Until the early 19th century, there was no parish church in Blackpool and
All Hallows Church at nearby
Bispham was used for Blackpool's baptisms, marriages and burials. A church was built on the present site of the St John's in 1821. It was dedicated to
John the Evangelist and
consecrated on 6 July 1821 by
George Henry Law, the
Bishop of Chester. The church was enlarged in 1832 and 1847; a
chancel was added in 1851. St John's became a parish in 1860. In Porter's
Guide to Blackpool, Fleetwood, Lytham, etc. of 1871, the church was described as "a plain brick edifice, with a low embattled tower, and destitute of any architectural beauty". The churchyard was closed to burials in 1873, when
Layton Cemetery was completed, about away. To cope with a growing congregation, it was decided to replace the church with a larger building. The smaller church of 1821 was demolished in 1877 and building of the new church commenced immediately. The foundation stone was laid by Blackpool's first mayor, Dr William Cocker, who had donated £1000 towards the cost of the construction. The building was completed in 1878. The new church was consecrated on 25 June 1878 by
James Fraser, the
Bishop of Manchester. The present church was built in 1878 to a design by Garlick, Park and Sykes. It is constructed in the
Early English style from yellow stone, with slate roofs and
ashlar interiors. The tower is at the south west of the building and has four stages and angled
buttresses which are topped with
pinnacles and
finials. On each wall of the tower are two tall
Belfry louvres. St John's has a
nave with low aisles, tall
transepts and an
apsidal chancel. The nave has cylindrical columns with circular caps. The chancel has a
Gothic style screen and wooden panelling. St John's was designated a Grade II
listed building on 20 October 1983. The Grade II listing—the lowest of the three grades—is for buildings that are "nationally important and of special interest". After 100 years of use, the church was in need of repair and restoration work was carried out in 1986. Further renovation took place between 2000 and 2006 at a cost of £1.6 million. A community and conference centre were built, as well as a dedicated area for the homelessness charity
Streetlife. The inside of the church now features a modern, comfortable worship space with several other rooms created around it. ==Present day==