St. John's Church Foundation

06/13/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us at St. John's Church for a fascinating conversation with Dr. Art Kellermann and Dr. Richard Wenzel entitled "How George Washington Defeated Smallpox and Won America’s Independence."

While Patrick Henry's stirring words inside St. John's Church helped ignite a movement for liberty, the struggle for independence was shaped by more than speeches and battles. Smallpox ravaged communities, threatened the Continental Army, and posed one of the greatest challenges facing the Revolutionary cause.

Dr. Kellermann and Dr. Wenzel offered compelling insights into how this deadly disease influenced military strategy, affected soldiers and civilians alike, and ultimately helped shape the course of American history. Their presentation highlighted an often-overlooked truth; the success of the Revolution depended not only on battlefield victories, but also on confronting a public health crisis.

Thank you to our speakers and to all who attended for making this another memorable evening in the Walter W. Craigie Speaker Series.

06/10/2026

Our friend Emma Clark, the Director of Education at The Poe Museum, recently recorded a short talk in the church about one of our cemetery residents: Thomas Willis White, the owner and publisher of the Southern Literary Messenger.

In that role White hired Edgar Allan Poe to work for him; the position brought Poe back to live in his hometown of Richmond for about a year and a half. The relationship between the two was rather rocky--as were many relationships in Poe's life.

Emma Clark, Director of Education at the discusses Thoma...

06/07/2026

Another sold out performance! 300 lively and engaged delegates packed into St. John's Church ⛪️ for a reenactment of the Second Virginia Convention and Patrick Henry's immortal speech.

Interest in the nation's 250th anniversary is building fast. If you would like to attend a reenactment make sure to reserve your tickets 🎟 online in advance at www.historicstjohnschurch.org.

Tickets are $15 and performances are every Sunday at 1:30p.m. through Labor Day weekend.

06/04/2026

Building a City: Richmond's Landmarks opened today at The Valentine. The exhibit showcases local architectural marvels through student models.

Students at Open HS created a model of St. John's Church, one of 19 models featured in the exhibit.

The exhibit will allow visitors to gain a deeper appreciation for Richmond’s growth and development over the last three centuries. Many thanks to our friends at The Valentine for including St. John's, and to the students for their hard work on this project. For more information about the exhibit visit https://thevalentine.org/news/richmond-students-build-a-city-at-the-valentine/

06/04/2026

We are Richmond's #3 landmark in Style Weekly's latest "Best of Richmond" list! Come see inside this landmark during this revolutionary anniversary summer by taking a tour or seeing a reenactment of the Second Virginia Convention!

ARCHITECTURAL SPACE OR STRUCTURE 1st THE BRANCH MUSEUM OF DESIGN 2501 Monument Ave. 2nd EGYPTIAN BUILDING 1223 E. Marshall St. 3rd THE MARKEL BUILDING 5310 Markel Road ATTORNEY 1st SIMMONS […]

06/03/2026

We are delighted to share some exciting news.

Andrew Lawler - Author, who spoke at St. John's Church last month about his new book, A Perfect Frenzy: A Royal Governor, His Black Allies, and the Crisis that Spurred the American Revolution, has had his book nominated by the Library of Virginia for its 2026 People’s Choice Awards in the Nonfiction category.

This recognition highlights Andrew’s compelling exploration of one of the most fascinating and consequential moments in Virginia’s history.

The People’s Choice Awards allow readers across the Commonwealth and beyond to help select the winners. If you enjoyed Andrew’s presentation or his book, we encourage you to support A Perfect Frenzy by casting your vote using the link below.

lvafoundation.org/peopleschoiceawards/

06/02/2026

This Sunday at 2:45PM--buy a combination ticket to see both the regular reenactment AND this special play! Story in comments.
https://www.historicstjohnschurch.org/events/oh-henry-play

As part of America’s 250th celebration, a direct descendent of Patrick Henry is set to perform play at St. John’s Church. “Oh Henry! A Revolutionary Life” will be held on Sunday, June 7 at 2:45 p.m. at St. John’s Church, 2401 East Broad St.