Did you know the 2nd and 3rd sites of St. John’s Church are located within a few minutes’ drive from its present location on Queen St.? The 2nd site, located off Tyler St. halfway between Settlers Landing Rd. and the main entrance to Hampton University, was built in 1624. The parents of Virginia Laydon, the first child born of English parents in Virginia, worshiped in the simple wood frame structure.
The 3rd site, built in 1667 after a devastating hurricane, is located on Pembroke Ave. between Back River Rd. and Lasalle Ave. Among those buried there are a British Admiral and Peter Heyman, who was killed in a battle with French pirates. It too was a wood frame building and very plain when compared with our present church.
Both the 2nd and 3rd sites are protected by a brick wall, and contain historic markers which tell the story of St. John’s Church. Both sites were lost for over a hundred years, were discovered, and are maintained today as a part of your historic heritage.
Originally published in St. John’s Epistle, Summer 2012.