The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-01-31
VIRGINIA ANTIQUITIES.
vryrnxDIx RUINS ArPAeAs RIVER
vs.,t TO Old churches, Recalling """S
Ghosts of tho Past-Hon. Josep"
aFamous Colonial Counselor

..centlv written concerning the OF" N0'oe
bindings and ruins Of Virginia.
your correspondent. feeling that the reau-
.rs of Tnz Tf,frs would like a lew gr"pn'o
sketches Of some places Of remote antl9u'y'
and havino q little time ut his disposal 'ooA
buggy and drove from the thrifty ana crow
inc town ~ Suffolk 70 old ST. Johns chuicn
near Chuck-a-tuck. The last-named p'A9' -
one Of tie Quaintest. oddest-iookinH p''O
one conla imagine. IL belongs TO qul'o NJ
other generation. Nevertheless its pniiolnso
,-e we'll nrcserved and its odd little rows "a
vrir3ovs under tho caves look ous .gai-s
and not enviously upon new sss.o ~
from those IN existence 10 Us iN'"'
purIr is 1915.
Old St. Johns is about mile rom ..lai,s orc
tack II was built about loo. its "' .... a
attn strong. and. aitcge'net ~ ~ e a verv
handsome brick building. Inc S.so - o -,
avcoilert one II IS on a hill. at the Daso u
I;ch Il ',,,s a oufet and beautiful niue stream
Arovnd il are tail trees. under "nscn no ~
tered many OF the old Nirginians OK lno eeiIS
1oys No doubt. as they met WIN anu cu-
1 Ss1 ~ .~.is Of frontier life they Joytuly
os,no for res. 10 this house OF Goa, ana tno
s;,I;,@, If Tia Vipds through the trees NM
go Nth the siphings of their own hearts ior
dear old England ard ITS Ioyeo Vhes eua. Eau
been left behind forever ~ Jvln 10 ooiHI
banTso,,ei,- rouaired Under the rectorShlp OF
- -. tIonry + Derby of the Episcopal
e cilV &c Nansemond, IN which county the
church stands.
ANOTHER COLONIAL CHURCH.
ya.,t., 4be old church. q ride OF five
,,;les Lro1obt IA ID O Colonial church IN the
ieie of Wight county. i hls DullulhS IS OF
sfill more remote antiquity. ms IS the
Ssmons "Hrick Church. the Toal name being
81 Iuke's For ages It has STOOD beIe
,es;siiug storm and war II - the Oldest
profostant church building IN America. IL
had been standing 40 years when ~ John 5;
Richmond. was commenced. 1t ante-oated
tie Revolutionary War by ll4 years IL was
built iust 100 years before George Washing
ton was born. While It's walls were belns
erected the struggle between the people anu
Charles l., that fierce struggle which eH"cv
in the death of the King ana the T'se Vi
Cromwell, had begun IL
AS rode along the road towards the ola
building the shadows of night began 10 ca9'
their sable robe over everything.
"Ah, There is old II. luke Just OUT thefe
before US. said my friend.
Sure enough. in the middle OF grove OF
large trees we saw huge tower about twenty
feet square and sixty feet high ne churcn
building is quite picturesque. Inc oIlcK
work has all been restored the new A0oI III; ~
ON. the interior IS being plastered and vii!
soon be restored the ndOws Will once more
he tilled with beautiful stained glass. II will
he the aim of the designer TO put everything
hack as il used TO be IN the seventeenth cen
tnrv. Altogether the building, with us
arched windows and huge aOutments' prom
Uses to be one OF the iOvehest spots III VIZ
pinia as it will certainly be one OF the most
interesting. ,e.-
The old church has not been used for many
wears back. but IA IT is IN thickly settled
community its restoration IS not merely chi chi,
merica and aesthetic. but once more IL VIII
become an important centre OF religious infu-
ence.
BUILT IL 1852.
II seems now n well established fact that
this handsome old brick church was erected
in 1892 Dr. Purdie. one of the Oldest ana
most respected citizens of that county, toid
your reporter that from his earliest youth ne
had been told by the Oldest people that the
church was erected in 1922. The scanty re-
cords in existence indicate that 1t was IN
existence at time not very much later
than the date named. All TINS met Win inc
needed confirmation by the recent discovery
of two date bricks with the hgures lb5Z on
them. Your correspondent having seen IN
Turope buildings that had been standing for
over one thousand years. had no dlihculty IN
accepting the account Of the erection oil thls
building in 1852 as veraclons. 1t Is strange
that more people do not VISIT TINS pace, lor IL
ante-dates even the old church ut jamestown
by many years. .
One has but to come up by beautiful and
picturesque water route 10 SMithheld, when
Is itself an interesting place. and an hour 5
ride will take him 10 the church.
GHOSTS OF THE PAST.
ASH stood in the old church that chill Janu-
arv evening IN the deep and solemn shadows.
the scenes of the early Colonial times came
crowdng into my Imagination. Here gallant
cavalier and fair maiden met and plghted
their troth. Here they worshlped. with rifle
In easy reach 10 defend themselves IN event OF
a sudden onslaught OF the Indians. Here
came the weeping family 10 bury their dead.
Where are they now. whose brains were once
so busy with the AFFAIRS of old irglnia and
whose hearts beat with such tender love
for home and friends Gone. gone with the
mysterious shadows OF eternity them DEEDS
their names their faces all forgotten, ano
their graves unmarked.
An OLD GRAVE.
On the following day your correspondent
visited another very interesting spot 10 ln'
ANTIQUARIAN. About two miles from the Vl'
Brick Church" on the edge OF dense woa d'
and not far from an estuary OF me JANE
river. is one Of the Oldest clearly marked
graves in Virginia. =,
The spot il ON farm now owned py MT
Eta Pitt Leaving the road we crossed owe
to a place much overgrown with weeds an,
bushes Here we found huge srau',e s'Hl
on which the following inscription WAS cut u
clear and we'll preserved characters
Sacred
TO We Memory Of
The Hon be Joseph bridger
Esq 1ouncel'r OF state in Virginia
10 King Charles "a
Diving April ye % A. d. 1856
hcei So years. Mourntully Left
His Wife 3 Sons ~ 4 Daughters