St. Luke's Church (Smithfield, Virginia)

Saint Luke's Church (Smithfield)
St. Luke's Church (Smithfield, Virginia) is located in Virginia
St. Luke's Church (Smithfield, Virginia)
St. Luke's Church (Smithfield, Virginia) is located in the United States
St. Luke's Church (Smithfield, Virginia)
LocationBenns Church, Virginia
Nearest citySmithfield, Virginia
Coordinates36°56′26″N 76°35′06″W / 36.94056°N 76.58500°W / 36.94056; -76.58500
Area5 acres (2.0 ha)
Built1682
Architectural styleSingle Room Vernacular Brick Church of Artisan Mannerism Style.
NRHP reference No.66000838[1]
VLR No.046-0024
Significant dates
Added to NRHPOctober 15, 1966[1]
Designated NHLOctober 9, 1960[3]
Designated VLRSeptember 9, 1969[2]

St. Luke's Church, also known as Old Brick Church, or Newport Parish Church, is a historic church building, located in the unincorporated community of Benns Church, near Smithfield in Isle of Wight County, Virginia, United States. It is the oldest church in Virginia and oldest church in British North America of brick construction. According to local tradition the structure was built in 1632, but other evidence points to a date of 1682; see Dating controversy.

On October 15, 1966, St. Luke's was designated a National Historic Landmark and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in recognition of its historic and architectural distinction. In 1957 President Dwight D. Eisenhower designated the site a National Shrine in concert with the 350th anniversary of Jamestown.

Since 1954 Historic St. Luke's Restoration, doing business as Historic St. Luke's Church, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that maintains, preserves, promotes, and interprets the 17th-century, 100-acre historic site. Historic St. Luke's does not receive any federal, state, or municipal funding. All funding comes from private corporations, foundations, and individuals.

  1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. ^ "Virginia Landmarks Register". Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
  3. ^ "Saint Luke's Church (Smithfield)". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on November 9, 2013. Retrieved November 9, 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)