From the Archives: Original Altar Table

The original St. John’s Episcopal Church was a brick building erected in 1834 located on “Main Street” on what is now the corner of Virginia and McFarland Streets.  The table was made by John Trudgian, a member of the Church of England, about 1830 and was blessed by Bishop Meade in 1837 when he consecrated St. John’s.  During the Civil War, the Union Army commandeered the building to serve as a Quartermaster Depot.  The original altar, used for twenty-seven years, was fortunately preserved by the Davis Hudson Estill family until it was returned to St. John’s in May 1929.  The table stands to the right of the present altar and is used every Sunday as a credence table.  This is the only item that is original to the first St. John’s Church.