Jamestown Church
Encyclopedia
Jamestown, Virginia
Jamestown was a settlement in the Colony of Virginia. Established by the Virginia Company of London as "James Fort" on May 14, 1607 , it was the first permanent English settlement in what is now the United States, following several earlier failed attempts, including the Lost Colony of Roanoke...
, is one of the oldest surviving buildings built by Europeans in the original thirteen colonies that became the United States. It is part of Jamestown National Historic Site, and is owned by the Preservation Virginia (formerly known as the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities).
History
Construction on the current church tower began in 1639 taking 4 years to complete. The rest of the original church was destroyed after abandonment in 1750 when a new church was built 3 miles away. Next to the original 1639 tower is a church building built in the twentieth century on the cobblestoneCobblestone
Cobblestones are stones that were frequently used in the pavement of early streets. "Cobblestone" is derived from the very old English word "cob", which had a wide range of meanings, one of which was "rounded lump" with overtones of large size...
foundations of the older 1617 church and brick foundations of the 1639 church. The present church was built by the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in 1907, and the original 1617 foundations may be viewed under glass on the floor inside. These foundations represent the church where the first Representative Legislative Assembly met, which convened there on July 30, 1619.
Nearby St. Luke's Church
St. Luke's Church (Smithfield, Virginia)
St. Luke's Church, also known as Old Brick Church, or Newport Parish Church, is a historic American church located in the unincorporated community of Benns Church, near Smithfield in Isle of Wight County, Virginia. The present dedication was ascribed in 1820...
is a similar church surviving from 1632.