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
George Hume (1698-1760)
As with many people in St George’s early 18th century history, Hume was not a native. Born in 1698 at Wedderburn Castle in Scotland, the family home for 600 years, Hume came here by accident. He served under the command of his father in 1715 in the losing cause to support James III (called the … Read more
Cameron Thompson (1926 -2003)
Earl Baughman said of Cameron – “If you look up ‘nice guy’ in the dictionary you would find Cameron Thompson’s name there.” Cameron and Freeman Funk served as joint clerk of the works for the AIM 2000 program. AIM 2000 spent $1.47 million on building restoration and renovation in the 1990’s. They raised $718,000, borrowed … Read more
Marion Rambo 1928-2020
Marion, born on December 4, 1928, has been involved in all things St. George’s since coming here in 1976. Lois Rambo was teaching in Woodbridge and he was in Manassas. They liked the Fredericksburg community and the history connected with the town. Coming to St. George’s was natural for Marion – he is the son … Read more
Thurman Brisben (1916-1990)
Thurman was a retired teacher at St. Paul’s Day school in Alexandria and served as director of Christian education under four rectors. At St. George’s she served on the Vestry in 1983, 1984-1986 and then in 1990 but she died that year of cancer in the beginning of the term. She was a member of … Read more
Rev. James Marye, Sr. (1692-1768) and Jr. (1731-1780)
Rev James Marye and son Rev. James Marye, Jr dominated St. Georges from 1735 to 1780, an usually long period of time for the service of priests. James Marye was a French Catholic priest who subsequently converted to Anglicanism when he moved to England. As was common at the time the priest taught in a … Read more
George Van Sant (1927-2013)
George was certainly one of our largest parishioners both in size at 6’4” and spirit, a proponent of moral justice. He was a big man in so many ways. Van Sant, a distinguished retired Marine Corps colonel and longtime reservist, first came to Fredericksburg on a troop train during World War II. “When we stopped, … Read more
Outreach at St. George’s
By Kathryn Willis On a cold February night in 1985, a homeless man had curled up to sleep in the entrance foyer of Faulkner Hall. Next morning, at a gray-dawn 7 A.M., a small band of St. George men, members of the Brotherhood of St. Andrews, discovered the would-be guest “trying to play the piano … Read more
Ed Jones and Peggy Marshall
Way back in 1981, when Peggy Marshall finally convinced Ed Jones to ask her to marry him, she faced a dilemma. The Presbyterian Church, lovely as it is, had no center aisle – unfortunate for the procession of extroverted brides. So Peggy chose Ed’s church, and became an architectural Episcopalian. It has been a successful … Read more
Houston Sweetser (1881-1961)
Sweetser was half of the feed and grain supply company Young-Sweetser Company from the 1920’s which later became Farm and Tack Supply in the 1980’s. It is noted for the Purina Grain Tower which marks the Fredericksburg skyline. Before this he and Young worked on a bedding manufacturing concern which had been destroyed by fire … 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
