Department 56 - Bruton Parish Church

Size: 11.5in H x 6in W x 10in L

 

Bruton Parish, named for a town in Somerset, England, was established in 1674 when several small parishes joined together. Three years later, the vestry ordered that a church be built. The cross-shaped, or cruciform, plan was drawn by Lieutenant Governor Alexander Spotswood, who envisioned a structure appropriate for Virginia's colonial capital. It is a monument to the importance of the church in Virginia, when colonial laws required all white Virginians to attend services or pay a fine.

 

Local contractor Benjamin Powell designed two 1770 additions, the tower and the steeple that houses a bell cast in the same foundry as the Liberty Bell. The church has been in continuous use since 1715. Box pews inside designate where George Washington and Thomas Jefferson worshipped.

 

The large rose windows provide ventilation and light. The church served as a hospital during both the Revolutionary and Civil wars.

 

Coordinates with: 4018971 Going To Church