St. Peter's Church (Talleysville, Virginia) facts for kids
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St. Peter's Church
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St. Peter's Church
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 Location in Virginia
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| Location | 8400 Saint Peters Lane Talleysville, Virginia 23124 (New Kent mailing address) |
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| Built | 1703 |
| NRHP reference No. | 69000263 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 1, 1969 |
| Designated NHL | March 2, 2012 |
St. Peter's Church is a very old and important Episcopal church building located near Talleysville, Virginia, in the United States. It was built way back in 1703. This church is special because the Virginia General Assembly called it "The First Church of the First First-Lady" in 1960. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1969. Later, on March 2, 2012, it was named a National Historic Landmark. This means it's a really important place in American history, especially because it's a colonial-era church that is still in great condition.
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History of St. Peter's Church
St. Peter's Church began its journey in New Kent County, Virginia, on April 29, 1679. The actual building started being constructed in 1701. It cost a lot of tobacco back then – about 146,000 pounds! The church was finished by 1703, and a tall steeple was added 12 years later. Colonel Joseph Foster, who built a nearby place called Foster's Castle, helped supervise the church's construction. He was a leader in the church community.
Martha Washington's Connection
A man named Colonel Daniel Parke Custis was also a leader at St. Peter's. He married Martha Dandridge in June 1749. Sadly, he passed away after only eight years of marriage. Later, on January 6, 1759, the church's minister, Rev. David Mossom, married Martha Custis to Colonel George Washington. George Washington later became the first President of the United States! People still discuss exactly where they got married. Some believe it was inside St. Peter's Church, while others think it happened a few miles away at the White House Plantation.
Challenges and Changes Over Time
After the American Revolution, the Episcopal Church faced some difficulties. St. Peter's Church was not used for a while and started to fall apart. Around 1820, a different group, the Presbyterians, began using the church for their services. Then, in 1843, Episcopalian services started again. Both groups shared the church, taking turns each week, until 1865.
Civil War Impact and Restoration
Because St. Peter's Church was in a central spot in New Kent County, about 30 miles from Richmond, it suffered a lot during the American Civil War. Many of its old records were lost. Union soldiers even kept their horses inside the church, and they carved their names into the brick walls.
On October 23, 1869, General Robert E. Lee wrote a letter saying, "St. Peters is the church where General Washington was married and attended in early life. It would be a shame to America if allowed to go to destruction." His son, General William Henry Fitzhugh Lee, helped with some repairs in 1872.
After the church was officially named "The First Church of the First First-Lady" in 1960, more restoration work began. Experts in architecture and church history helped make sure the repairs were done correctly. This renovation included big improvements to the church's structure, which meant the inside had to be completely redone.
Architecture of St. Peter's Church
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St. Peter's Church is built from brick laid in a special pattern called Flemish bond. The building is about 64 feet (19.5 meters) long and 28 feet (8.6 meters) wide, and it's one story tall. The roof has unique curved ends. The windows have rounded tops, and the arches of the tower are also open and rounded. The tower was added in the mid-1700s, replacing an older wooden bell tower.
The two-story brick tower also uses the Flemish bond pattern and has a pyramid-shaped roof. At the top of the tower, there are four original decorative urns made of stuccoed brick. A side section was added to the church before the American Revolution but was removed in the mid-1800s.
Some of the original doorways and windows on the south side had been bricked up over time. However, these have been opened up and restored to how they looked originally. The curved roof ends were also restored after evidence of their original design was found during repair work in the 1940s and early 1950s. Much of the church, both inside and out, has been carefully restored or replaced to look just as it did when it was first built.
See also
- List of National Historic Landmarks in Virginia
- List of the oldest buildings in Virginia
- National Register of Historic Places listings in New Kent County, Virginia
