St. Peter's Church (New Kent, Virginia)
- St. Peter's Church (New Kent, Virginia)
St. Peter’s is an Episcopal Church located in New Kent County, Virginia.
First Church of the First First-Lady
St. Peter’s Church was established in New Kent County, Virginia, on April 29, 1679. Construction began in 1701 and was complete by 1703.
One of St. Peter’s Vestrymen, Colonel Daniel Parke Custis, married Martha Dandridge in June 1749. She became a widow after only eight years of marriage. On January 6, 1759, the Rector of St. Peter’s united Martha Custis and Colonel George Washington in marriage. Debate ensues over the exact location of the marriage; some believe it occurred within the church while others believe it took place a few miles away at the White House Plantation on the Pamunkey River.
Architecture
History
Following the American Revolution, the church was abandoned and fell into disrepair. Sometime around 1820, Presbyterians started worshiping at the church. Episcopalian services began again in 1843. Both denominations shared the church, alternating weeks, until 1865.
Being centrally located in New Kent County, the church suffered greatly during the Civil War. Union soldiers stabled their horses in the pews and carved their names in the brick exterior. On October 23, 1869 General Robert E. Lee wrote “St. Peters is the church where General Washington was married and attended in early life. It would be a shame to America if allowed to go to destruction.” [ [http://www.geocities.com/stpeterstc/sphist.html St. Peter's Church Website] ] His son, General William Henry Fitzhugh oversaw the partial restoration in 1872.
After being designated as “The First Church of the First First-Lady” by the Virginia General Assembly in 1960, restoration again began on the church with the assistance of architectural and ecclesiological experts. The renovation required making structural improvements to the church and completely gutting the interior.
Websites
[http://www.geocities.com/stpeterstc/ St. Peter's Church]
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