St. James Church (Accomac, Virginia) facts for kids
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St. James Church
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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 Location in Virginia
Location in the United States
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| Location | Drummontown Rd. between Back St. and Ocean Hwy., Accomac, Virginia |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1838 |
| Architect | Potts |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 69000215 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | June 11, 1969 |
St. James Church is an old and important Episcopal Church located in Accomac, Virginia. It was first built in the 1600s as a "chapel of ease" for people living far from the main church. The current building was finished in 1838.
The church is famous for its Greek Revival design. It also has amazing "trompe-l'oeil" paintings inside. These paintings "fool the eye" into seeing things that aren't really there. Because of its special design and art, St. James Church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1969. It is also part of the Accomac Historic District.
The Story of St. James Church
The church's history began in 1663 when Accomack Parish was formed. St. James Church was first built as a small chapel for people in the southeastern part of Accomack County. The first church, made of brick, was finished in 1767. It stood near what is now the town of Onley, Virginia.
About 20 years later, the town of Drummondtown (now called Accomac) was started. It became the main town for the county. As Drummondtown grew, the church members decided to move St. James Church closer to the town center.
In 1838, new land was bought, and construction began. Some bricks from the old church were even used! The new church was designed in the popular Greek Revival style. This style was common for churches in the early 1800s.
The church has two doors that lead to two aisles inside. There was a central platform where the preacher would stand. An artist named Jean G. Potts was hired to paint the inside walls and ceiling. He was a master of the "trompe-l'oeil" style, which means "fool the eye." He painted the church to make it look bigger and more detailed than it really was. He painted fake pillars, moldings, and panels on the walls.
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The town of Accomac was very busy in the 1840s. It even had the first newspaper on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. A famous person named Henry A. Wise lived in this area. He was a lawyer and later became the 33rd governor of Virginia. His childhood home can still be seen from the church's backyard.
During the American Civil War, many churches in Virginia were damaged. However, St. James Church was saved. A Union General named Henry H. Lockwood listened to the people of Accomac. He made sure his soldiers behaved well and did not harm the church.
Church Design and Art
St. James Church is built in the Greek Revival style. Its brick walls are covered with stucco on the front. This stucco is painted to look like large stone blocks. The front of the church has a large porch with four columns. This is called a "tetrastyle portico."
There are two main doors on the front. Above them, a half-moon shaped window lets light into the upstairs gallery. A decorative wooden trim goes around the front and sides of the church. On top of the roof, there is a wooden bell tower with a tall spire. This bell tower has some Gothic-style arches, which are a bit different from the Greek Revival style.
Inside, the church is truly special because of Jean G. Potts's "trompe-l'oeil" paintings. These paintings cover all the walls and the curved ceiling. The walls are painted to look like they have recessed panels. The ceiling is painted with fake "coffers," which are sunken panels, and beautiful scrollwork. In the very center of the ceiling, there is a painted medallion with lots of fancy designs.
Potts also painted the wall behind the altar to look like a deep, vaulted space with pillars. It's all painted on a flat wall, making it seem much larger! These paintings even hide a door that leads to a small room behind the altar. In the 1900s, artists Linda Croison and Philip Ward restored these amazing paintings. They even left some small parts of Potts's original work visible.
The church's furniture is quite simple. There are long wooden pews with doors, each labeled with a Roman numeral. A railing with decorative posts separates the main seating area from the altar. At the back of the church, there's an upstairs gallery. You can reach it by a central staircase with two flights of stairs.
St. James Church Today
St. James Church is still an active church today. It is part of the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia. It belongs to St. George's Parish in Pungoteague. The current leader of the church is the Rev. Philip Bjornberg.
Gallery
