Crocker Memorial Church aka Saint John ‘s Chapel, was a Baptist church located in Sarasota,Fl. It was established in 1901 by Peter Cracker. It is now a historic structure owned by the Historical Society of Sarasota County and is located at 1260 12th Street Sarasota, Florida

                     History

     Peter Crocker, T.T. Hamlin, and L.C. Deming were three of the original trustees of Saint John’s Church. They were deeded 2 acres of land from Florida Mortgage and Investment Company on June 27,1901 for one dollar down.  The property was to be used for a church and graveyard. The church was designated as a Baptist Chapel on 1903.  Due to the failure to find a resident pastor, the church declined after Crocker’s death in 1911.

                Location.and Ownership Changes

     16 years after Croker’s death, Bay Haven Baptist Church purchased the church building and moved it to its property on Bradenton Road.  When the Bay Haven Church purchased a new building, a Spanish Mission Congregation used it until the early 1980’s. When they left, the church was moved again by the historic preservationist in 1986 to Florida Avenue and was historically designated in 1995. The church continued to be used by the Throne of Grace Charismatic Episcopal Church until 2004 when it was officially decommissioned due to its poor condition.  In 2005, a campaign began to save the building from demolition.  With the help of the county, Jane Krischner former president of the Historical Society took ownership of the building and coordinated the church’s final move to Pioneer Park in 2006.

     The county provided over $160,000 to move the church for the Historical Society in 2006.  The building is now used as their gathering place for educational and social ssCroPair  Historical Society Ownership      Since 2006, the Historical Society has worked to restore, maintain and utilize the Crocker Church. Repairs were made the wood siding, floor joists, west wall, foundation and 6 windows.  The society is raising money to repair the East wall      The Church is frequently used for events such as Conversations at the Crocker where experts and audiences discuss events and people that have shaped Sarasota.     The Historical also rents out the Church for weddings