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
Narthex
South is to your right, North to the left. Churches faced east toward Jerusalem so the church is oriented in that direction. You enter the church via one the three double wooden doors which are recessed in the triploid Romanesque style. Directly inside the front doors is the narthex which has a slate floor. The … Read more
The Dannals’ years 2004-2013
It was a sign of things to come at St. George’s. Before accepting the call to become the parish’s new rector in 2004, Jim Dannals decided to talk face to face with the Vestry.
He wanted to make sure the Vestry members believed what was outlined in the parish profile: about wanting greater diversity in services; about what later would be referred to as “radical hospitality” — opening ourselves to a diversity of people. As Dannals puts it, “I was excited about their goals … but I needed to ask them: ‘Are you who you say you are and who you say you want to be?’”
John Pearce
From this site “John N. Pearce was awarded emeritus status at the University of Mary Washington’s undergraduate commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 7, 2011. “He was named Director of the James Monroe Museum and Memorial Library, Director of the James Monroe Presidential Center, and University Liaison for the Enchanted Castle Site Emeritus. “Pearce began his … Read more
Profiles and Directories
Exploring the parish profiles we have online as well as the directories. How to distinguish between them ?
“They Also Preached” – Assistants and Associates
1. Charles Sydnor 1973-1976 2. Judy Fleming 1986-1989 3. Jack Sutor 1990-1993 4. Nathan Ferrell 2002-2003 5. Joani Peacock, 2003-2005 6. Fletcher Wells 2007-2009 7. Gay Rahn, 2005-2018
St. George’s Timeline
1720 – A land area designated as “St. George’s Parish” is established by the House of Burgesses of Colonial Virginia. Eight years later, an act of the Assembly founded the City of Fredericksburg. 1732 – Plans are made and work begun on the Rappahannock Church within the parish on this site (later changing its name … Read more
Rev Patrick Henry (1707-1777)
Rev. Patrick Henry, the uncle of the orator, served 16 months at St. George’s but made a mark serving 40 years at St. Paul’s Parish in Hanover County
The Parsons Organ
Return to referring page Organs have been in the church since the colonial period. The organ committee led by Erik William Suter then organist at the National Cathedral met after 2002 to decide about whether the church should embark upon procuring a new organ or renovating what was here. They decided the existing 1875 organ … 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
