Located at 1224 East Broad Street, the church sits on the site that was a part of the Academy of Sciences and Fine Arts where the Virginia Convention of 1788 voted to approve proposed U.S. Constitution on June 25th. The church, built in 1814, serves as a memorial to the 72 people who lost their lives, including Governor George Smith, during the Richmond Theatre fire of 1811. Smith would have been the first governor to live in the Governor’s Mansion had he not died the night of December 26, 1811. The victims are buried in a common crypt beneath the church. A committee chaired by Chief Justice John Marshall raised funds for the church’s construction. Robert Mills, America’s first native-born architect and architectural student of Thomas Jefferson, designed the building. It is the only remaining octagonal building designed by Mills. It once served as an Episcopal church but was deconsecrated in 1965. In 1971, the church was designated a National Historic Landmark by National Park Service and in 1983, was deeded to Historic Richmond. Today, the church is used for weddings and special events and serves as a permanent reminder of both our city’s and our nation’s architectural legacy. In 2014, it was voted among the state’s top 100 structures in Virginia Center for Architecture’s Virginia’s Favorite Architecture poll. Video by Organic Films.
Posted on: Wed, 01 Oct 2014 20:14:30 +0000
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