St. George’s History comprises individual articles, documents and collections around the 300 year history of St. George’s Episcopal Church, located in Fredericksburg Virginia. This site is unrelated to St. George's main website.
Supplementing them are a category-based search, a content index and a timeline. We have two tour documents - a building summary and a 15 minute walking tour you can take in the church.
If this is your first visit, check out the 2 tours - building summary and a 15 minute walking tour.
Recent articles
St. George’s Burials, 1859-1913
Trip Wiggins research into St. George’s burials done by St. George’s ministers in various cemeteries
Marriages from Newspaper announcements and Minister Returns
Trip Wiggins research into marriages at St. George’s from newspapers and minister returns
Marriages 1859-1922 St. George’s Records
Trip Wiggins Research into St. George’s marriages from out parish records, 1859-1922
Baptisms from other sources
Research into baptisms from 5 other sources by Trip Wiggins at a time when we do not have Parish Records. Specifically it covers 1729-1839
Baptisms 1858-1914, St. George’s Records
This is Trip’s research into our Parish records from 1858-1913
St. George’s Church Records
Trip Wiggins is our archivist, tour guide of the graveyard, researcher and archivist of the church as well as Sunday morning Christian education teacher. Here is a story about St. George’s Church records. We will feature his research on baptisms, marriages and burials starting on Oct. 10.
Lighting the Ascension Window 1947-2007
On December 8, 1947, a young Rev. Thomas Faulkner in his second year at St. George’s completed a letter to attorney (and future federal judge) John Butzner and prepared that an affidavit that explained an embarrassing situation that had surfaced involving the Ascension stained glass windows. The Ascension Windows are the oldest stained glass windows … Read more
Shrine Mont weekend, 30 years of retreats
“I will give you peace and quietness.” ~ I Chronicles 16:11 2016 is the 30th year of Shrine Mont retreats for the church. The first was May 15-17, 1987 organized by then Curate Judy Fleming. Reservations were made for 30 people. In 2016, the number had risen sharply to 218 people . The Parish newsletter … Read more
Creating the Commission System, 1989
At the Vestry Retreat in 1989, the Vestry approved a Commission system which in philosophy and basic structure survives to this day. No longer would commissions be led by only Vestry members. The purposes of the reorganization were to : 1. broaden the leadership pool 2. strengthen management of the church 3. set clearer directions … Read more
Steeple Repairs 1947-1950
The steeple area defined as the part of the church above the gallery is one of the few places of the church that most parishioners have not visited. Stories have arisen that we almost lost the steeple during the early Faulkner years in the late 1940’s. Part of this came from a letter. The issue … Read more
1. Carrol Quenzel's History of St. George's
Quenzel's 1951 history is still the standard for the church. He was a librarian for Mary Washington College as well as being active at St. George's, helping to create the St. Georgian newsletter as well as a part of the Vestry. We have the entire book online which was published by St. George's
2. The Three Churches of St. George's - Barbara Willis
Barbara Willis was a local historian and writer and long time St. Georgian with her husband Mac. This paper is a detailed summary of the evolution of St. George's church from its wooden colonial church to the impressive 1849 brick building we have today.
The Civil War may be the most popular historic topic in all of our history. The church served in 3 capacities - as a fortress, center of revival and as a hospital. We have a 9 part series on our role and relationship to Fredericksburg.
McGuire served all 3 churches over the course of 45 years. He is probably the most influential of all our rectors in all phases of ministry from preaching, teaching, and outreach. Trip Wiggins, our archivist, wrote this for a Sunday school class and has been teaching classes for years
5. Charles Syndor on Social Policy
Charles Sydnor served St. George's from 1972-2003 and was responsible for furthering Thomas Faulkner's outreach ministries and creating new ones. This paper he wrote in 2009 was for an adult forum in that year.
6. Tom Faulkner confronts the Vestry on race
Faulkner served St. George's for 30 years from 1946-1976. During these years racial policies were paramount, especially 1954, in the year of Brown vs. Board of Education, Faulkner was challenged by the Vestry on the role of Blacks in our service. He was able to move St. George's toward racial justice that other rectors would further
