The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-05-01
The Oldest Churches.

~ 9ss! ne O!ueSt OnurCneSsS,$R
Editor Of The Times-D tspa ton B s3ll
IS Please publis1, three OF the 4 oldest
churches In Virginia giving denonir1a-
tions. location and date built; and also
I tho Same Information as 10 tho Oldest
e sUBscR1BBR.s
In answer to the foregoing which ap-!!
peared I'm your issue OF April 10th, I will
ely that the Oldest church building now
standing In Virginia and which Is also the
Oldest Pro tsstant church IN America, Is
That Of st. Luke's Episcopal Church, 10
Gated In Isle OF w ght county. Va, d few
miles from smithtield, and which was
built In the year 1882. Up to a fow$ years
dlapidated condition, but IS now. II be
lieve, in q good state ofrepair. withShand-
some memorial windows in It to Il John
Smith, Foonhontas, 60, NJ iss 81 ]53 al
Tho next two Oldest churches In ~ Virginia,
both OF them also being Episcopal, are St.
Geor ge 81 at Pungoteaaue In Accomao
county. built between 1860 and 1869, and
st. John at Hampton, in Elizabeth City
county which was built sometime be-
the three mentioned there are several
other church buildings left standing in
Virginia OF those which were erected be-
fore the year 100, such as Triton Church
at Williamsburg built In 1878, and Hun
gor's Creek, built about 1881. FL
II believe tho old church ut Yorktown
was also erected before 100. Those
churches are also NIL Episcopal IA There
arc In addition, more than twenty o Their
old churches still left In Virginia Nearly
though not quite. al of them being Epls-
copaD which were built at different times
after the year 100, but before tho Revolu-
ton. The Oldest OF this class Is st. Pe-
ter's in New Kent county. erected in 1703,
and one Of whose rectors. Rev. David
Mossom,; afterwards offlciated at tho nup-
stlals of General Washington. 5{
I'm ST. John s Church hero in Richmond. in
which Patrick Henry. made his famous
speech "Give mo lbe,f:y or give me death.
also belongs to this class, i, having been
erected. SO far Is a part OF " goes in the
year 1741, though q largo addition was
built to It after the Revolution. 35{ 53
Altogether In the number OF her old
churches Virginia ie by long odds ahead
OF any State In the Union. si2: IA 81
81 have said that tho old church In Isle
OF Wight county Is the oldest in the State.
and the Oldest Protestant church IN ,Amerl-
90 which 10 correct; but whether there IS
any Roman Catholic Church in those por-
tons OF spanish-settled America which
have ben added to tho United States that
Is older cannot speak positively about.
though + do not think there Is, The
Catholic Cathedral at St, Augustine. Fla.,
wl,ichSwas theSearltest settled place with-
In the limits of what Is now the United
States, was not bGlt until 1893 or. moro
than one hundred and sixty years after
the old church IN Isle Of Wight county. 81
AN, NJ q 55,5 {ti3 Z, w. W.
Richmond, Va
Dditor OF Tho Times Dspi,tch
Is Perhaps Ground Squire! Church in
Hanover county PnrrIngton p. O.D Is
the Oldest church In the county ana may
be the Oldest in the State, Ground SPUR
rol Church was built by tho Disciples In
1903, The next Oldest Is Deep Run Bap-
list in tho county OF Henrico, Mt Erin
Shndes. p. O., which was built by the
British In 177s. Tho next Oldest ls W1nns
at Elnont p, o.. Hanover county. which
WINS built by the Baptlsts IN 1776s
The first Sundays school perm allortly es-
tablished iniVlrginin was at Ground SOUR
rel Church In Hanover county. the SEQ
ond Sunday In April 1916, byps Mayor Jes-
sc Enead, since a deacon In the Second
baptist Church in Richmond.
spns1cFN NIB
chickahominy. Va. sbB
Editor or The Times-D Dispatch, i
a + enclose a clipping from tho New York
Herald Oh puHua y tPAAA ~, IVY, III AAASAN
nav help out the answer for Subscriber
in regards to the Oldest church In tho
United States . !. y,
Norfolk
1'ho Church OF. San Miguel. at Santa Re,
IS claimed by New Mexicans TO be the old
est In tho United States, Thore Is much
DISPUTE over the exact date Of Its erection,
but 1t was certainly built between two
hundred and three hundred years ago by
the first Indian converts, unden tho dlrec7
yHon OF tho Spanish padres-som0 say as
long ago as l545.
The most interesting thing In San Miguel
is the Old bell, ct. Joseph. The old Span
ish padres brought the bell already m
cient. across the seas from Spain, and
over mountains and plateous from Mexl,
ca, Tho Moors are gone, spain'g great
empire Of the West has vanished, and
sui the old bell stands there, older than
American civilization l58 IA
OBITUARY. B