St. Luke's Church, also known as Old Brick Church, or Newport Parish Church, is a historic church building, located in the unincorporated community of Benns Church, near Smithfield in Isle of Wight County, Virginia, United States. It is the oldest church in Virginia and oldest church in British North America of brick construction. According to local tradition the structure was built in 1632, but other evidence points to a date of 1682; see Dating controversy.Choose to start, finish, or center your holiday on a trip to St. Luke's Historic Church & Museum by using our Smithfield travel route builder.
On October 15, 1966, St. Luke's was designated a National Historic Landmark and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in recognition of its historic and architectural distinction. In 1957 President Dwight D. Eisenhower designated the site a National Shrine in concert with the 350th anniversary of Jamestown.
Since 1954 Historic St. Luke's Restoration, doing business as Historic St. Luke's Church, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that maintains, preserves, promotes, and interprets the 17th-century, 100-acre historic site. Historic St. Luke's does not receive any federal, state, or municipal funding. All sourcing comes from private corporations, foundations, and individuals.
Once known as "Old Brick Church", St. Luke's is described by College of William & Mary professor and Colonial Williamsburg Foundation architectural historian Carl Lounsbury as an Artisan Mannerism style of structure blending many influences into a builder rather than an architect-focused structure. Other examples of such architecture include Bacon's Castle in nearby Surry County, Virginia and exhibit Cavalier or Royalist sensibilities. St. Peter's Church in New Kent, Virginia is a later, less ornate style reflecting the Glorious Revolution of Dutch-English monarchs William & Mary.
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St. Luke's Historic Church & Museum reviews
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This was an excellent stop. The group that runs this church puts a lot of care and attention to their interpretive programs. The grounds and gift shop are very well taken care of. And the admission... more »
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Loved the tour. Leda was extremely knowledgeable, and very engaging. You can take pictures. Also love the architecture. more »
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Wonderful experience. Maggie gave us a great tour, very knowledgable and answered all of our questions. This church is a treasure. Anyone who loves history won't be disappointed.
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The tour was worth it. Our tour guide Gloria was very friendly and informative. We learned SO much from our tour guide.
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