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 Episcopal church. You can find it near Chuckatuck, in Virginia. This church was built in 1755. It is actually the third church to stand on this spot! The church community, called a parish, started way back in 1642. St. John's Church is important because it shows us a lot about the religious history of Virginia in the 1600s. It also shows how church buildings changed over time in the 1800s.
The church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. This means it is a special historical building.
Contents
The Story of St. John's Church
The history of St. John's Church began in 1642. At that time, the area called Nansemond County was divided into three church areas, or parishes. St. John's Church was part of the West Parish. This parish was later named after the nearby village of Chuckatuck.
Early English settlers in this area did not all follow the Anglican faith. Many people welcomed ministers and followers of other Christian groups. These groups included the Puritans and Quakers. For example, George Fox, who helped start the Quakers, visited Nansemond in 1672. He found four active Quaker groups there. Because there were so many different religious groups, there were often disagreements. These arguments sometimes even involved the Royal Governor.
Building the Church
We do not have many records about the very first church building in Chuckatuck Parish. However, scientists have dug up parts of an old bell tower. This tower was found near the entrance of the current church. It might have been part of the original church from the 1600s.
A second church building might have been built around the early 1700s. In 1725, the Chuckatuck and Lower parishes joined together. They formed a new parish called Suffolk Parish. In 1751, the leaders of Suffolk Parish decided to build a new brick church. This new church would replace the older wooden building at Chuckatuck. They even put an advertisement in the Virginia Gazette newspaper in 1752. The new St. John's Church was finished in 1755. After it was done, the older building was taken down.
St. John's Church stopped being used for a while after the American Revolution. But in 1826, the church was started up again. At that time, the parish was officially renamed St. Johns.
What St. John's Church Looks Like
St. John's Church shows how the style and ideas of the Episcopal Church changed. The building from 1755 is in a style called Georgian. It has a simple rectangular shape. It measures about 60 feet, 10 inches long, and 30 feet, 6 inches wide. The brick walls are very thick, about 21 inches! The bricks are laid in a pattern called Flemish bond. This is a special way bricks are arranged.
The front of the church (southwest side) has shiny, dark bricks. The other walls have some dark bricks mixed in. Originally, the church had two main doors. One was on the southwest side and one on the southeast side. It is interesting that St. John's Church does not face east. Most churches from the 1700s in Virginia were built to face east.
Changes Over Time
Even though the church looks different today, we can still see clues about its original look. The southwest entrance used to have a fancy triangular shape above it, called a pediment. This pediment is now gone. You can see where it used to be because the bricks are patched up. The southeast side of the building still shows where the second door used to be. The bricks used to fill in that door are lighter in color than the original ones.
When the church was first built, its roof had sloped ends called clipped gables. These were on the northeast and southwest sides. But later, these sloped ends were removed. The spaces were filled in with bricks to make a simple gable roof over the whole building.
When St. John's was reopened in the 1820s, its inside still fit the style of most Episcopal churches back then. These churches focused more on the spoken sermon than on the communion service. The original windows at the altar end of the church were where the communion table was placed. But these windows were later filled in.
In the 1880s, the Episcopal Church started to change its worship style. It became more focused on rituals and sacraments. So, the inside of St. John's was changed again. A special area called a chancel was added. This area was set apart for the communion service. The original windows on the altar wall were bricked over. A new window was put in the center, above the raised altar. These changes were done by someone named William Whitney.
