The Church of England, the established church of Virginia, was part of and protected by the colonial government, which divided the colony into geographical areas known as parishes for administrative purposes. All residents of a parish were members of it and required to pay taxes to sustain it. An elected vestry of twelve men conducted the business of the parish, which consisted primarily of religious activities and provision of the equivalent of modern social welfare services.

 The City of Alexandria, founded in 1749, had a chapel of ease located here by 1753—

a place of worship for the convenience of parishioners distant from the main church. In 1765, the growth of the population led the Virginia legislature to divide the parish. The new parish created out of the northern end of Truro parish was named Fairfax. Its vestry decided that the main church at Falls Church and the chapel of ease at Alexandria were inadequate and would be replaced. Two new, similar churches, designed by James Wren, were then built from one set of plans.

The American Revolution began shortly after completion of the churches and ultimately required the organization of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America, an autonomous province of the worldwide Anglican Communion. This change meant the end of government support and protection. Unlike many Virginia parishes, Christ Church survived and grew through the support of local residents like George Washington and the clerical leadership of David Griffith and Bryan Fairfax. The church was vigorous enough to accommodate a division that resulted in the establishment of St. Paul’s, also in Alexandria, in 1809.

From 1811 to 1813, William Meade served as rector of Christ Church. Later bishop of Virginia and presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church of the Confederate States, Meade infused new energy into the spiritual life of the community. His handpicked successor, Oliver Norris, continued Meade’s success and arranged for the church’s official consecration as Christ Church by Bishop Thomas Claggett of Maryland on January 9, 1814. Meade and his associates further enriched the church by founding Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria in 1823. Throughout the remainder of the antebellum era, Christ Church drew on these foundations to sustain its ministry.

The Civil War abruptly altered life at Christ Church. When the U.S. Army occupied Alexandria in 1861, it seized many churches for use as hospitals or stables. However, the reputation of Christ Church as George Washington’s place of worship preserved it as a church where U.S. Army chaplains conducted services. Parishioners who remained in the area worshiped elsewhere. In 1866, Christ Church, its interior intact, was restored to its parishioners.

Ironically, the postwar years saw more changes to the interior of Christ Church than did the war years. During this period, the Rev. Randolph H. McKim modernized it to Victorian tastes, but the 1890s restoration restored its Georgian integrity.

The president of the United States traditionally visits Christ Church during his administration, often on a Sunday near Washington’s birthday. Some presidential visits, however, have been in conjunction with other events, most notably the January 1, 1942, visit by President Franklin Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill for the World Day of Prayer for Peace during World War II. 

George Washington was first elected to the Truro Parish in 1762. The parish, a geographic area, included Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, and Mt. Vernon.

Washington bought and later rented a box family pew and attended services when in Alexandria. Visitors are welcome to sit in the pew.

Robert E. Lee attended Christ Church throughout his life from the time he was three. A silver plaque on the chancel rail marks the spot, where on July 17, 1853, with two of his daughters, Lee knelt to be confirmed by the assistant bishop of Virginia, John Johns. Lee married George Washington’s step-great-granddaughter, Mary Anna Randolph Custis.

Dr. David Griffith, the rector of this parish and the Falls Church from 1779 until his death a decade later, helped organize the Diocese of Virginia and the Episcopal Church in the United States. A physician and a clergyman, he also had served as chaplain to a regiment of the Continental Army closely associated with Washington.

The churchyard was the burying ground for the town of Alexandria until 1809. Later interments took place at the Christ Church cemetery on Wilkes Street, the resting place of many members of the Lee and Mason families.

Construction of the mid-eighteenth-century, Georgian-style church began in 1767 under the direction of James Parsons. John Carlyle supervised the work from 1772 until its completion in February 1773. The brick exterior is laid in Flemish bond with glazed headers and the quoins are of Aquia sandstone. The roof originally had juniper shingles that were later replaced with slate. Box pews, such as the one that belonged to George Washington, lined aisles of brick tile floors; wooden planks covered the floors of the pews, elevated then as now above the level of the aisles. On several occasions, the interior suffered modifications, but it now appears as it did in the 1890s after a restoration consistent with the original Georgian detailing.

The Palladian chancel window is an unusual feature in a colonial Virginia church. James Wren, who created the architectural drawings and specifications for Christ Church, also hand-lettered the panels that flank the window. A 1602 canon of the Church of England directed that the Ten Commandments be set upon the East-end of every Church and Chapel where the people may best see and read the same, and other chosen Sentences. At Christ Church, these also include the Apostles’ Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, and the Golden Rule. The background of the panels was originally white, but over the years it has mellowed into the soft gold seen today. The panels have never been retouched.

No record remains of the exact location and design of the earliest pulpit, but the wineglass pulpit, installed during the 1890s restoration, is consistent with the design, location, and liturgical practices of the period when the church was built.

James Wren’s plans spaced the windows to admit of galleries, which the church added about 1787 when attendance had outgrown available seating on the main level. The lower portion of the bell tower provided the stairway to the galleries; the upper section was added about 1820. The small chandelier under the west gallery, purchased in 1817, initially hung in the center of the church.

Click here to download a collection of images tracing the history of our campus. Note: this is a large file and may take several minutes to download.

PRESERVING OUR NATION'S HISTORY AT CHRIST CHURCH

Contributing to the grace and beauty of Christ Church is its beautiful surrounding churchyard characterized by lush gardens and grave markers.

For the most part our oldest gravestones reflect the names of prosperous townspeople because the majority of common folk could not afford elaborate inscribed headstones. However, we do know that the majority of people buried in the churchyard were not wealthy. Some were destitute and most were white, but burial records show that 11 African-Americans were buried in Christ Church plots from 1788-1796. By 1796, 470 people were interred at Christ Church. How many found a resting-place here before and after those dates is not known because complete records do not exist. However, the best estimate taken from average annual deaths at the time, indicates that over 1,000 were interred in the approximately one half acre churchyard.

Burials were restricted to church members in 1807, and ceased with the adoption of a city ordinance effective in March 1809 banning all burials within the city limits. There are two instances of later interments in 1815, Peter Wise asked for and obtained permission to be interred in the churchyard next to his deceased wife. The last person to be buried within the confines of the churchyard was Charles Bennett, whose remains were belatedly interred in 1841. He died on April 24, 1839. Since he had left much of his wealth to the city of Alexandria and requested to be buried on the Christ Church grounds, the town council deferred to his wishes. A large obelisk was erected in his honor and his body was entombed within the monument in a vault. The obelisk monument stands in contrast to the earlier traditional stones. Although burials of human remains in caskets ended in 1809, interment of ashes is permitted in the historic cemetery.

The original dimensions of the Christ Church yard were much larger than the current land that exists within the confines of the existing wall. The deed included its boundary land, 23 feet on the northern side of what is now Cameron Street and further to the west of Columbus Street. In early days many interments were made on the north side, in grounds included in the Alexander grant. However, as church property shrank, those bodies were excavated and interred on church property. In the fall of 1795, the vestry ordered removal of the sexton's house and constructed a fence on the north side of the church that conformed to that on the southern side of Cameron Street. This required the church exhume the bodies from under the redrawn Cameron Street to within the boundaries of the Christ Church lot. This parcel was the subject of controversy until 1816 when the church yielded its claim.

Definition of the present churchyard began in 1828 with the construction of a brick and metal fence along the east border of the yard -- now Washington Street. A gate was also constructed at the center point of entry into the yard. Construction of the wall segments along Cameron Street on the north boundary and Columbus Street on the west were not completed until after the Civil War. Deterioration of the brick components of the wall has over the years led to its restoration beginning with the Washington Street edifice in 1998. Restoration of the Cameron Street segment was completed in 1999 and the Columbus Street portion in 2002. When burials in the immediate churchyard ended, an additional plot of land was acquired by Christ Church at nearby Wilkes Street in Alexandria for development as a cemetery. The Wilkes Street Cemetery, as it is known, has not been used for interments for many years. However, recent improvements in the property have opened the way for burials in the future.

Grave markers are not currently where they were originally placed. In the Civil War era, grave markers were removed and stacked along the north wall of the Parish House. Markers were moved again in 1987 during construction of the structure connecting the two parish halls. The Alexandria Gazette reported on June 3, 1987 that "archaeologists inspecting for grave sites in preparation for building of a new church parish hall were finding few remains or artifacts due to the acidity of the soil." Steve Shephard, of the Alexandria archaeological staff, "it is just a stain on the ground... as a light change in color... it is literally a case of dust to dust."

Christ Church thrived as the port of Alexandria prospered and expanded. Many of its members were wealthy and influential people. Prominent Alexandrians attended Christ Church, among them the first Lord Mayor William Ramsey and his wife; both were buried in the churchyard. Col. Philip Marsteller, one of George Washington's pallbearers is in the yard. He had a handsome table stone monument under an old sycamore near the west fence. It was carried off during the Civil War and hasn't been seen since. Today an unassuming bronze plaque has been laid near the original location. The pedestal stone of Jacob Reisler early occupant of the church graveyard was discovered inside the grave of Ann Warren. She was an actress from Baltimore who died in Alexandria in 1808. The inscription on the monument records her many virtues and states, that she was an 'ornament' of the American stage.

Walking east from the church, near the Washington Street side, there is an unpretentious mound covered with ivy. It is the final resting-place of Confederate prisoners of war. There is on the mound a stone slab at the base of which is a brass plaque. A tribute to the soldiers buried here is written on the brass plaque. The names of the men, the units they served in and the states they came from are listed on the stone.

It has been said that many of the grave markers have been taken from the churchyard and used as steps and walkways in front of Old Town residences.

WILKES STREET CEMETERY

In colonial America, the area around a church was known as the churchyard. A remote location for burials was known as a graveyard. In 1804, the Alexandria city council banned burials within the city limits due to health concerns related to cholera and other infectious diseases being common in the early years of the 19th century. The City then allocated space for church graveyards south of town, off Wilkes Street, on part of what was known at the time as Spring Garden Farm. This area provided more burial space and located the graveyards down-river from the city water supply.

Christ Church purchased land there for its graveyard on December 15, 1808, as recorded in the land records at Fairfax County Court House. On April 20, 1809 the Christ Church vestry decreed that burials in the churchyard would cease as of May 1, 1809, “and that the Warder or Treasurer be authorized to make sale of lots in the new burial ground to any person”.

Today, the graveyard is bounded on the east by Douglass Cemetery, on the west by a hearse road and Trinity United Methodist church cemetery, on the south by Wilkes Street, and on the north by the former Orange and Alexandria railroad yard which is now Jamieson Street.

There were no public parks in Alexandria’s early days and churchyards and graveyards frequently served as picnic grounds with table marker stones serving as picnic tables. This tradition continued with maintenance of family plots and as part of the observance of Decoration or Memorial Day.

The earliest burials in the graveyard represented much of the gentry in Alexandria, including the burial of members of the Cooper, Daingerfield, Gilpin, Lawrason, Lee, and Mason families. During and shortly after the Civil War, the population of the graveyard grew substantially. Burial of cremated ashes continues today.

There are many Confederate veterans buried in the graveyard and the churchyard.

The graveyard has not always been maintained as it lovingly is today. In its early years livestock may have been allowed to graze there, accomplishing the dual function of trimming and fertilizing. As its use declined in the 20th century, the graveyard was allowed to grow over with natural vegetation. In the mid-1970s, a committee of parishioners was formed for the upkeep of the graveyard. It has since been maintained in a manner that honors the memories of those buried there. For many years a service of remembrance has been held there every year on Memorial Day.

Notable burials

Major Samuel Cooper, Revolutionary War soldier who fought at Bunker Hill, Trenton, Brandywine, Germantown, Monmouth among other battles, died 1840, age 84.

General Samuel Cooper (Major Cooper’s son), Adjutant and Inspector General U.S.A and C.S.A., died 1876, age 79.

John Bathurst Daingerfield, died 1886, and his wife Rebecca Holmes (Fowle) Daingerfield, died 1885.

Thomas Lawrason, died 1819, age 39, who built a house at 301 S. Saint Asaph visited in 1824 by the Marquis de Lafayette

James Lawrason born 1753 and died 1824, was a lieutenant in the Revolutionary War

Edmund Jennings Lee, noted public servant, mayor of Alexandria and attorney, died 1843, age 71.

Commodore Sydney Smith Lee, Confederate States Navy and brother of Robert E. Lee, died 1869, age 66, and his wife Anna Maria Mason Lee, died 1898.

James Murray Mason (died 1871), Confederate envoy, who with John Slidell, passengers on the British merchant vessel Trent, was arrested by the U.S. Navy in November 1861 on the high seas, causing an international incident between the United States and Britain. It is known to history as the Trent Affair.

The new Bromley Organ arrived at Christ Church on November 19, 2021! Built by Harrison & Harrison in Durham, England, the organ will be professionally installed and voiced. Thank you to everyone who has given time, talent, and treasure to make this new chapter in the music life of Christ Church become a reality, especially Cap & Marilyn Bromley whose generous gift kicked off the search for our new instrument. Read more about the lengthy process here. We have much to be grateful for and much to celebrate!

President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill worship at Christ Church for National Day of Prayer following U.S. entry into World War II.

On New Year’s Day 1942, during the dark days of World War II, praying for national forgiveness was the first order of business. In dreary weather, President Franklin Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill motored from the White House to worship at historic Christ Church in neighboring Alexandria, Virginia. A master of civil religion, Roosevelt had appointed January 1 a national day of prayer, and he chose George Washington’s church to observe it. 

2016 marks the 75th anniversary of this historic day. Former Warden John Lawson wrote about this turning point in our nation's history. We highlighted the article in a three-part series in our monthly publication, Rejoice. You can read the full version here. 

On Sunday, January 1, 2017, we will celebrate the 75th anniversary with a Service of Prayer for Peace at Christ Church, remembering those prayers prayed so many years ago but also adding our own voices and prayers for our nation, calling for an end to the violence that plagues us both here and abroad, calling for strength and humility in our nation’s leaders, and calling for justice and mercy to be practiced in the public sphere. Worship will begin at 10:00 a.m. and will include music and Holy Eucharist. 

 American History TV visited Christ Church in Alexandria, Virginia to hear the story. Watch it here.