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The Jamestown Church: 17th century above-ground building in Jamestown

Marija Georgievska

The 17th-century Jamestown Church in Jamestown, Virginia, is one of the oldest surviving above-ground buildings built by Europeans in the original thirteen colonies that became the United States.

Remains of the 1639 tower of the old church (photographed c. 1900).
Remains of the 1639 tower of the old church (photographed c. 1900).

In 1607, the first real church was built inside a fort. In January 1608 it was destroyed by fire.

This information is known from one of Captain John Smith’s books, where he wrote of building the first structure at Jamestown.

View of the old church, ca. 1902. Photo Credit
View of the old church, ca. 1902. 

The settlers came ashore and quickly set about constructing their initial fort.

Within a month, The James Fort covered an acre of Jamestown Island.

The wooden palisaded walls formed a triangle around the church, a storehouse and a number of houses.

In the following year, the fort burned down.

The original 1639 church tower. Photo Credit
The original 1639 church tower. Photo Credit

The first church on the site where the present church stands was constructed in 1617 by Captain Samuel Argall.

According to Historic Jamestowne, in 1619, this church was the meeting place of the first representative legislative assembly in British North America.

Exterior of the Memorial church. Photo Credit
Exterior of the Memorial church. Photo Credit

Construction on the current church tower began in 1639 taking 4 years to complete. In 1750, a new church was built 3 miles away and the rest of the original church was destroyed and abandoned.

The present church was built by the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in 1907. Photo Credit
The present church was built by the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in 1907. Photo Credit

The present church, the Memorial Church, was built by the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in 1907 just outside the foundations of the earlier churches.

Interior of the church, showing various memorial plaques. Photo Credit
Interior of the church, showing various memorial plaques. Photo Credit

It was designed by Boston architects Ralph Adams Cram and Edmund Wheelwright and the original 1617 foundations may be viewed under glass on the floor inside.

Inside the walls of the church, there are many plaques that commemorate the important events and people of old Jamestown.

Graveyard at the church. Photo Credit
Graveyard at the church. Photo Credit

The design of the present church was inspired by a nearby similar church surviving from 1682, St. Luke’s Church originally known as the Old Brick Church, or Newport Parish Church.

The interior of the church as rebuilt. Photo Credit
The interior of the church as rebuilt. Photo Credit

In 1892, Jamestown was purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Edward Barney.

We found a cool story about another church in our vault: The Church of Panagia Paraportiani is the most popular church of the whole island of Mykonos

Barneys donated 22 acres of land, including the church tower, to the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities.

Marija Georgievska

Marija Georgievska is one of the authors writing for The Vintage News