We realized we had never looked at St. John United Church of Christ up close, despite long admiring its unrivaled location sitting high upon a hill overlooking the intersection of Manchester and Sulphur Spring roads in Manchester.

Of course, the United Church of Christ dates to 1957, when several Northern European Protestant denominations joined together. This was original Sankt Johannes Evangelische Kirche, founded by German farmers 150 years ago.

This is not the original church, but it is a fascinating example of how many Americans sought to embrace Modernist architecture while still holding onto traditional revival styles that had dominated the built environment in St. Louis for most of its history. While it has the massing of a Gothic Revival church and a pointed arch front portal, its windows are rounded Romanesque Revival arches, and the spire and accompanying Sunday School wing are distinctly Modern. It is an interesting church.

The view, which looks out over the cemetery and the original church’s location, is expansive.