St. John's Episcopal Church
Richmond, VA 23223-7128
Phone: (804) 649-7938
- Hours:
- Mon-Sat 10am-4pm Sun 1pm-4pm
Editorial Review for St. John's Episcopal Church – by Kristine Forrest and Judi Goldenberg
The Scene
This quiet neighborhood church attracts history buffs, sentimentalists and curious onlookers. As the site where Patrick Henry recited his "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death" speech on March 23, 1775, the church--which still holds regular Sunday services--serves as a tourist destination site as well as a quiet place to spend a few contemplative hours. The church was built in 1741, about 30 years before Patrick Henry's famous speech. The Second Virginia Convention was so impressed by the speech that they decided to arm a Virginia militia, making the Revolutionary War inevitable.
Take a Tour
Tours of the church are given daily from 10am-3:30pm on weekdays and 1pm-3:30pm on Sundays. The tours begin at the small white building around the side of the church, and donations are requested. Tours may be limited if special services or celebrations are going on inside.
Editorial content is independent of paid advertisers. Any expenses are paid for by Citysearch.
Insider Tips
Speech ReenactmentsPatrick Henry's speech is reenacted Sundays at 2pm throughout the summer.
Other Points of InterestThe church is surrounded by the city's oldest graveyard where you can visit the gravesites of George Wythe, the first Virginia signer of the Declaration of Independence, and Elizabeth Arnold Poe, mother of Edgar Allan Poe.
