133-0017 St. John's Church

For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF

VLR Listing Date 10/17/1972

NRHP Listing Date 04/11/1973

NRHP Reference Number 73002149

Originally known as Chuckatuck Church after a nearby Indian village which takes its name from an Indian word meaning “crooked creek,” St. John’s was built in 1755 and is the third church at its location. Its rectangular form with gable roof was the most popular one for Virginia’s smaller colonial churches. Like most of the state’s early ecclesiastical buildings, it is constructed of Flemish-bond brickwork highlighted by glazed headers and gauged-brick round arches. The church was abandoned for a half century after the Revolution but was reconsecrated by the Episcopalians with its present name in 1826. Union troops desecrated the building during the Civil War. The interior woodwork dates from an 1888 renovation. Despite the urbanization of Suffolk, the church retains a rural setting, picturesquely placed overlooking a lake at the headwaters of Cedar Creek.

Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark

Updated: February 20, 2021