Where Liberty Found Its Voice: Spotlight on Historic St. John’s Church

Nestled atop Church Hill overlooking the James River, Historic St. John’s Church in Richmond, Virginia, stands as a timeless beacon of American history and spiritual heritage. Founded on land donated by William Byrd II and completed in 1741, this humble colonial structure has borne witness to pivotal moments that shaped the nation.

Most famously, it was within these wooden walls that Patrick Henry delivered his electrifying call to arms at the Second Virginia Convention: “Give me liberty…or give me death!”. His stirring words echoed far beyond the assembly, igniting the spark of revolution.

Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1961, St. John’s has transcended its role as a place of worship to become a living museum of the American spirit, welcoming visitors, school groups, and history enthusiasts through reenactments, tours, museum exhibitions, and the solemn beauty of its historic graveyard.

We chatted with Executive Director Stephen Wilson and Manager of Educational Programs Dean Knight to learn more.

CultureWorks: St. John’s Church welcomes tens of thousands of visitors annually, offering guided tours, reenactments, and cemetery audio tours. What do you hope each visitor walks away with after their visit?

St. John’s Church: St. John's Church offers power of place. Whether a visitor attends a Liberty or Death reenactment or one of our other many programs, they are literally standing in history, in the very place where Patrick Henry said "Give me liberty or give me death!" just 27 days before the first shots were fired at Lexington and Concord. Our hope is that visitors are inspired by Patrick Henry's words and the spirit and belief of liberty.

CultureWorks: Your signature “Liberty or Death” reenactments bring history to life. What impact do you see this program having on visitors?

SJC: Our Liberty or Death reenactment is an experience like no other. Nine actors portraying delegates including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and of course Patrick Henry are seated throughout the church. A visitor could quite literally be seated next to Patrick Henry himself as he delivers his famous speech. The reenactment transports visitors back to 1775 where they serve as delegates at the Second Virginia Convention. Yes, this is a participatory program! Visitors are encouraged to speak out if they hear something they agree with, but it has to be appropriate to the times, like "hear hear!" or "well spoken, sir!" Because the program brings history to life, visitors come away with a much deeper understanding of the Second Virginia Convention and Patrick Henry's speech.

CultureWorks: Beyond the educational programs, how else does the Foundation engage with the Richmond community, such as through tours, speaker events, or special programming?

SJC: The Foundation offers tours of the historic church on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.  This is a great way for Richmonders and visitors to our area to engage with this crucial moment in Virginia and American history.  We also offer programs throughout the year on various topics, often but not always related to the revolutionary era.  Two recent examples are a living history presentation about Abigail Adams, and a talk on how Patrick Henry's great speech was reconstructed by his early 19th century biographer into what we now know as the Liberty or Death speech.  Our Walter W. Craigie Speaker Series presents four reception and speaker events throughout the year, featuring exciting presenters and topics from the fields of history and government.  Recent speakers have included Woody Holton, Ken Ruscio, George Allen, and Doug Wilder.

CultureWorks: How do you balance preserving the historical integrity of the church with ensuring modern accessibility and inclusion for all visitors?

SJC: The church has been expanded and updated many times since its original 1741 construction and is considerably different from when Patrick Henry was here, but it also retains the core space where he and his fellow delegates met in 1775.  There is an elevator entry on the west side of the property, leading to sidewalks directly into the church for access.  We have worked with VisitAble to provide our staff with training on how to best ensure accessibility to all, including procedures on emergency evacuation. 

CultureWorks: With the 250th anniversary of Patrick Henry’s speech approaching this year, what are your hopes and goals for commemorating that milestone and deepening public engagement with St. John’s legacy?

SJC: The 250th anniversary of Patrick Henry's iconic "Give me liberty or give me death!" speech was on March 23 of this year. We offered three Liberty or Death reenactments, all of which were sold out. Additionally, our partner, the VA250 Commission, live streamed our 1:30 p.m. reenactment to a worldwide audience. Thousands of history lovers, both in-person and virtually, heard from PBS documentarian Ken Burns and VA250 National Honorary Chair Carly Fiorina before Patrick Henry delivered his famous line that helped spark the American Revolution. Our hope is that the public has a deeper understanding of and appreciation  for the historic events that happened at St. John's Church on the eve of the American Revolution.

CultureWorks: How can individuals, educators, and history enthusiasts get involved, whether through volunteering, donations, or attending events?

SJC: The St. John's Church Foundation offers a wide array of educational programs from reenactments to speaker programs to new offerings like our all women's reenactment this November. Tickets can be ordered in-person at our Visitor Center or online at www.historicstjohnschurch.org. Our organization receives zero government financial support. Donations are tax-deductible and support our educational and historic preservation mission. Additionally, many volunteer opportunities exist, from staffing programs, cleaning gravestones, and providing research on persons buried in the St. John's churchyard (Richmond's oldest public cemetery).