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 Civil War – Pictures and Photographs
Return to referring page There are only a few photographic pictures of St. George’s during the Civil War. However, those we have show a young church less than 15 years old. The next pictures would not be taken until 40 years later after George Eastman had developed transparent roll film and the roll holder that … Read more
The Leading Families of 1849
Who occupied the space in the new church of 1849? The pew documentation provides a unique view into the generations that attended St. George’s. Those who paid for the right to sit in a certain place in Church not surprisingly were many of the Church leaders as well as in town of Fredericksburg. By correlating … Read more
Robert Cary Long, Architect of St. George’s
Return to referring page This is a selection of a master’s thesis on Long. Copy is in the Central Rappahannock Regional Library.
FredericksburgNews – May 9, 1848 – erection of the 3rd church
Return to referring page This was before the church was consecrated in 1849.
The 1849 Church Builders
Return to referring page More support for Robert Cary Long as St. George’s architect who practiced in Baltimore with examples of workers for St. George’s hired from Baltimore: During the 1981 renovation, Barbara Willis noted the following names written in chalk and covered on the right hand stair wall in the narthex, June, 1981. William … Read more
Views of the Second Church
Return to referring page On Oct 18, 1815, the Virginia Herald reported the consecration of the 2nd Church on Sunday, Oct. 15, 1815 by Bishop Channing Moore. “The occasion brought together a larger congregation than was ever witnessed in this place. About sixty persons were confirmed; and the Holy Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper was … Read more
Views of the Second Church
Return to referring page On Oct 18, 1815, the Virginia Herald reported the consecration of the 2nd Church on Sunday, Oct. 15, 1815 by Bishop Channing Moore. “The occasion brought together a larger congregation than was ever witnessed in this place. About sixty persons were confirmed; and the Holy Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper was … Read more
The Three Churches of St. George’s Fredericksburg- Barbara P. Willis
Return to referring page BARBARA P. WILLIS The first church built in Fredericksburg was by action of the Vestry of St. George’s Parish at a meeting on March 13th, 1732. Col. Henry Willis contracted to build it and the new church at Mattapony for 150,000 lbs. of tobacco. George Home, who surveyed the newly established … 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
