USA > Virginia > City of Norfolk > City of Norfolk > Two hundredth anniversary : old Saint Paul's Church, Elizabeth River Parish, Norfolk, Virginia > Part 1
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Alo St. Emil's Church
Norfolk, Virginin 1739 . 1939
Bi - Centennial
TWO HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY
OLD SAINT PAUL'S CHURCH
ELIZABETH RIVER PARISH NORFOLK, VIRGINIA
ERECTED 1739
RESTORED AND CONSECRATED -
-
- 1832
REOCCUPIED
1865
REPAIRED - - -
-
-
- - 1892
INTERIOR REMODELED (Colonial Style)
-
1912
Published by BICENTENNIAL COMMITTEE 1939
Program of the BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
January 25, St. Paul's Day
7:30 a. m .- Holy Communion
11:00 a. m .- Holy Communion Unveiling of tablet to Dr. Covington Tribute and dedication by the Bishop of the Diocese, Rt. Rev. Wm. A. Brown. D.D.
6:30 p. m .- Parish Supper
February 12, Sexagesima Sunday
11:00 a. m .- Historical Address by Mr. Robert B. Tunstall, Cleveland, Ohio
May 9, Tuesday, DIOCESAN COUNCIL
10:00 a. m .- Unveiling of tablet to Bishop B. D. Tucker 8:00 p. m .- Address by the Presiding Bishop Rt. Rev. Henry St. George Tucker, D.D.
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VESTRY
Regular meeting of the Vestry occurs on the Tuesday follow- ing the first Sunday in each month, at 7:30 o'clock, p. m., at the Parish House.
MEMBERS
Calvert R. Dey
Theodore S. Garnett
Louis A. Kline
Herbert N. Lee
Harold E. Masengill
Robert D. Ruffin
John P. Stedman
Lawrence F. Tucker
OFFICERS
Rev. Moultrie Guerry Rector
E. D. Kyle
Calvert R. Dey
Senior Warden Junior Warden
Melvin E. Cruser
- Registrar
H. Page Hoggard
Parish Treasurer
Charles V. Cooke -
Treasurer of Church's Program
Mrs. Melvin E. Cruser -
- Parish Secretary
Telephone 36298 -
Trustees of the Church Property
Charles V. Cooke
H. Page Hoggard
S. L. Slover E. D. Kyle Dr. R. S. Perkins
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William B. Taliaferro
J. Frank George Dr. W. T. Hodges E. D. Kyle
STANDING COMMITTEES
Finance Theodore S. Garnett, Chairman Calvert R. Dey J. Frank George
Buildings and Grounds E. D. Kyle, Chairman
John P. Stedman Dr. W. T. Hodges William B. Taliaferro
Harold E. Masengill
Ushers Louis A. Kline, Chairman Herbert N. Lee Lawrence F. Tucker
Membership and Hospitality William B. Taliaferro, Chairman John P. Stedman Lawrence F. Tucker
SPECIAL COMMITTEES
On Layman Supper and Organization Robert D. Ruffin, Chairman Tazewell T. Hubard, Jr. James V. Brooke
(This is not a Vestry Committee as there are non-members of the Vestry on it.)
On Cumberland Street Recreational Center Harold E. Masengill, Chairman Dr. W. T. Hodges Theodore S. Garnett
ENDOWMENT BOARD
Mr. H. Walter Whichard, Chairman
Mr. John P. Stedman -
-
-
Vice Chairman
Mr. Calvert R. Dey -
-
Secretary-Treasurer
Mr. Newton Arps
Col. S. L. Slover
Rev. Moultrie Guerry
Mr. Albert C. Serpell
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SOME POINTS OF INTEREST
1. In the church:
In the sanctuary, windows to Rev. Mr. Jackson who died in the Yellow-Fever epidemic, and to Dr. Okeson, and tablets to Bishop Tucker and Dr. Covington, to be unveiled during the Bicentennial.
2. South Wall, outside:
Brick letters, S. B. for Samuel Boush; and 1739, date of erection. Cannon Ball from British Frigate Liverpool, S. E. corner.
3. Tower of the Church.
For choir and vesting rooms, built 1901.
4. Old yard wall begun November 1759.
5. Museum in Parish House (1909) in which may be seen many treasures of historic interest, such as (1) John Hancock's Arm Chair, used at the signing of the "Declaration" of 1776; (2) Merrimac ar- mor; (3) Old Bibles, pictures of old Norfolk, Colonial Church silver, and the Church in various periods of life.
6. Interesting tombstones, among which are:
Oldest, 1673, under South wall of Church's nave, Dorothy Farrell. Moss-traced tomb of Alex. Ross, by walk, south side, to Church Street gate; 1760. Oldest man, 127 years old, Jas. Reid; between Parish House and Church.
For complete historical information, see the of- ficial book on Old St. Paul's, described as follows in the New York Genealogical and Biographical Record:
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"St. Paul's Church, 1832. Originally the Borough Church 1739, Elizabeth River Parish, Norfolk, Va., published by the Altar Guild of St. Paul's Church, Norfolk, Va., 1934. Octavo, fabrikoid, illustrated, indexed, pp 115. Price $2.00.
"This attractive publication, nicely printed on glazed paper, gives the detailed and interesting history of this church from its inception in 1739 to the present day, with some account of the first church in the Parish, the Chapel of Ease, com- pleted in 1641. Of special interest to genealo- gists are the vestry lists and the record of the inscriptions, given in full, of over 270 tombstones in the Church Yard. Some who lie there were na- tives of Glasgow, Galloway and Dumfries, Scot- land, Boston, Watertown and Salem, Mass., Ar- magh, Belfast and county Down ,Ireland, Charles- ton, S. C., the Island of Antigua, the County of Glanmorgan, South Wales, Greenock in North Britain, Liverpool, Leeds and Carlisle, England, from Nantucket and Vermont and many other far away places-all died before 1832. One wonders what the romance was behind several of the in- scriptions, but particularly that of 'Samuel Cush- ing of Berwick, Massachusetts, Killed in a duel 24th April, 1800, ae. 23 years.' The index includes only the tombstone inscriptions. This handsome work belongs in genealogical as well as historical libraries, whose shelves it will grace."
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SKETCH OF CHURCH
1739 - 1939
Old St. Paul's congregation is celebrating this year the two hundredth anniversary of the erection of the Borough Church in 1739.
COLONIAL
As so many records have been destroyed, there are but a few to give a connected story of the growth of this Church year by year. Dr. Goodwin in "The Colonial Church in Virginia" says, "The territorial parish is a very ancient and highly developed institution in the Church of Eng- land and came into existence in Virginia automatically. As early as 1619 we find the word in use. Governor Argall in that year defines the limits of 'the corporation and parish of Jamestown.' As the building of Churches and the sup- port of the minister became a charge assessed upon all the inhabitants of a plantation or settlement, it soon be- came necessary that the bounds of the parishes should be strictly drawn. This was done in the early days either by common agreement or by order of the Governor and Coun- cil and after a few years, by acts of the General Assembly in many cases. After the county organizations had been effected, the county commissioners or courts of new coun- ties were authorized in 1658 to divide their counties into parishes as the majority of inhabitants should agree. So a number of parishes came into being, and some disap- peared as changing conditions required new arrangement of lines. After about the first decade of the eighteenth century the formation of both counties and parishes de- volved upon the legislature alone and their lines were very strictly drawn."
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Elizabeth River Parish was established in 1637 and embraced all the territory now included in Elizabeth River, Portsmouth and St. Brides. Until the year 1691 that which is now Princess Anne and Norfolk was called lower Nor- folk, the parishes being still called Elizabeth River and Lynnhaven. Rivers were the natural highways and boats the only means of travel in the early years of our history; so at first both counties and parishes usually lay on both sides of the rivers which were not barriers but means of communication.
The churches for the most part, first built in a parish, were of frame construction planned to accommodate from 150 to 300 worshipers. As these grew old and the parish grew more populous and able they were in turn supplanted by brick churches of permanent construction.
During what we may call the middle period of the par- ish life, the Colonial Churches now remaining are usually the third and never less than the second built successively in the neighborhood if not on the same site. Records show that the first church in Elizabeth River Parish was built at Mr. Sewells Point in the year 1637 and Mr. John Wilson was the minister from 1637 to 1640 when he died.
The second church built in Elizabeth River Parish was completed in the fall of 1641 and was called Ye Chapell of Ease. References show it was of Brick and stood in the yard of what is now St. Paul's Church. When the Church at Sewells Point was given up the Chapel of Ease was called the Parish Church. Rev. Thomas Harrison was the minis- ter. He was followed by Rev. Robert Powis, who was at the Parish Church at Sewells Point, at the Chapel of Ease 1644-1648, and Rector of the entire county 1645-1648.
Though rivers were the natural highways, as the population grew and developed means of support by culti-
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vating the soil, roads were opened through the forests and horses and oxen were used as a means of going from one section to another. On the 8th day of May, 1680, the Gen- eral Assembly of Virginia passed an act directing the pur- chase of fifty acres of land for the town of Norfolk. The law was executed in 1682. The grant was a stretch of land between Elizabeth River and two creeks, "Town Back Creek" and "Dun in the Mire." The place was a small pen- insula connected to the mainland by a narrow isthmus over which ran the main thoroughfare and was known as "the road to town," now Church Street. A considerable popu- lation had been attracted to the place by its favorable lo- cation for trade and commerce and on October, 1705, Nor- folk was established as a town. The county people came and went over that narrow strip of land, and this made it a convenient location for their church and burying ground. As a general law passed in the Colony in 1667, invested in the country courts the right to set aside and appropriate "not more than two acres of land for burial purposes," it is evident that such ground was appropriated around the church about that time, for one stone still in existence bears a date as early as 1673.
In 1686, four years after the town was laid out, Francis Lord Howard, Governor, gave "with the advice and con- sent of the Counsell of State" 100 acres of land adjoining Norfolk for a Glebe for Elizabeth River Parish. These glebes, together with the payment of tithes of tobacco and corn, were for the support of the minister and Church in each Parish.
It is generally thought that Colonel Samuel Boush gave the land on which the old church was built, but with further research there is no record to show that this was true. There are records in Norfolk County Deed Book in
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1722 showing a deed of exchange between Colonel Samuel Boush and Peter Malbone-Malbone gives "a small parcel of land joining the Church Yard." "Boush gives one piece of land in Norfolk Town lying and being near the Church standing tenn feet to Ye Westward of the Church Yard."
Deed from Peter Malbone to Colonel Samuel Boush, "a small piece of land W'st ye sd Peter Malbone bought by Peter Cartwright-beginning at the Southward corner of Ye Church Yard upon Ye road leading intown."
The deed of Colonel Samuel Boush to Captain Simon Hancock November, 1737, and the deed of Peter Malbone to Captain Nath'l Tatem November, 1738, also show that the first church was standing next to and north of Mal- bone's land and gave the name to Church Street. Three generations of the Boush family contributed in many ways to Elizabeth River Parish, but there is no mention of hem prior to 1700, and an entry of the Court record in October, 1641 shows that at the time services were regularly held at Ye Chappell of Ease at Elizabeth River and that that Church became the Parish Church. These deeds show the land given was not part of the churchyard then, and that the second church was already built, also a grave stone marking a grave. There were probably many not marked. The site chosen was admirably suited for the triple purpose, Church, Cemetery and School. The land was elevated and the Church conveniently located for the planters who drove or rode horseback from the countryside and yet not far from any house in the community. The waters of Back Town Creek flowed almost to the Church and high tides coming in from Dun in the Mire reached almost to the "Road that leadeth out of town."
Col. Byrd in his Westover Manuscripts in the year 1728 says of the people of Norfolk, "The two cardinal
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virtues which make a place thrive - industry and frugali- ty - are seen here in perfection; and so long as they can banish luxury and idleness, the town will remain in a happy and flourishing condition." On September 15th, 1736, King George II signed a charter incorporating Norfolk as a borough and appointing a Mayor, Samuel Boush, a Record- er, Sir John Randolph: and George Newton, Samuel Boush, the younger, John Hutchins, Robert Tucker, John Taylor, Samuel Smith, the younger, James Ivey, and Alexander Campbell, Gents, inhabitants of the said Borough to be Aldermen. When the charter was granted in 1736 Norfolk became an independent borough. There is no record to show what year the third parish church was begun, but the second church was too small for the growing needs of the community, so a larger and better church was built. Col. Samuel Boush was a prosperous merchant and plant- er and it was probably he who determined to see a real and worthy parish church. He also owned a brick yard on or near what is now Cumberland Street and for this reason it is very probable that he gave the brick for build- ing, and that the S. B. in bricks on the southern gable stood for his name. The date 1739 above the S. B. rightly deter- mines that the building was completed in that year. St. Luke's Church historically designated the Old Brick Church, in Isle of Wight County, built in 1632, also had the date in the brick. The third church having been completed three years after the charter was granted was called the Borough Church. It is spoken of as the largest and most beautiful in Colonial Virginia and until 1773, the Borough Church was Norfolk's only house of worship.
VESTRY
The Vestry was elected by the people and held office for an indefinite period. In most cases the vestry was a
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self-perpetuating body filling vacancies in their number by their own choice; and yet the people never surrendered their authority, for in some cases upon demand of the peo- ple themselves the vestry was dissolved by an act of as- sembly. The vestrymen were generally the most conspicu- ous and influential members of the community. Their duties were not wholly ecclesiastical, for they were entrusted with the care of the poor and the holding of all trust funds for such purposes. They appointed the procession master and to them was made the report of the processioning. As these processionings established the bounds of every free-holder's property, the business was of great importance.
They fixed the rate of taxation for tithes and to them all tithes were paid.
Every church was supplied with a salaried clerk who read the sermons regularly so the lack of a minister did not prevent the people from attending church. No vestry- man could hold the office of clerk.
Every male inhabitant over sixteen was tithable. These tithes went for the minister's salary, the salary of the clerk and the maintenance and building of churches. The Church was the people and the people the Church.
REVOLUTIONARY PERIOD
The Revolutionary War brought an end to an era, but not an end to the old Church. Though the bombardment of January 1, 1776, by Lord Dunmore and the British fleet, saw the burning of Norfolk, and a cannon ball (now em- bedded in the corner of the Church) struck the brick walls, they continued to stand as the one surviving struc- ture in the city. However, the Church that had been estab- lished by law in Virginia, was disestablished after the war, and its Glebe Lands were confiscated by the State. No one knows how the old Vestrybook dating from 1749-1761 was
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saved, but it is now a cherished possession of Old St. Paul's, and from that one learns the Rev. Charles Smith was the minister during all the twelve years included in that book. When the Parish was divided, Rev. Mr. Smith chose Portsmouth and was succeeded on this side of the river by Rev. Thomas Davis, who had charge until 1776.
The first person to rebuild in Norfolk was William Goodchild. He was a tavern keeper and hid his money safely during the destruction of the town and with it built a house. When the first citizens returned to Norfolk follow- ing William Goodchild, the lucky tavern keeper, and began the work of rebuilding the once proud and wealthy Borough of Norfolk they determined first of all to replace the roof upon the fireswept walls of the Borough Church. In 1785 the General Assembly of Virginia permitted a lottery to the maximum of $700 for rebuilding the Church. The Rev. Walker Maury became the Rector and served as such until 1788, when he died. He was also the school teacher.
Most of those who rebuilt Norfolk were English and Scotch tobacco-buyers, merchants, sailors and traders. They were divided between Tories and Whigs, and the bit- terness of feeling between them was as sharp as the bitter- ness between the Yankees and Rebels of Reconstruction days. The Rev. Mr. William Bland, a decided Tory, preached in the restored Church and also the Rev. James Whitehead, a decided Whig. Both parties had their separate vestries who had respectively elected their rectors. Although Mr. White- head had much the larger proportion of Episcopalians with him and had the recognition of the Diocesan Convention in 1790, yet he was unable to get complete control of the Church and therefore, sometime prior to the fall of 1798, he and his supporters left the old church of Elizabeth River Parish in the undisputed possession of Mr. Bland, his vestry
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and friends; and on June 24th, 1800, Mr. Whitehead laid the cornerstone of Christ Church with Masonic ceremonies, and preached the sermon. This unhappy controversy split the congregation and many went to other churches. For a while the old Church was occupied by the Baptists, and when in 1816 they moved to their own Church on Cumber- land Street, it was occupied by a colored congregation.
PRESENT NAME ADOPTED
During the rectorship of Rev. Dr. Ducachet in Christ Church (now used by the Greek Orthodox Church on Free- mason Street) on April 24, 1832, a meeting of the Episco- palians of Norfolk convened, in accordance with a public notice in its newspapers, at the Old Church for the purpose of electing vestrymen, taking suitable measures for repair- ing that building and organizing a new congregation. The following gentlemen were elected by ballot to serve as vestrymen until Easter Monday next, viz: W. H. Thomp- son, Richard B. Maury, George Rowland, Alpheus Forbes and Alexander Galt. At the same meeting a petition to the Convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church of the State of Virginia assembled at Alexandria was adopted. This petition stated that, due to the increase in the con- gregation of Christ Church, it seemed advisable to orga- nize another congregation and that subscriptions had been raised to repair the Old Church belonging to the Parish, and asked that the new congregation be recognized as St. Paul's Church and that their delegate to the Convention, Richard B. Maury, be admitted to a seat in that body. As it was necessary to ask readmission into the diocese under some distinctive name, the vestry unanimously agreed that it be called St. Paul's Church and on May 7th, 1832, it was solemnly consecrated by Bishop Moore and once more the old Church took its place in the life of the town it had
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done so much to make. Thus "The Borough Church" is the only church building which has come down from the un- divided parish.
The Rev. Ebenezer Boyden became rector, and to his labours Bishop Meade gives credit for the success of the revival. William H. Thompson was elected treasurer; Rich- ard B. Maury, secretary; George Rowland, Alpheus Forbes, and Alexander Galt, vestrymen.
Rev. Ebenezer Boyden was rector from 1833 to 1835. He was followed by: Rev. Thomas Atkinson, 1837-1838; Rev. Joseph P. D. Wilmer (in temporary charge), 1838; Rev. Benjamin M. Miller, 1839-1845; Rev. Leonidas T. Smith (in temporary charge), 1845; Rev. Davis Caldwell, 1845- 1849, and Rev. William M. Jackson, 1849-1855.
YELLOW FEVER EPIDEMIC
We may say that the Parish of St. Paul's enjoyed steady growth and useful development from 1832 on, until the congregation and the city were faced with the crisis of the great Yellow Fever epidemic in 1855. Not knowing that the mosquitoes were the conveyors of infection, Nor- folk people burned houses on East Main Street, hoping to eradicate the source of the disease, but thereby scattered the destroyers among the onlooking multitudes and throughout the whole city. The Rev. William M. Jackson went his rounds of mercy and met death of the plague himself. A window in the chancel is a fitting memorial to this Rector, who also is memorialized in the Jackson-Field Home.
CIVIL WAR
In 1856 Rev. Nicholas A. Okeson, an Englishman, be- gan his long tenure of service and immediately the par- ish showed great powers of recuperation, the membership reaching the number of 280 before the outbreak of the Civil War. When the City fell into Federal hands in 1863,
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St. Paul's was chosen by the commanding general for re- ligious services for his officers and men .* While the Fed- eral Chaplain, Rev. W. E. Willig, occupied St. Paul's, Dr. Okeson served as rector of Christ Church. In November, 1865, the church was restored to its rightful rector and congregation, with $3,600.00 for losses to the property.
OTHER CHURCHES ESTABLISHED
The church was blessed by another long ministry after the death of Dr. Okeson in 1882, for Rev. Beverley D. Tucker served the parish until he became Bishop in 1906, leaving behind him nearly 400 communicants and many friends of his esteemed family, of whom Henry St. George Tucker is Presiding Bishop and Beverley D. Tucker, Jr., is Bishop of Ohio.
It should be noted that at the turn of the century the city began to see great changes, and the area of St. Paul's lost its residential aspect, and became "down town." The loyalty and interest of the congregation were equal to the changes, and according to the vestry's resolutions on Bishop Tucker's resignation to be found in the recently published history, the church was restored and beautified, a rectory purchased, a debt funded, and an endowment fund started, and "especially through the work of Dr. Tucker, St. Peter's of Brambleton, St. Mark's of Lambert's Point, and Ascension Church, Park Place, St. Paul's in Berkley have become separate and independent Churches." Bishop Tucker was also the founder of the Galilee Chapel, Virginia Beach. The Bishop was a poet whose verse was published. The following lines are taken from the "History," page 52, from his long poem on Old St. Paul's:
* See History, published 1934, by Altar Guild, for copy of letter.
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And so thro' all the change and chance of years, Thro' peace and war, thro' joys and hopes and fears,
God's house has been a welcome port of rest To wand'ring souls and souls with care opprest.
INTERIOR REMODELED
The ability to adjust to the change of years was mani- fested further under the leadership of Rev. James M. Owens, 1907-1912, when the parish house was built for a developing Sunday School, for a tremendous boys' club, sewing classes, and lively enterprises in social service. The church's interior was remodeled in its present colonial style as Dr. Owens was leaving and Rev. Dr. H. H. Coving- ton began his ministry of a full score of years. A tablet to his memory to be unveiled January 25, 1939, recalls to those who knew him how well he proved to be a "leader in the councils of the church," both in the Diocesan and Gene- ral Conventions and committees of all kinds. His love for teaching found expression not only in the parish but at the Virginia Theological Seminary. Rented pew system was given up in 1923, and the envelope method of pledging to the church's budget and General Church program was adopted without loss of progress, and the church has been complimented upon its regular and generous contributions. The boys-men choir was organized in 1917-1918 with Mr. Howe as organist. It continues a tradition of singing Stainer's Crucifixion on Good Friday, an event which was repeated last year for the 28th time.
PRESENT TIME
The vitality of the congregation maintains its high level, and under the eloquent preaching of Rev. Dr. Vincent C. Franks, 1933-1937, new members were added to the church and friends multiplied throughout a wide territory.
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He was succeeded by his fellow-student of the Virginia Sem- inary, Rev. Moultrie Guerry, who came to Norfolk from Swanee, Tenn., January, 1938 where for nine years he served his Alma Mater, theChurch's "University of the South," as Chaplain and Professor.
The Congregation looks forward to the future with visions of expanding usefulness for Old St. Paul's Church ever praying with Bishop Tucker:
So keep it, Lord, thro' changing years, a place Where souls may come and meet Thee face to face And bring us, Christ, at last in tender love, Thro' storm and cloud to cloudless skies above.
ENDOWMENT FUND
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