APPLETON'S JOURNAL NO. 2971 VOLUME XII
NEW YORK	
NOVEMBER 28, 1874

OLD ST. PETER'S CHURCH

On a summer day in 1858 the writer of this sketch turned aside from the highway running down the peninsula between the James and York Rivers, followed a country road which narrowed here and there to a shadowy bridle path, edged with dense pine thicket.  When emerging from the forest of evergreen, mingled with great branching oaks, he found himself in front of St. Peter's Church. One of the oldest, as it is one of the most interesting from its historical associations, of all the churches in Virginia.

The chief attraction of the antique edifice springs from the tradition, apparently well authenticated, that Washington was married within its walls, it is interesting, however, as one of the oldest churches in Virginia, and as an excellent specimen of what may be called Southern ecclesiastical architecture.

The building is one of considerable size, of oblong shape, with a quadrangular tower in front, surmounted by a steeple, on the summit of which are crossed rods, with the letters N S E W at their extremities -- above them the remains, apparently, of an ancient weather-cock. You reach the door of the church by passing through the lower portion of the tower, or quadrangle.  On the right-hand side of which a flight of creaking steps leads up to the vestry-room, in which the parson donned his official vestments, to afterward sweep down the stairs, enter the church, and ascend the aisle between the double row of lofty, straight-backed pews to the tub-shaped pulpit beneath its sounding-board or "extinguisher". The interior has been modernized in great degree now, but externally the church is unchanged. You may see, at a glance that the building dates back to what, in America we regard as a tolerably remote antiquity. The bricks, which were what is called "sun-dried," and were brought over from England, have nothing in common with the same material used today but the name--they are as hard as adamant, and the lapse of a century and three-quarters has not touched their sharp outlines. As equally striking proof of the remarkable durability of the material formerly employed, is found in the moss-covered tombstones scattered around the church, either leaning or lying prostrate. One of these more especially attracted my attention. The material is of what was once called 'ironstone' and like all else nearly connected with the spot, was brought over from England. At the date of its erection coats of arms were in vogue, and one was carved in bass-relief upon this tombstone. It consisted of a shield with a single star on the field, a knight's visor above; them a species of coronet, whose significance I was not herald enough to decipher; and, above all, a wolf's head, with lolling tongue, for crest. The sharp outlines of these objects were untouched. The stone bore the date 1716, and yet the delicate points of the star were unblurred, the visor was perfect, and the fierce hanging tongue of the wolf's head was perfectly defined. For more than a century and a half the rain, and snow, and wind, and sunshine, had worked their will on these objects, and the hard ironstone had defied them.

A few details in regard to St. Peter's, and an anecdote or two relating to some personages, who figured here, may interest the reader. The building dates back to 1703 and thus it appears to have been the third or fourth religious edifice of any pretension erected in Virginia. The vestry-books of the parish go back to the year 1682, when a building of some description, used for religious purposes, probably stood upon this spot, as we find the Reverend William Sellake spoken of as "minister of St. Peter's church." The present edifice was not erected until 1703, and the steeple not until twelve years afterward. The cost of the building was one hundred and forty six thousand weight of tobacco, then the main currency of the colony--and with this detail ends all information from ancient records as to the building. 

Two entertaining/historical incidents are connected with these old times at St. Peter's church. An amusing incident was between the Reverend Mossom, for forty years parson of this parish and his clerk. Reverend Mossom  "was married four times, and much harassed by his last wife, which may account for and somewhat excuse a little peevishness, says Bishop Meade."

The following story is given on the authority of the Reverend Devereux Jarratt, the great reformer of that day, who was raised in the parish and present on that day. Reverend Jarratt describes the Reverend Mossom as preaching "wholly from a written sermon, keeping his eyes continually fixed on the paper, and so near that what he said seemed rather addressed to the cushion then to the congregation" -- which not ineptly describes the parson in Hegarth's famous drawing. 

The parson and clerk in the same picture may have resembled Reverend Mossom and his clerk. The Reverend Mossom of St. Peter's, and his clerk, appear to have had a difference of opinion upon some subject, and this gradually ripened into such enmity between them, that Reverend Mossom proceeded to take public revenge. In his sermon he openly assailed the clerk, who was sitting at his desk beneath the pulpit--the offender being thus arraigned at the bar, as it were, in sight of all the congregation. He permitted the indignant parson to finish his denunciation and threats; the sermon ended and then came the moment for the clerk's revenge. His duty was to give out the concluding psalm of the service, and he accordingly rose, turned his eyes upward toward the parson, then to his book, and read: 

"With restless and ungoverned rage, why do the heathen storm? Why in such rash attempts engage?  As they can never perform?"
 
The historical tradition which attaches a peculiar interest to this old edifice of St. Peter's and will always give it prominence, is the marriage of Washington within its walls. That the ceremony was performed here, and not at the White House, the residence of the bride, is not established, it would appear, with absolute certainty; but there is reason to regard the fact as very nearly certain. It has been doubted solely from the absence of any record of the ceremony in the vestry book; but it is not alleged that the record of the year 1759, when it took place, has been preserved, and the omission of the entry may have resulted from negligence or accident. In favor of the view that St. Peter's was the scene of the marriage, and not the White House, we have the fact that such ceremonies were generally at that time performed in the parish-church; and secondly, tradition, which gives St. Peter's as the scene--a tradition embodied in an elaborate oil painting of the scene. 

Of the animated scene at the wedding a painting was made, and still exists. Thought of comparatively recent date, and having thus no pretension to historic exactness and reliability, this painting may be regarded as a probable approximation to the actual scene. It was painted from tradition, with the aid of portraits, those of Washington and his bride, of date 1759 and 1772, having been followed. A brief description of this picture is appended. 

The scene is laid in the ancient parish-church of St. Peter's, county of New Kent, colony of Virginia, time 6th of January, 1759.  In the foreground, and near the altar, appears the Reverend Mossom, the officiating clergyman; he is about to present the marriage ring. The bridegroom is in a suit of gold and red, embroidered waistcoat, the bride in a dress of white satin, rich pint-lace ruffles, pearl ornaments in her hair, pearl necklace, ear-rings, and bracelets, white-satin high-heeled shoes, with diamond buckles. She is attended by a group of ladies in the gorgeous costumes of that ancient period. Near to the bridegroom is a brilliant group, comprising the vice regal governor of Virginia, several English army and navy officers. 


Whether the picturesque scene represented in this painting was or was not the actual scene, true to place, and time, and personages, the writer cannot say. The reader is apt to think with him, however, that, "if it is not true, it ought to be." There is at least this merit in it, that it follows tradition--often the only historical authority for events in Virginia--and a little, even fitful, light, is often desirable when we are anxious to "see through the dark" The tradition that old St. Peter's and not the White House, was the scene of the marriage has also one paramount recommendation. The White House was long ago destroyed; even the second house of the same name on its site was burned during the late war. Thus, if we decide for the White House, there is no locality left as the scene of this highly interesting Ceremony; not a single object remains as an aid to the imagination. With old St. Peter's it is different. The ancient building still raises its walls in the in the shadows of the New Kent woods, and you may go may go thither, as the present writer did, and renew the bright scene in fancy. Stretched idly on the grass beneath the great oaks, with their leaves rustling dreamily--with eyes half-closed as befits the day-dreamer--you will see, worthy reader, all the fine spectacle again; the dames and the gallants, the ruffles and silk stockings, the bridegroom and his bride!

J. Esten Cooke