St. Mary's, Whitechapel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary's Whitechapel |
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photograph of St Mary's Whitechapel taken in 2009
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| Location | 5940 Whitechapel Road Lancaster, Virginia |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Episcopal |
| Website | www.stmaryswhitechapel.org |
| History | |
| Founded | 1669 |
| Architecture | |
| Style | Colonial |
| Years built | 1675 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | St Mary's Whitechapel |
St Mary's Whitechapel is an Episcopal church located in Lancaster, Virginia. It was founded in 1669. The church is about three miles south of Lively, in Lancaster County. It is part of an area known as the Northern Neck.
This church is special because Mary Ball Washington, the mother of George Washington, attended services here when she was a young girl.
Contents
History
How the Parish Started
In April 1657, the Colonial Assembly, which was like the government back then, divided the church area north of the Rappahannock River. This created two church areas, called parishes. The upper area became St. Mary's Whitechapel. The lower area became Christ Church (Lancaster County, Virginia).
People believe St. Mary's Whitechapel was named after a church area called Whitechapel in the East End of London, England. In 1752, these two parishes were joined together. However, they still used two different church buildings and had separate groups of leaders.
Building the Church
St. Mary's church was built in a simple, elegant style. This style was common for churches in Virginia during the 1600s. Construction of the building began around 1675. This was made possible by a gift from David Fox, a farmer who owned land near the original church area.
As more people moved into the area, the church needed to be bigger. In 1741, the original rectangular building was changed to a cross shape. This happened when new sections, called wings, were added to both the north and south sides of the building.
Changes Over Time
After the American Revolution, the Anglican churches in America faced big changes. Many churches closed down. St. Mary's church was left empty for about twenty years. During this time, the inside of the church was badly damaged. The east and west parts of the church fell apart.
Around 1830, the north and south wings were fixed. These repairs created the rectangular building you can see today. It's interesting because this new rectangular shape is at a right angle to how the original rectangular building was.
Special Items in the Church
The oldest item from the parish is a silver cup, called a chalice. David Fox Sr. gave this gift in 1669. Inside the church, there is a plaque with the Ten Commandments. This plaque dates back to 1702, also from a gift by David Fox.
On either side of the Ten Commandments, there are plaques with the Apostles' Creed and the Lord's Prayer. William Fox gave these in 1710. William Fox also donated a special bowl for baptisms in 1718. These items are thought to be the oldest of their kind in Virginia.
Later Years
The church was officially started again in 1832. To celebrate this, Rawleigh William Dowman donated a Bible. From 1832 until 1970, many ministers served both St. Mary's parish and Christ Church parish. Sometimes, they even served as many as six churches at once!
In 1973, the Diocese of Virginia recognized St. Mary's Whitechapel and Trinity Episcopal in Lancaster as their own independent parish. Since then, these two churches have shared a rector, who is the main minister. The pulpit, where the minister speaks, was added in 1979. The church organ was installed in 1984.
The Church Cemetery
The church has a cemetery where many local families are buried. This includes many members of the Ball family, who were relatives of Mary Ball Washington. The oldest marked grave belongs to "John Stretchley, gentleman," from 1698.
Some notable people buried here include George H. Steuart, a doctor, and his son, George H. Steuart, who was a consul in England. The actress Margaret Sullavan and former state politician Robert O. Norris Jr. are also buried in this cemetery.
St Mary's Whitechapel Today
Today, St. Mary's Whitechapel has an active group of people who attend the Episcopal church services. The current Interim Rector, who leads the church, is the Rev. Canon Lynn Collins.
The church is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is recognized as an important historical site.
See also
