Historic St. John's Churchyard 🪦

Happy Saturday readers!

Welcome to the seventh episode of Virginia Snapshots — where you join me on a walk through my little corner of the world.

These are relaxing tours of interesting places — and you know there are history fun facts. I do my research beforehand 😉

If you’ve ever had a curiosity to learn more about the Mother of All States, I hope you’ll join me for Virginia Snapshots.

This video content is personal to me — I’m leery about putting my face in public posts, one of the reasons I’ve tried a few “faceless” YouTube channels — so Virginia Snapshots are filmed exclusively for paid members.

I’d love it if you’d join me for an intimate journey through the place I call home.

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On today’s walk, we visit historic St. John’s Cemetery, founded in 1741 — the oldest semi-public burial site in Richmond.¹

I say “semi-public” because as an Anglican churchyard, it was only open to people of the Anglican faith.

For such a small space, it is full of history — starting with giving the Church Hill neighborhood its name.

It is estimated that 3,000 people could be buried here, although only 400 headstones survive.²

Among those buried here are actress Elizabeth Arnold Poe — mother of the famed author Edgar Allan Poe — who died in Richmond while she was here for a performance.

Also buried at St. John’s is George Wythe, a signer of the Declaration of Independence from the Virginia delegation.

Speaking of the Revolution — St. John’s Church was the site of the Second Virginia Convention in 1775, where Patrick Henry gave his famous “Give me liberty, or give me death” speech.

Some of Virginia’s greatest leaders — Washington and Jefferson among them — walked these same grounds.

Being able to see and touch this history gives me so much comfort in these troubled times.

I hope you enjoy St. John’s as much as I do.

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Since we visit the grave of Poe’s mother on this walk, I thought I would re-share this Mini Snapshot with you — the home of Poe’s childhood sweetheart, Elmira Shelton.

Because of course Poe’s first love lived across the street from the graveyard where his mother is buried.

I’ll record more of these “Mini Snapshots” for all subscribers. But if you’re enjoying these videos, I hope you’ll consider becoming a paid subscriber 😊³

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And since it’s Caturday — Mr. Kitty would like to say hi:

Laundry day is his fave.

He loves making his little pillow nest when he’s not chasing the sheets and blankets around 😂🐈‍⬛❤️

1. Hollywood Cemetery — created nearly a century later in 1847 — is Richmond’s oldest public cemetery, as it was open to all faiths. I’ll feature it in future Snapshots. I was a tour guide there last summer!

2. St. John’s has an Adopt a Grave program to help preserve the stones that remain. Here’s a link to learn more.

3. A yearly subscription is $30.