St. John’s Church

St. John’s Church, originally a cathedral, was among the first public buildings erected by the East India Company after Kolkata became the capital of British India. Located in the heart of Kolkata’s heritage centre, Dalhousie Square, the church was constructed in 1787 using funds raised through a public lottery. An original Parish Church of Bengal, St. John’s Church became the principal Cathedral of Calcutta in 1815, and remained so until the consecration of St. Paul’s Cathedral in 1874. The church is a rich repository of old memories and historic remains related to the history of Kolkata. The land on which St. John’s Church was built was Kolkata’s former burial ground where Job Charnock—the founder of Kolkata—was buried with his family.