St. Luke's Church
Historic church in Virginia. Added to the National Register in 1966, and a National Historic Landmark.
What it is
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.
Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The record
| Property type | Building |
| Address | 4 mi. S of Smithfield on VA 10, Smithfield vicinity, VA |
| County | Isle Of Wight County |
| Listed | Oct 15, 1966 |
| Listed for | Architecture |
| Level of significance | National |
| Also known as | Newport Parish Church; Old Brick; St. Luke's Smithfield |
| Reference number | 66000838 |
| Type of place | church building |
| Designations | National Historic Landmark, Virginia Historic Landmark |
| Contributing resources | 1 building |
| Standing | Yes |
The nomination form, the document that argues why this place matters, is in the National Archives: Read the nomination ↗
Visiting
| Address | 4 mi. S of Smithfield on VA 10, Smithfield, VA |
| Coordinates | 36.9406° N, 76.5855° W · Directions ↗ |
| Nearest national park unit | Fort Monroe National Monument · 17 miles · on Park Atlas |
Explore
Drawings & photographs
Measured drawings and photographs from the Library of Congress. Public domain. All 6 records ↗
Map
Nearby in Isle Of Wight County
Guidebooks to historic places in Virginia
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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
When was St. Luke's Church listed on the National Register?
Oct 15, 1966. It is also a National Historic Landmark, the higher of the two designations.
Source: National Park Service
Can I visit St. Luke's Church?
Yes. St. Luke's Church is recorded as open to the public.
Source: Wikidata
Where is St. Luke's Church?
4 mi. S of Smithfield on VA 10, Smithfield vicinity, Isle Of Wight County, Virginia. The nearest national park unit is Fort Monroe National Monument, 17 miles away.
Source: Fort Monroe National Monument
Are there historic photographs or drawings of St. Luke's Church?
Yes. The Historic American Buildings Survey at the Library of Congress has drawings or photographs of it.
Source: Library of Congress
Where is the nomination form for St. Luke's Church?
The National Archives holds the nomination form, the document that made the case for listing.
Source: National Archives
Is there cell service at St. Luke's Church?
FCC coverage maps show Verizon 5G, AT&T 5G, and T-Mobile 5G at the listed point. Coverage indoors and behind old masonry is another matter.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
Sources
Location, type and contributing counts come from the National Park Service's National Register spatial data. Listing dates come from the National Register office's spreadsheet where it carries the listing. Construction date, architect, style, photograph and encyclopedia link come from Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons, matched on reference number 66000838. Nothing here is transcribed by hand. The nomination form and photographs ↗ at NPGallery are the original nomination as filed with the National Park Service, and the form is often the best description of the place. The description under "What it is" is the opening of the Wikipedia article, CC BY-SA. Drawings and photographs are Historic American Buildings Survey records at the Library of Congress, public domain.