Olde Towne in Portsmouth, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
St. John's Church
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), January 30, 2021
1. St. John's Church Marker
Inscription.
St. John's Church. . St. John's Episcopal Church was founded in 1848; its original Greek Revival sanctuary opened in 1850 near the corner of Court and London Streets. During the yellow fever epidemic of 1855, James Chisholm, the church's first rector, remained in Portsmouth to minister to the sick. He died of the disease and was later added to the Episcopal Church's calendar of saints. The Gothic Revival sanctuary on this site, designed by architect Charles M. Cassell, opened in 1898. Mary Brown Channel, the first female architect licensed in Virginia, designed several additions. Her father, William A. Brown (rector 1904-1938), was consecrated Bishop of Southern Virginia here in 1938.
St. John's Episcopal Church was founded in 1848; its original Greek Revival sanctuary opened in 1850 near the corner of Court and London Streets. During the yellow fever epidemic of 1855, James Chisholm, the church's first rector, remained in Portsmouth to minister to the sick. He died of the disease and was later added to the Episcopal Church's calendar of saints. The Gothic Revival sanctuary on this site, designed by architect Charles M. Cassell, opened in 1898. Mary Brown Channel, the first female architect licensed in Virginia, designed several additions. Her father, William A. Brown (rector 1904-1938), was consecrated Bishop of Southern Virginia here in 1938.
Erected 2019 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number Q-82.)
Location. 36° 50.223′ N, 76° 18.244′ W. Marker is in Portsmouth, Virginia.
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It is in Olde Towne. It is on Washington Street just north of London Street, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 412 Washington St, Portsmouth VA 23704, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Virginia’s Hampton Roads, specifically in Coastal Virginia, and in the Hampton Roads Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, in the Tidewater, and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Saint Paul's School (within shouting distance of this marker); The Founding of Edmarc (within shouting distance of this marker); Richard Dale, U.S.N. (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); George Teamoh
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), January 30, 2021
Credits. This page was last revised on April 13, 2026. It was originally submitted on January 31, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 528 times since then and 62 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on January 31, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 3, 4, 5. submitted on April 12, 2026, by C. Ryan Dodson of Danville, Virginia.
