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
The Steeple View of 1888 in 2020
Erik F. Nelson Transportation Administrator City Archivist/Records Manager accompanied Lily C. Eghtessad who is doing a study of the Chatham Bridge to the steeple to get a contemporary view of the Chatham Bridge. Discoveries ensued
The Extended Washington Family
Washington was connected to St. George’s not through membership. His home was not in Fredericksburg but Stafford. However, he was connected to St. George’s through his family and some documented visits to the Church. Among its 18th century vestrymen were Charles Washington, Fielding Lewis, Charles Lewis, Lewis Willis, George Thornton, Francis Thornton, and John Lewis, … Read more
The Front Steps
The steps for the 1849 church were made of Aquia Sandstone mined in Stafford County. Fifty years earlier building material for the White House and U.S. Capitol. Its flaws led to it disuse. The church faced a substantial cost in 2011 to repair inherent issues within the stone as well as improper repairs. Tidewater Restoration was hired to do the repairs
Celebrating the Holy Eucharist – Remembering the Paschal Mystery
“I’m going to be talking with you now about what happens in our worship, especially in our eucharistic worship”
John Pearce, obituary, Oct. 20, 2019
John Newton Pearce, 84, died Monday, October 14, 2019. His funeral was at St. George’s on Oct 21
Accessibility Ramps from 2006 to 2018
St. Georges became involved in 2006 in creating disability ramps in the context of the Lutheran Episcopal Covenant of 1997. Then over a decade later this same concept was pushed by a third party with a larger workforce and goals in mind and became SAWS of Virginia and launched at St. George’s
George Washington re-enactment Memorial Service, Dec. 12, 1999
On December 15, 1799, George Washington died of a throat infection at his home in Mount Vernon. This is a re-enactment service 200 years later at St. George’s.
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
