The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-05-14

distances from one 3notncr anu tN'n ~
1862. when the population had swollen
TO over $500 an act was round necessary
for the encouragement OF jamestown.
The Legislature provided that 81 DITCH
houses should be built ~ BY % feet, WIN
walls IS feet high and the roof having
lS-foot pitch, Gl) which doubtless meant :
stories and a half. As these buildings
were really rover needed. some OF them
were never finished, and some so hadly
put up as 10 fan down, ana by entail
Ing much expense. served az one or the
causes Of Bacon's Rebellion.
We have description OF the town at
this time. 1876. and are told that II con-
tained be- sldes the brick church ana the
state House. u brick buildings and
considerable number Of framed buildings.
d2J.
Not all the brick houses We're inhabited,
and those that were. were used as or
dinaries for the entertainment or visit
ors at the meetings OF the courts anu
assemblies The house OF William Drum
mond was Immediately east or the cn"r'h'
making 10 an easy matter Tor Bacon
s.hen he landed in the night ar Sandy
BAY. at the time Of his return from MS
Indian war. 10 communicate with hin
During the war which ensued between
Bacon and Berkeley. jamestown was de-
stroyed hy the former as military ne
cesslty Richard Lawrence, whose VIE
kept an ordinary 20 which people or the
best quality" resOrtrd, set example
by firing his house with his own hand.
Bacon fired the church. brummond also
fired his house. but be deserves per
petual thanks FOR saving from the flames
the public records. by which We are enc
abled TO know as much as we DO or INC
place.
After Bacons Rebellion the state House
was rebuilt. but a fire acciiently occurred
in October 1929 and IT. was again re
duccd 10 ruins, d3).
WILLIAMSBURG.
Then the new city Of Williamsburg was
laid out. and a State building, the finest
ON the continent az that time, was erect
"a. and given the magnificent title OF the
CAPITOL This succumbed 10 the ineVitanie
fiery enemy in l1i5. and thcreupon
fourth state House arose in liol, made OF
brick burnt near Williamsburg. a.
In fact. / have never seen amy evidence
in our records TO support the theory mat
any OF the colonial houses were made
of brick imported from England. as Is SO
often said
The brick OF which the jamestown
church OF los was constructed was un-
doubtcdly home manufacture taken from
the clay OF James Island whore Alex
ander StOmar. brickmaker. patented an
acre of land. near the brick-kiln there
mentioned.
The Capitol building erected I'm ll5l.
after standing In Williamsburg for eighty
one years. was burnt down In 1882. IL was
the building In which Patrick Henry ut
tered his immortal defiance against
George Ill.,
Fortunately, I'm each Of these conhagra-
lions the public records were saved.
Some were az last burned zap In Richmond
in 1850. but the land records. perhaps the
most important of all that Drunmond
saved are SIN 10 Doe seen I'm the base
mont of the Capitol iu Richmond But an
experience like the past IN the matter OF
fires ought 90 teach our public authotl-
ties how negligent 10 is-nay. how crlmi-
nal IL is-to permit these invaluable re-
cords to lie where they are, when tho
new Library Building. as tho act states in
IT'S preamble. was created for the eX-
press purpose of making h depository
for the records In the Capitol. which ia
subject every day 20 the powers OF the
mighty destroyer The Capitol In Rich
mond has already stood longer than its
fated time.
It has been a contrOverted point wheth-
or the church ar jamestown was ever
rebuilt after Bacon's Rebellion. Beverley.
who says that jamestown was almost
deserted" by the removal OF the gov
ernment 10 Williamsburg. speaks OF the
burning OF the State House I'm 1898, but
does not mention the church. The Rev
Hugh Jones was minister for some time
OF the church in James city parish, bur
I'm his Present State OF Virginia pub
ished i'm l724. be says that jamestown
cor INSISTED Of an abundance Of brick rub-
bish and three or four good inhabited
houses. though the parish is OF pretty
large extern, but less than others" lie
mentions no church az jamestown.
WHICH cHrucH
Now, 10 is well known. that before the
Revolution there was a church on the
main three miles from jamestown at
which Bishop Madison preached. Some
have thought that references 20 "the
church in James city meant this
church. Nor does the aims, basin pre-
served at the seminary. the gift OF Sir
Edmond Andres, nor the baptismai font
in the possession OF the Monumental
church. the gift OF Martha Jaqueiine.
the wife of Edward JaQuellne. and OF Ed
ward. their sOn-the first dated l63L and
the second i79-relieve the doubt for tho
inscription upon both might apply 10 Il
church az jamestown. which place was
often called james city" or 10 a church
Ia James city Parish. But the positive
evidence In favor OF the churchs exist
ence is too strong 20 admit Of doubt
The church at jamestown must nave
been repaired after the fire in 1876. not
only because the place continued for
nearly twenty-fOur years later the seat OF
the government OF the colony ana Of
the county and parish of James city. and
not only because in the graveyard Is
the tomb or John Cough. which describes
him as minister OF this place boo 1884
but because there are three witnesses who
testify directly 10 ITS existence some
years after this time. The first is the
nv. John Warden. who when asked by
the Bishop of London what churcfgs
he had preached az I'm Virginia replied
that in 1872 be preached for six months
az the church in jamestown. similar
inquiry Of the Rev Peter fOutalne eyok-
eel the answer that he had preached at
jamestown in l1ls. and the Rev. william
Le Neve, minister OF James city parish.
valued his living ar jamestown at 10, as
be says in his report 20 the same party.
UjJ.
There can be no doubt then. that the
church an jamestown was repaired after
the fire IN 1876. but this may still leave
the old steeple that is standing. me zoe
llct Of the first brick church Zoo Virginia,
the church Of 1888. inc legitimate success
sor OF he old sail first put up as an avn
ing.
As 10th az am 10 dispute the claims OF
the 5mithheh church J am TOO wen ac-
quanted with the backWardness OF ar
chltecture in the colony 20 believe. with
out the most positive evidence. that 1n
outlying settlement, barely few years
old, surrounded by Indians. could Vie Wlth
the Capitol in producing "A brick struc-
ture. That church Is attributed 10 one
I0goDh Rridgpr tina father az General