Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-12-28
History OF the Venerable and
Interesting Edifice.
BUILT MANY YEARS AGO
On the Site of q churcl, That Had stood
There Since 11Go. The Parish. Regis
ter rand What 1t Tells. SUBJ
stantlany Built.

church, the venerable edifice of worship.
Further back into American history,
even, this consecrated spot has been the
site of the Church of England, far be-
fore the erection of the walls of the
present structure, at least two church
edlfices had stood upon the spot on the
Forth side of East Queen street where
ST: Johns now stands.
To the stranger no spot is so full OF
cnarm as the quaint. old-fashioned relic
Of English rule. Amid the venerable
where the rude forefathers of the ham,
where the rude forfathers of the ham
let Sleep rises the venerable pile a
monument to the piety of colonial Vir-
glnians. The enclosure is a block from
the ancient borough of Hampton re-
naming in many respects much aged
amid its surroundings of a busy, bus
Ting, Nineteenth Century town.
The present church edifice was built
IN 1927, but churches had been located
on the same site since 1860, and the
worship of God according to the forms
III the Church Of England or the Pro-
testant Episcopal church OF the United
States has continued practically unin-
now deserted village lone since fallen
TO decay, was at the zenith of its
pristine pride. before Bacon became q
rebel, and long before Braddock fell
near Fort Du Quesne; and when the
colony of Virginia was SO renowned for
elicit the commentator of the second
Charles church and state were the in
Separable.
Originally the old house Of worship
or more probably the Church at
keeoughton, the ancient name of the
town, in the parish Of Elizabeth City
colony Of Virginia. It continued thus
TO be known up to and even after the
Revolution. Indeed the records show
r. c1,, r. ol1,,;1& ~,
1927 and then for the first time called
ST. Johns. During the existence of the
present structure it has been desecrated,
vandalized and partially destroyed
three times, once in each of the three
great wars in which this country has
been involved, for in every one Of these
vars it fell into the hands of foes, who
tisregarded it's sanctity.
The present structure erected, origin
ally in 1927. like ST. PauPs church in
Norfolk, and other old colonial edif1ces,
IS built In the form of a Roman cross,
The head or eastern end Of which is the
pulpit. It is entered by doors and aisles
from the two arms and the foot Of the
cross. The brick wal u.s. which alone of
the original edifice remain intact after
the lapse Of SO many years, are models
If substantial masonry that excite the
;,Gmirationgand the envy Of more
modern builders. The statement that
the walls were constructed of brick inn
orted from England is common
= nrnhah,v nrig,natad from the facf
l,a4 tha cnurch vas erected toeether
tn;th tba other ala colonial CHURCHES Nv
the English government, for the Eng
lish church was a part Of the govern
ment.. The bricks We're made in moulds
,ver. knnun &C F,nelish hrick for This
raason III those man1lfactured in this
country being of larger size and less
perfect. The masonry. toe was Of a
e,7hstantial anl}nrine quality and
is annarant,v az sta h1a today as IN the
dav tha chnrch first occnnied Aside
trnn, ira walls however the church is
not ancient in other respects. All rhe
rest of n js of more recent construction.
the destructible portions having three
times Welded to the attacks Of invaders.
IN the var of the Revolution the church
vac dastrovad. al sava the walls In
1914 If Vas again dismantled and hurn
az; and aeain in the Civil war During
sf,ese foreign occupa tions of the town
nothines a nnears r. have been saved.
All the older tombs and monuments
in the old cemetery were chipped by
ra1;o. hunters and y,nfels and fhnse
tFa + remain are of com pa ratiyely recent
ERECTION. MANY stories are told by old
residents Of the vandalism Of war times
were refugees One Of these stories
HANDED doIyn from "a ther. to son is tha
1,ur;ne Tho way Of 1915 or more def;n-
itelv in fine wear or 1914 during the oc
cnnancv Of the town nv the British
soiaiery the adifce was desecrated to
rihe extent of being used as a slaughter 4
honsa for the army rcommissarv Here
The reeves We're hrouglt and sIaughter-
cd and the house left reekine With the
f,Ifh .-l-
5.1,Tha history NJ fha old church world
make a large vol1me and would re-
MANY of the church records have been
LOST or DESTROYED and the complete his
torv of the town is preserved only in
traditions handed down from father to