Historic St. John’s Episcopal Church offers a special open house to celebrate its stunning architecture and local history as part of the Historic Garden Week presented by the Garden Club of Virginia and hosted by the Huntington Garden Club and the Hampton Roads Garden Club. St. John’s is one of Hampton’s most historical sites and this is a wonderful opportunity to step inside one of its most beautiful buildings.

Founded in 1610, St. John’s is the oldest, continuous, English-speaking parish in North America, where parishioners continue to worship in the present church, built in 1728. Among the treasures of the church are a stained-glass window depicting the baptism of Pocahontas and the communion silver made in London in 1618. The Church is listed on both the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places. Guided tours of the church’s interior and cemetery will be available from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

For more than four centuries, St. John’s parish has been a pillar of faith and compassion in our community. Archaeologists have recently uncovered “conclusive physical evidence” of the first church site, circa 1610, in Hampton. “Our discoveries are literally rewriting the early history of Hampton,” according to Alain C. Outlaw, principal investigator of Archaeological & Cultural Solutions Inc. of Williamsburg. More information about the archaeological findings around St. John’s first and second churches (located off an unnamed tidal creek of the Hampton River and is surrounded by Hampton University) will be available at the Open House.

From humble beginnings in 1610, the congregation has grown not only in size but in a duty to serve others. Today, St. John’s remains committed to being a beacon of light, faith, and support for generations to come—both in our community and throughout the world.

Church tours and parking are free on event day. Parking on event day is available off Franklin Street between W. Queens Way and Lincoln Street. Discover more about St. John’s Episcopal Church at 100 W. Queens Way, Hampton, Virginia by contacting us directly at https://stjohnshampton.org, 757-722-2567, office@stjohnshampton.org or @stjohnshampton.
The Historic Garden Tour tickets and information may be found at VAGardenWeek.org.