Landscape Information
Located atop a knoll in Church Hill neighborhood, this church was established in 1741 on land deeded by William Byrd II. On March 23, 1775, the church hosted the Second Virginia Convention during which time Patrick Henry delivered his “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” speech. In 1799 the city purchased adjoining property to serve as a public burial ground. By the mid-nineteenth century the two-acre graveyard fell into disrepair, but renewed interest concurrent with the 1876 bicentennial prompted rehabilitation efforts.
Rising above the surrounding neighborhood, the churchyard is elevated above the adjacent streets by a high brick wall topped by a wrought iron fence. The southwestern wall incorporates two modest brick structures, one of which served as a school for emancipated African Americans after the Civil War (now a visitor center).
Accessed from East Broad Street via a brick staircase marked by a metal archway, a curvilinear path leads to the centrally located church. The ground slopes up to the church, which is oriented on a north-south axis. From the church, visitors are afforded panoramic southern views towards the James River.
Additional winding paths encircle the church and traverse the burial ground, framing irregularly shaped lawns punctuated by headstones and trees, including hemlock, ginkgo, and golden rain. The paths, originally paved with concrete, were laid with brick in 1948 with funds donated by the Garden Club of Virginia, who also provided for plantings of dogwoods, magnolias, cedars, and yews.
The site was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1961 and listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1966.
