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Virginia: Tidewater and Piedmont » The Peninsulas » Westmoreland County » Yeocomico Church

Yeocomico Church

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1706. c. 1730, c. 1870, c. 1906, 1958–1959. VA 606 (.5 mile south of junction with VA 610), Tucker Hill

One of the oldest churches in Virginia, Yeocomico Church was built in 1706 to replace an earlier frame structure. Apparently some of the woodwork from the earlier church was reused. The south wall is the earliest, and the north wing, which gives Yeocomico its unique T shape, dates from c. 1730. The brickwork employs a number of different bonds and patterns. Carving, such as initials—at least eleven different sets—appears in a number of places. A Scottish thistle ornaments the main opening of the porch, which shelters the main entrance on the south. Of the three entrances, this one has been described by architect-historian James Scott Rawlings as “an extraordinary monument of our colonial heritage.” An enormous Tudor battened door incorporating a wicket door is the only known surviving example of the type. The church was abandoned during disestablishment and not returned to service until the 1840s. Although the chancel remains in its original location, the pulpit has been moved. The paneling and most of the interior result from later renovations.

Writing Credits

Author: 
Richard Guy Wilson et al.
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Data

What's Nearby

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Citation

Richard Guy Wilson et al., "Yeocomico Church", [, Virginia], SAH Archipedia, eds. Gabrielle Esperdy and Karen Kingsley, Charlottesville: UVaP, 2012—, http://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/VA-01-PE12.

Print Source

Buildings of Virginia: Tidewater and Piedmont, Richard Guy Wilson and contributors. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002, 334-335.

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