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St. John's Church

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Carter
Carter
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4 out of 5
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St. John's Church

  • September 1, 2006
  • Rated 4 of 5 by zabelle from Portland, Connecticut
St. John's Church

The church must be visited on a guided tour. You go first to the gift shop and pay for admission, and then one of the docents will unlock the church and take your group in. We were about 10 people, and our guide was Connie.

Before we entered the church, we began in the church yard talking about some of the people who are buried there. Among the most notable are the parents of Edgar Allen Poe. After doing a little research of my own, I found out that Major General George Pickett of “Pickett’s Charge” fame was baptized here in 1825.

St John Episcopal Church was built in 1741. It was renovated in 1773 and the capacity of the church was raised to 120. When the Governor of Virginia disbanned the House of Burgesses, the delegates who were meeting in Rawley’s tavern called for a new convention. Since they couldn’t hold it in Williamsburg right under the governor's nose, they decided to meet in Richmond. Luckily for St John’s, with a seating capacity of 120, they were the largest venue in town.

The reason most people come to visit St John Church is because it was here that Patrick Henry gave his famous speech, “As for me, give me liberty or give me death.” It got a mixed reception: about one third of the delegates were loyalist, another third were patriots, and the last third had yet to form an opinion. His speech evoked as many boos and catcalls as it did cheers.

It makes you feel a part of our common heritage to stand in the very place where our country began. It was indeed Patrick Henry who was the first to refer to himself and the other delegates as Americans. This was a very big step, to think of themselves as anything other than British citizens. It was the beginning of the American identity. It is hard to imagine a time when there weren’t “Americans.”

The tour takes about 20 to 25 minutes, and you are allowed to walk around the church after you are finished. This is still an active church, and as historic as it is, it should still be treated as such. The stained glass windows are interesting, and some of them are quite old.

You will want to go back to the gift shop. It is a very nice one, with lots of interesting things to tempt you. The ladies there are full of information, and they are happy to share it.

From journal Richmond - Rich in History, Part 1

St. John's Church

  • July 29, 2000
  • Rated 4 of 5 by Carter from Richmond, Virginia
It was in this building, (one of the oldest wooden structures in Virginia), that the Virginia Convention of 1775 met in secret to discuss revolution. At the meeting, Patrick Henry delivered his famous speech crying, "Give me liberty or give me death!". The presentation was so powerful that a man watching through the window declared he wished to be buried on the spot. On the spot he lies.

Join the Delegates (re-enactors include George Washington and Thomas Jefferson) and bang your fist on the pews to indicate a vote of yes or no for freedom.

Memorial Day-Labor Day, 1:30pm (re-enactments)

From journal A City of History: Museums and Sites

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