address in 1928, wrote: ‘Levi Cook gave just enough land for the church to stand on. Moses Cook gave the land on which the chancel was later built and four feet west of it, and a good many years later Mrs. George Wm. Curtis gave us a strip of land four feet wide between her land and the south side of the original church lot.’

The deeds from these land transfers are now printed and in a binder in the church, along with a copy of One Hundred Years at St. John’s Church.

The Ten Commandments, Lord’s Prayer, and Apostles’ Creed. In One Hundred Years at Saint John’s Church we read on page 39, “Directly in front of the congregation where the chancel arch now is was the pulpit raised much higher than at present. Above this was the tablet of the creed commandments and the Lord’s Prayer. [After the chancel was built] The tablet with the Commandments was put in the back of the chancel and a very small space behind it was used as a robing room.”

This exquisitely preserved framed document, measuring 95.5 x 69 inches, now hangs on the south wall of the church. The Rev. Mark Hatch offered some context: “These were known as Decalogue or Commandment Boards if they contained only that. Ours would be properly known as a Catechetical Board, with core tenets/teachings beyond just the Ten Commandments, such as The Lord’s Prayer and the Apostle’s Creed.”

Printed by William W. Clapp, Boston. (Printer identification photo courtesy of Jenny Burke and the Ashfield Historical Society)

The Chandelier.  According to Charles A. Hall, “The chandelier was given by Mr. Chester Sanderson, a Congregationalist who later became a member of this parish”. Sanderson instructed Moses Cook and Allen Phillips to move the chandelier to St. John’s.

The Baptismal Font was donated by Mrs. Loyall Farragut, daughter-in-law of Admiral David Farragut (“Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead”).  She thought the old font, which was broken “looked like a hitching post.”

The Peace Candle.  The wooden stand for this peace candle was brought back in 2010 by a group of St. John’s parishioners on a mission trip to Mafi Dove, Ghana, to bring a computer lab to the school there.

The Ambry Candle.  The brass holder for the Ambry Candle was made by Steve Smithers.  It provides constant light by the wooden Ambry, which contains consecrated elements for the Holy Eucharist and oil for the Healing Service and Baptism.

The Cross from Ghana.  When Nell Todd was in the Peace Corps in Ghana, Peter Elenois suggested she ask a wood carver to make a cross to replace the temporary one that had been there for many years.  She asked a man named Christian in Accra to replicate the design that we faxed to the American Club there. (Note that it replicates the design of the brass cross on the back table.)  Nell carried it back on the plane in 1999.  It was refinished by Ann Judson and hung by Arnold Jones.

The Trinity Window.  Apparently this came from St. James’ Church in Greenfield, when they tore down their old church.

The Altar was given by St. Stephen’s Church in Pittsfield.

The Bishop’s Chair.  When the bishop visits St. John’s, this chair is reserved for him or her.

The Good Shepherd Tiffany Window was given by Mrs. Henry Field, in memory of her mother, Mrs. Anne Combe Owen, in 1921.  It is different every moment of the day, depending on the light. Notice the butterfly at the bottom right-hand corner.  It’s there because right after Mrs. Owen died a butterfly was said to enter the room.

Mosaic in Memory of Frances Williams Hall.  Frances died of influenza when she was just 20 years old.  This beautiful mosaic was created in her memory by two women – summer residents from New York.

A Poem by Mary Priscilla Howes.  Mary Priscilla wrote this poem for her friend Frances Gray, both beloved St. John’s parishioners.  It reminds us of what is most important and to endure.