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Bruton Parish Church Review

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Bruton Parish Church

Address: Duke of Gloucester St. west of Palace Green, Colonial Williamsburg, VA | Map It

Category: Religious Sites
Location: Colonial Williamsburg

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Fodor's Review:

The lovely brick Episcopal Bruton Parish Church has served continuously as a house of worship since it was built in 1715. One of its 20th-century pastors, W. A. R. Goodwin, provided the impetus for Williamsburg's restoration. The church tower, topped by a beige wooden steeple, was added in 1769; during the Revolution its bell served as the local "liberty bell," rung to summon people for announcements. The white pews, tall and boxed in, are characteristic of the starkly graceful Colonial ecclesiastical architecture of the region. When sitting in a pew, listening to the history of the church, keep in mind that you could be sitting where Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, or George Washington once listened to sermons. The stone baptismal font is believed to have come from an older Jamestown church. Many local eminences, including one royal governor, are interred in the graveyard. The fully operational church is open to the public; contributions are accepted. Check www.brutonparish.org for free candlelight recitals in the evening at Bruton Parish Church.

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