St. John's Church (Chuckatuck, Virginia) facts for kids
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St. John's Church
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St. John's Church in 2015
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 Location in Virginia
Location in the United States
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| Location | E of Chuckatuck on VA 125, near Chuckatuck, Virginia |
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| Area | 6.3 acres (2.5 ha) |
| Built | 1755 |
| NRHP reference No. | 73002149 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | April 11, 1973 |
St. John's Church, also known as Chuckatuck Church, is a very old and important church near Chuckatuck. It was built in 1755. This church is actually the third one to stand on this spot! The church's history goes all the way back to 1642. St. John's Church shows us a lot about how religion changed in Virginia long ago. It also teaches us about how church buildings changed over time. This special church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973, meaning it's a really important historical site.
Contents
A Look at Church History
St. John's Church began its journey in 1642. Back then, the area known as Nansemond County was split into three church districts called "parishes." St. John's Church was part of the West Parish. This parish later got its name from the nearby village of Chuckatuck.
Early Settlers and Faith
Not all early English settlers in the area followed the Anglican faith (the official church of England). Many welcomed other religious groups. These included Puritans and Quakers. For example, George Fox, a founder of the Quakers, visited Nansemond in 1672. He found four active Quaker groups there. Having so many different religious groups sometimes caused disagreements. These arguments even involved the Royal Governor!
Building the Churches
We don't have many records about the very first church building in Chuckatuck Parish. But, digging around the current St. John's Church has found clues. They found the base of a bell tower. This might be from the first church built in the 1600s. A second church building might have been built around the early 1700s.
In 1725, two parishes, Chuckatuck and Lower, joined together. They formed a new parish called Suffolk Parish. In 1751, the church leaders decided to build a new brick church at Chuckatuck. This new church would replace the older wooden one. An advertisement in the Virginia Gazette in 1752 confirmed this plan. The new St. John's Church was finished in 1755. After it was ready, the older building was taken down.
Changes Over Time
St. John's Church stopped being used for a while after the "Disestablishment." This was a time when the government stopped supporting the church. But the church was reorganized in 1826. After that, it was officially named St. John's Parish.
Church Design and Style
St. John's Church shows how the style and beliefs of the Episcopal Church changed. The building from 1755 is in the Georgian style. It has a traditional rectangular shape. It measures about 60 feet long and 30 feet wide. The brick walls are very thick, about 21 inches! The bricks are laid in a special pattern called Flemish bond.
Original Features
The front of the church (southwest side) has shiny bricks. The other walls have some shiny bricks mixed in. Originally, the church had two entrances. One was on the southwest side and one on the southeast side. St. John's is a bit unusual. Most churches from the 1700s in Virginia faced east. But St. John's does not.
Even though the church has changed a lot, we can still see hints of its original look. The southwest entrance has two brick columns. The original triangle-shaped decoration above the door is gone. You can see where it used to be. The southeast side still shows where the second entrance was. The bricks used to patch it up are lighter than the original ones. The roof used to have special clipped gables. These were later removed and filled in with bricks. This made the roof a simple gable shape.
Inside the Church
When St. John's was used again in the 1820s, its inside still worked well. At that time, many Episcopal churches focused on spoken sermons. The original windows at the altar end of St. John's were where the communion table was. These windows were later filled in.
In the 1880s, the Episcopal Church started to change. They began to focus more on the sacrament (like communion). So, the inside of St. John's was changed. A special area called a "chancel" was added. This was a raised space for the sacrament. The original windows on the altar wall were bricked over. A new window was put in the center, above the new altar. These changes were done by William Whitney.
