17th century church tower abuts the 1906 Memorial Church at Historic Jamestowne

Old Town Main Page

The brick church tower that stands next to the 1907 Memorial Church is the only remaining structure from the Jamestown era, though it was built long after 1607. The tower has been referred to as the 1649 Church Tower for the last 100 years or so, but that date is under fire after renovations conducted in 2013-14 suggest otherwise. After removing stucco that had been applied to the inside of the tower in the 1890s to keep pieces of brick from falling on people’s heads, it was discovered that the tower was actually built in two different stages. Bricks and techniques used on the lower half are different from those used on the upper half. Unfortunately, historians do not know the time frame between the two constructions.

In 1639, construction on an all-brick church began, replacing a 1617 wooden church that had a one-brick thick outer wall. The new church was built on the same location as the old one. For whatever reason, work was not completed until 1647. It has always been thought that the brick tower was part of this church. It is possible, seeing that construction took eight years, that the lower level was built at the start of construction and that the upper level was finished when work began again around 1647.

The 1647 Church was heavily damaged in 1676 during Bacon’s Rebellion. According to historical records, a fourth church was in use by 1686. Most likely it used some portions of the former brick church, but all that can be inferred about its construction is that it took place sometime between 1676 and 1686. Preservation Virginia, the organization that owns the property and is in charge of all archaeological excavations and structural renovations, now feels that the tower was an addition to this church, placing its possible construction sometime in the 1680s. To further add to the confusion, in 1699 the James City Parish asked the Virginia General Assembly for money to add a steeple to “the” church. If this is the steeple, then it was constructed no earlier than 1699, and possibly in the first years of the 1700s. Written descriptions from 1702 state that the church had a steeple and bell by that time.

Regardless of the tower’s construction date, the last church remained in use until 1750 when it was abandoned for a new building at another location. The church portion eventually collapsed but the tower remained standing. Repairs were made in the 1890s once Preservation Virginia acquired the property, again in the 1960s, and then most recently in 2013-14.

The following is a video from Preservation Virginia about the recent renovation.