Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-03-24
STORY OF HISTORIC OLD
ST. JOHNS in HAMPTON
Continued from page A; section 81.

ptSS SSCllUh
their poverty, yet in their faith, they
set about tho restoration OF the scar
red church. The walls were intact,
though tho roof and tower were gone.
In 1869. under the administration of
the Rev. Mr.. Mccarthy, retired chap
lain of the United tSates army, who
freely and generously gave his scrv.
ices for two years, the church was
| finally completed, and again the walls
that had passed through SO many
| vicissitudes rang with the songs of
/ Zion. The church has since greatly
| prospered in membership and good
deeds, until now 1t is one of the
strongest parishes in the diocese,
itself mother of churches and fruit
ful OF good works. During the rector
| ship of Rev. John j. Gravatt. who
came to the parish fresh from the
seminary in 1878, work was started
+! III the neiehboring town of Newport
/ News, which has developed into the
noble and Vigorous church of ST.
Pauls Warwick Parish, and OF which
the Rev. A. o. Sykes, d. D., Is the
| present rector. Under Mr.. Gravatt,
also, vigorous work was prosecuted
in Phocbus. although the present
beautiful chapel was completed under
( the rcctorship of his immediate sue
/, cessor. The parish greatly prospercd
I under Mr.. Gravatt's leadership; tho
/ church was renovated, while n splen-
J did stained glass window was erected
, TO the memory of Pocahontas, who
i worshiped, no doubt, in the old church
at kecouShtan, while the commodious
parish house adjoining the church was
conceived and completed. Mr.. Ora.
watt resigned in 1893 and was imme-
I diatcly succeeded by the Rev. c..
! BraNton Bryan, ID. D.. who took up
the work vigorously and intelligently,
and continued 1T with great success
I until 1905, when he resigned to be-
come rector of Grace church, Peters
burg Mr. Bryan, being an archaeol-
ogist OF tried capacity and training,
! became at once interested in the his
tory OF so ancient parish Among
other important ventures in this di-
rection no caused to be erected a
window in the church to the members
T, or tho colonial clergy at n place near
/ where the pulpit formerly stood. 1t
was during his incumbency that the
| present square tower was built at
the southeast corner of the chancel,
without injury to the original walls;
an organ chamber was added in
which was placed new organ and
n vested choir installed. Special work
among the negroes of the town was
| begun by DR.. Bryan in 1904, and has
continued with such success ever
since that chapel will soon be COM
| menced for tlose peoples USE In
1905, with the help of his capable as
sistant, the Rev. George T.. Rogers.
| church work was begun in East New
| port News, and now, as the result of
that endeavor, n building called Grace
Church, is rapidly approaching COM
pletion. The Rev. Henry j. Geiger Is
now the worthy assistant of the par
ish, in special charge of this work
and the chapel in Phoebus. From the
year 1878 Il very successful and
unique work has been carried on
i among the Indians at the Hampton
| Normal School by the successive rec
tors of the parish, thus reviying in
these late days the original design of
| the colonists of instructing the ma
tiyes in the principles of the doc
trinc of Christ. Thus has the PARISH
nrospered and grown under the bless
| ing of Providence. 1t has passed
through three wars, fire, water and
rapine have fed upon it, but it re-
mains today in the renewal of its
youth strong and developing force
| Tor good and righteousness. There is
| in keeping of this parish and in con.
slant use q communion service which
was made in London In 1918. It's his.
tory and description by the Rev. DR..
| Bryan is from an account furnished
by him to the Churchman, as fol-
| lows:
| The Chalice and Paten.
"They have been In longer use than
any other Engrsh Church vessels in
America. They were given by Mrs.
| Mary Robinson, of London, to a
/ church endowed by her in Smiths
Hundred in Virginia. which lay in
| the part between the Chickahominy
! and the James, and was later called
South Hampton Hundred. This church
twas endowed especially with the hope
lof converting the Indians, but the set
tlement was almost completely de-
listroyed by them in the great massa-
icre of 1922, when these vessels were
l,carried by Governor Yearley to
jamestown, and afterwards given to
1.-THE parish OF Elizabeth City. Here
they have survived many changes and
chances, and as If in answer to the
prayer of her who gave them. thcy
are now constantly used i'm the admin
istration of the holy communion to