 Old Jamestown Church Jamestown Island
It is the only building standing from a settlement that began in
1607. The tower from the fourth church building stands on the foundation
of the third church as a lone monument to the place that formed the nucleus of
proud Virginia. Walking inside, one views a myriad of placards paying
homage to our
The first church was simply an awning fastened to trees. That arrangement was replaced by a rudimentary structure inside the fort. That first permanent church burned in 1608. The second church, similar to the first, was the site of the marriage of John Rolfe and Pocahontas. The third church, wooden with a cobblestone foundation, was completed about 1619 on the site shown above. Its brick replacement was completed about 1647 with the still standing tower added after completion. The fourth church burned in 1676 during Bacon's Rebellion. Its replacement, using the walls and foundation of the fourth church, remained standing until the end of the 18th century. The current brick building attached to the original tower is a reproduction completed in 1907 by the Colonial Dames of America. |
earliest forefathers. Standing in the time worn narthex one
looks out the brick front opening, which appears to function as a window to the
outside world. The structure's beauty is a tribute to the innovative
nature of the adventurers who began the first English settlement in the New
World. That it still stand today is the test of their fortitude.