St. Luke's Church (Smithfield, Virginia) facts for kids
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Saint Luke's Church (Smithfield)
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| Location | Benns Church, Virginia |
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| Nearest city | Smithfield, Virginia |
| Area | 5 acres (2.0 ha) |
| Built | 1682 |
| Architectural style | Single Room Vernacular Brick Church of Artisan Mannerism Style. |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000838 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | October 9, 1960 |
St. Luke's Church, also known as Old Brick Church or Newport Parish Church, is a very old church building. It is located in a community called Benns Church, close to Smithfield in Isle of Wight County, Virginia, United States. This church is considered the oldest church in Virginia. It is also the oldest brick church in all of British North America. Some people believe it was built in 1632, but other clues suggest it was built in 1682.
On October 15, 1966, St. Luke's was named a National Historic Landmark. This means it is a very important historical and architectural site. It was also added to the National Register of Historic Places. In 1957, President Dwight D. Eisenhower called it a National Shrine. This was to celebrate the 350th anniversary of Jamestown, a very early American settlement.
Since 1954, a non-profit group called Historic St. Luke's Restoration has taken care of the church. They work to keep the 17th-century church and its 100-acre land safe. This group does not get money from the government. All their funding comes from private companies, foundations, and people who donate.
Contents
What Makes St. Luke's Church Special?
St. Luke's Church was once known as "Old Brick Church." Experts describe its style as Artisan Mannerism. This means that skilled builders, like masons, designed and built the church themselves. They did not have a professional architect guiding them. Other buildings from this time, like Bacon's Castle, show a similar style.
The church has a simple design: it's one large room. It measures about 29 feet wide and 65 feet long. At the west end, there is a square tower that is 20 feet by 20 feet. The walls are made of bricks laid in a pattern called Flemish bond. Strong supports called buttresses stick out from the north and south walls. Both the east and west ends of the church have unique "crow-stepped" gables. The corners of the building have simple, decorative turrets.
The original windows were changed in the 1800s. The Victorian windows you see today are from that time. The beautiful stained glass windows above the altar were made in Germany. The doors you see now were added in the 1950s.
Exploring the Church's Design
This section looks closer at the special parts of St. Luke's Church.
Church History and Area Changes
The area around St. Luke's Church has a long history. It was first known as Warrosquyoake plantation. Over time, the names and boundaries of the local areas changed:
- 1629: Warrosquyoake Parish was formed.
- 1634: It was listed as one of the original shires (counties).
- 1634: Isle of Wight County was created.
- 1643: The area was split into two parts: Warrosquyoake (upper) and Newport (lower) parishes.
- 1743: The lower parts of Warrosquyoake and Newport Parishes became Newport Parish. The upper parts became Nottoway Parish.
What is a Virginia Room Church?
Newport Parish Church combines a 17th-century "room church" style with some Gothic features. A "room church" is a single, rectangular space. Unlike larger English Gothic churches with separate sections, Virginia churches usually have this simpler, open layout. St. Luke's is one of the oldest Anglican churches in Virginia. It shows all the main features of a room church:
- It is a rectangular building.
- It is about twice as long as it is wide.
- It faces east-west.
- The main door is on the west side.
- There is a special door for the vestry (church leaders) on the southeast side.
- The side walls are one story tall.
- There is a large window on the east side.
The Gothic features are mostly decorative, not part of the main structure. These include:
- A steep, pointed roof with crow-stepped or curved gables.
- Windows with Y-shaped patterns and brick decorations.
- Rounded arches at the doorways.
- Ceilings with exposed beams and plaster.
- Simple decorative edges (cornices).
- Porches, strong buttresses, or towers.
The Church's Brickwork
The church itself is about 60 feet long from east to west and 24 feet wide from north to south inside.
The bricks are laid in a pattern called Flemish bond. This pattern is used for the lower parts of the walls, the main walls, and the tower. The tower is built right into the church, unlike some other old church towers that were added later. St. Luke's Church has two special lower sections of brickwork, each nine bricks high. The walls are very thick: 36 inches at the bottom, 26 inches in the main walls, and 30 inches in the tower.
Three buttresses, which are strong supports, help hold up the north and south sides of the church. They divide the walls into sections, each with a Y-shaped window. St. Luke's is special because it is one of the only standing colonial churches with buttresses.
The walls rise 38 rows of bricks above the lower sections. The church has been repaired many times. For example, a storm in 1887 damaged the walls. Repairs included fixing the upper east wall, the crow steps, and many windows. About 2,000 bricks from the old Jamestown Church (built 1639–1647) were used for repairs in the 1890s.
The Roof and Gables
The roof you see today was replaced in the 1950s. Inside, it has large wooden beams and a plastered ceiling. The original roof was probably made of cedar shingles or wooden boards.
The east gable (the triangular part of the wall at the end of the roof) has decorative turrets at the corners. It also has eight "crow steps" that rise to the middle. The west gable, which is next to the tower, has fewer steps. Other colonial buildings also have gables, like Bacon's Castle (1665).
The Tower's Features
The tower at St. Luke's is the only one known to be an original part of a colonial church in Virginia. It stands on the west side of the main church building. It is about 18 feet by 20 feet at the ground level outside. The tower is 60 feet tall and has three stories.
The corners of the first two stories have decorative brickwork called "quoins." These are made of raised bricks that look like they are cut. The third story, which might have been added later, has a slate roof and a modern weather vane. The north and south sides of the tower each have one window on each story. These windows include an oval shape, a Y-shaped window, and a round window with louvers. The west side is similar, but the bottom story has a round brick arch. The bottom of the tower is open and acts like a porch.
Unique Windows
The windows of St. Luke's Church are very special and give the building its unique "Artisan Mannerism" look. The east window is a "great lancet" window. It has two rows of four round-headed windows. Below these are more windows, including diamond shapes and triangles. Each of the east windows and the Y-shaped windows in the rest of the church are separated by decorative molded bricks. There is also a small, oval window above the great east window.
There are eight lancet windows on the north and south sides of the church. Three more are on the tower (second story south, west, and north faces). These are similar to the great window. They each have two tall, arched windows with a smaller window above them, all separated by molded bricks.
The stained glass windows you see today are in the Tiffany style. However, they are not the original windows. The first windows were made of diamond-shaped, leaded glass. No colonial churches in Virginia had stained glass windows.
Doorways of the Church
St. Luke's Church was one of the first to have a main entrance on the west side and another entrance on the south side, in the far southeast corner. Both doors are modern replacements.
The main entrance is through the tower's archway. It has a large, semi-circular arch decorated with special bricks. Above the arch is a simple, triangular shape.
The inner western entrance is a "wicket door," which is a small door within a larger one. The southern entrance is a square-headed wooden door with decorative molded bricks around it. Old photos show that this southern entrance used to have a compass-headed door.
Inside the Church
We don't have many old records about the church's interior. One record from 1746 says that the wives of church leaders had a special seating area. Only one original wooden baluster (a small post) from the altar rail remains today. The rood screen, which separates the main part of the church from the altar area, was rebuilt based on old foundations found in the 1950s. A sounding board, which helps voices carry, was found in a nearby barn in 1894 and is from the 1600s. These two items are the only original interior pieces.
Most of the inside of the church was destroyed long ago. The current interior was rebuilt in the 1950s. It has special seating areas called box pews and slip pews.
The pulpit, where the minister speaks, is a reconstruction from the 1950s. It has three levels. The main aisle is T-shaped and paved with square bricks, just like the original floor. The areas under the pews have wooden floors that are reproductions. At the west end, there is a gallery (an upper seating area) that was also restored in the 1950s.
Some parts of the interior, like the rood screen and a medieval-style bench, are based on ideas from the 1950s restoration. The church also has a reproduction baptismal font and other church furnishings from the 1600s, though they didn't originally belong to this church.
Summary of St. Luke's Importance
St. Luke's Church is the oldest church in Virginia. Its construction shows how church building changed from simple wooden structures to more lasting brick buildings. It represents an early period of church design with its bell tower, enclosed west porch, and unique windows. Experts note that some parts of the recent restoration might not be exactly how the church looked originally.
Church Cemetery
The church cemetery is a burial ground for many people. Allie Edward Stakes Stephens, who was a Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, is buried here with his wife. They worked hard to help save the church. Also buried in the cemetery is Archibald Atkinson, who served in the United States House of Representatives from 1843 to 1849.
Visiting St. Luke's Church Today
Since 1954, Historic St. Luke's Restoration has managed the church. The 100-acre historic site and museum offer guided tours. You can visit seven days a week between February and December. They are only closed in January. Visitors get a 45-minute tour, learning about the church's history from its beginnings to its restorations.
The site can also be rented for private events. These include weddings, funerals, baptisms, and other special gatherings. A group of directors oversees the church's daily operations, budgets, and fundraising.
Current State of the Church
After the most recent restoration project in 2012, St. Luke's is in good shape. It is expected to be well-preserved for many years. However, keeping up with daily maintenance of the buildings and property is still a challenge.
As of April 2015, a big project was underway. This was the Historic St. Luke's Grounds Restoration Project (Phase 1). This project cost $500,000. It was designed to fix the ponds, bridge, roads, and landscaping. This will help manage the grounds and make them accessible for decades. Phase 2 of this project is also being planned.
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Virginia
- List of National Historic Landmarks in Virginia
- Oldest buildings in the United States
- Oldest churches in the United States
Images for kids
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Detail of gables and elliptical window
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Great window in the east end
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Tower, quoins and windows
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Interior view of window showing Victorian glass
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First vestry door on the south wall
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Western entrance – wicket door
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Rafter footings
