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 One of the Oldest and Most Historic 
 Churches in the Old Dominion State 
 
 B Y 
 Winifred Sackvillh-Stoner. 
 
 ^^ubltslt^i b^ ULUt ^"nslmmn Jli^nk unit Jfctos Comjjnng, 
 ^'tirfnlk, llirginia. 
 
 One 
 
THE LlBRARV OF 
 CONGRESS, 
 
 Two Copies Rvcoivco 
 
 JUN i 1903 
 I cuss.; a_ xxc. No 
 
 5L!J 
 
 Copyright IQOS 
 
 by 
 
 IV i n ifred- Sack villc Stoner 
 
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 7' A r e e 
 
A Leaf of Ivy from 
 
 THE Old Church Wall. 
 
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 Y far the most interesting spot in all the City of Norfolk^ 
 t[1 Va. , and its vicinity is St. Paul's Episcopal Church and the 
 picturesque burying ground surrounding it. All strangers 
 who come to Norfolk make it a point to visit this church 
 and to wander through the graveyard and read on its 
 ancient monuments the many quaint and curious epitaphs to those 
 who lived when the "American Eagle" had never attempted con- 
 quests of foreign lands, having trouble enough to watch over its young 
 brood at home. 
 
 The church now standing was built in 1739, but this structure 
 only replaced a more antiquated one, of which there is no authentic 
 record as to the exact date of its construction, though it is supposed 
 to have been built in 16S6. There is some historical data to the 
 effect that Lord Francis Howard gave one hundred acres of land in 
 that 5-ear as a glelic to support the minister and church, and, there- 
 
 F i V e 
 
fore, it is reasonable to presume that St. Paul's (formerly known as 
 the Borough Church) was erected at that date, particularly as men- 
 tion is made in i 700 of Samuel Boush presenting a chalice to said 
 church. 
 
 Fifty-three years later Colonel S. Boush gave to this parish 
 enough bricks, imported from England, to build a new church and the 
 old bricks were utilized in the construction of a schoolhouse. 
 
 Looking at this picturesque ivy -crowned church, with the spar- 
 rows chirping in their many nests under its eaves, or dipping their 
 wings in the cool waters of the ever playing fountain in the peaceful 
 graveyard, one can scarcely realize the necessity for such an order as 
 was given to all male members of this congregation in 1741, when 
 every man was compelled to go heavily armed while attending services, 
 under penalty of paying five shillings fine. 
 
 This was during the troublesome times when England was at 
 
 Six 
 
war with Spain, and little more than a quarter of a century passed 
 before the colonists rebelled against their mother country and the 
 same church served as a sanctuary for women and children, who 
 sought refuge here while Lord Dunmore's fleet was storming Norfolk. 
 
 After the colonists had gained a glorious victory at Great 
 Bridge the British troops retreated to Norfolk and were quartered on 
 their vessels lying in the harbor. These boats were greatly crowded 
 and the King's troops, besides suffering from an epidemic of smallpox, 
 had few provisions and were prohibited from replenishing their almost 
 empty larder by the ever-watchful Americans, whose sharpshooters 
 were constantly on the qui vive to dispatch any Red Coat who might 
 show himself on deck. 
 
 The English commander. Lord Dunmore, having become 
 exasperated by these desperate conditions, ordered hiii fleet to bom- 
 bard the town on New Year's Day, 1776. The firing began at three 
 
 S e V i .'! 
 
in the afternoon and kept up until two on the following morning, and, 
 to further complete the destruction of the town, a number of British 
 sailors went ashore and set fire to the warehouses along the wharves, 
 while many Virginians burned their own homes rather than to have 
 them occupied by the enemy. Consequently Norfolk, which at that 
 time had a population of 6,000 and was one of the fairest cities in 
 all the colonies, was reduced to a heap of ashes. 
 
 Although Lord Dunmore had repeatedly threatened to destroy 
 Norfolk, the bombardment proved a great surprise and horror to the 
 majority of the citizens, since onl}^ a few timid persons had given 
 heed to the warning by removing their families and household goods 
 to places of safety. 
 
 It being New Year's Day, many of the colonists were trying to 
 forget the deprivations and sorrows of war while spending the holiday 
 in true colonial style, calling on their neighbors and drinking their 
 healths in great goblets of foaming egg-nog. 
 
 Eight 
 
A number of gay young revolutionists were enjoying a game of 
 billiards in a saloon when the first shot fired from "The Liverpool" 
 came crashing into the room where they were at play. After that 
 the shots came fast and furious and the terror-stricken people fled for 
 safety to the old Borough Church. There the women and children 
 crowded together within its sheltering walls and shivered with fear as 
 they heard the deep booming of the cannon, the shrieks of terror in the 
 streets and the crash of falling houses, while the windows of the 
 church were lighted by the lurid flames from manv burning buildings. 
 
 As they huddled together like so many frightened sheep, a 
 cannon ball struck the corner of the eastern gable of the church, im- 
 bedding itself in the wall, but doing no further damage. Afterwards 
 this ball fell to the ground, where it lay neglected for many years, 
 but was finally restored to its old position and is now an object of 
 curiosity to all strangers. 
 
 N i n t 
 
In the early part of the nineteenth century when England and 
 America were at peace a war of words broke out among the dif- 
 ferent members of the Borough Church and as a result of this con- 
 troversy two vestries and two ministers were elected, one rector con- 
 ducting the morning services and the other the evening. 
 
 In 1800 Christ Church was built and the old church deserted 
 by the Episcopalians and loaned first to the white Baptist congrega- 
 tion and afterwards to the colored. Thirty -two years later the 
 church was repaired by the children of the former " controversionists " 
 and solemnly consecrated as St. Paul's Episcopal Church on May 
 1 8th, 1832. This church was built in the form of a cross, but some 
 years ago a tower was erected which destroyed the symmetry of the 
 original building. Subsequently this was removed, a handsome 
 robing room taking its place, and in 1900 a new tower was built at 
 the opposite end of the church. 
 
 7' < >i 
 
Among the objects of interest to be seen in this old historic 
 structure is the chair in which John Hancock, President of the Con- 
 tinental Congress sat when the Declaration of Independence was 
 declared. This chair was purchased by General Bayley (a Virginian 
 member of Congress) when the furniture of Independence Hall was 
 sold, and afterwards presented by him to St. Paul's Church. 
 
 At the time of the bombardment of Norfolk, the valuable 
 communion plate of this sacred edifice was carried to Scotland, but 
 "The Okeson Parish Aid Society" has been successful in procuring 
 a similar service of equal intrinsic value. 
 
 The collection plates are made of olive wood from the Holy 
 Land, and presented by Baroness Zallikaffer, formerly Miss Ludlow 
 of Norfolk. 
 
 The two beautiful memorial windows (made in England) are 
 in loving remembrance of Rev. Dr. Jackson, who gave up his life 
 
 Eleven 
 
while attending the sufferers in the jcllow (ever scourge in 1853, and 
 Rev. Dr. Nicholas Okeson, who, for over a quarter of a century was 
 the beloved rector of this parish and through whose aid the once 
 neglected burial ground was made into a scene of beauty. 
 
 For years this burial plot was neglected and cattle allowed to 
 graze upon the graves, but Rev. Dr. Okeson, after having traveled 
 abroad for some time, returned to his parish and gave a series of 
 lectures descriptive of his travels in order to raise funds for the 
 renovation of these grounds. 
 
 This graveyard has been in use for over two hundred years, 
 and it is claimed that a number of the graves con-tain tier upon tier 
 of coffins, but there are few gravestones to mark the resting places 
 of the dead, for many were destroyed at the time of the Revolution- 
 ary War, and others being made of sandstone (which is very perish- 
 able) succumbed to the action of the elements. Besides, few people 
 
 T ui e 1 1 e 
 
could afford tombstones in colonial days, as they were very expensive, 
 having to be brought from England, and, further, it was customary 
 for wealthy persons of good families to have private vaults on their 
 own grounds. 
 
 Therefore, there are but two stones which date back to the 
 seventeenth century. These were discovered in an old churchyard 
 on the James River, and placed as tablets on the walls of St. Paul's 
 Church. 
 
 In addition to the historical interest connected with the 
 grounds around this quaint old church, the visitor is also impressed 
 with its beauty. It is surrounded by an ivy grown brick wall, and in 
 Summer contains many flowering shrubs and ever green magnolia 
 trees, whose large white waxen blossoms fill the air with sweet per- 
 fume. 
 
 The ground is covered with a carpet of bright yellow butter- 
 cups, and a fountain plays in the center, about which the little birds 
 
 Thirteen 
 
flit to and fro and make love to eacli other in their sweet language 
 of song. In the winter the waters of this fountain are often frozen 
 into countless crystal forms which show all the colors of the rainbow 
 as they glisten in the sunlight. 
 
 But to the true student of history perhaps the most inter- 
 esting object within these historical grounds is the trunk of what 
 was once a grand old weeping-willow tree. As a sapling this willow 
 was brought from the grave of Napoleon on St. Helena and planted 
 beneath the end of the church where the cannon ball rests. Here it 
 grew into a magnificent tree and stood for many years until 1892 
 when its glorious leaf crown was broken off in a fierce storm. But 
 Mother Nature has kindly concealed its rent and torn sides with a 
 soft rich robe of dark green ivy and thus its trunk now stands as a 
 monument of past strength and glory even as the name of the great 
 conqueror, whose grave it once adorned. 
 
 Fourteen 
 
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