The first African American Episcopal church in Virginia, founded in 1840 and housed since 1888 in a red-brick Richardsonian Romanesque building on East Bute Street.
At a glance
St. John’s AME Church is a historic congregation of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in Norfolk, Virginia. The church building and its contributing parsonage were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. The sanctuary seats 1,500 people beneath a horseshoe-shaped balcony.
History
St. John’s was founded in 1840. It was the first African American Episcopal Church in Virginia. Eight years later, in 1848, the congregation moved to its present location on East Bute Street in what is now Downtown Norfolk.
The building that stands today was built in 1888.
What you see
The church is a red brick structure in the Richardsonian Romanesque style. Its most distinctive exterior feature is a centered stone entrance portico of light grey freestone. The portico has two large openings headed by semi-circular arches, a composition reminiscent of the ambulatory of a Romanesque abbey.
A large, heavy, and steeply pitched slate roof covers the building. Two towers flank the main body. Inside, the sanctuary holds 1,500 people and a horseshoe-shaped balcony.
The property also includes the contributing parsonage, a 2½-story, four-bay brick dwelling in a simplified Second French Empire style.
Cultural significance
St. John’s AME Church holds a foundational place in Virginia religious history. Its founding in 1840 established the first African American Episcopal congregation in the state. The 1888 building preserves that legacy in brick and stone, while the 1986 National Register listing recognizes the church’s architectural and historical importance within Norfolk and the wider United States.
Key facts
- Country: United States
- City: Norfolk, Virginia
- Coordinates: 36.8517, -76.2828
- Listed on the National Register of Historic Places: 1986
- Built: 1888
- Congregation founded: 1840
Practical information & getting there
The church stands on East Bute Street in Downtown Norfolk, Virginia. As an active congregation, its use may vary; contact the church directly before visiting to confirm hours and access.
Sources & resources
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