Washington Parish Museum
Tour the Washington Parish Museum on Sunday afternoons by appointment with Bill Doerken, Museum Director, (804) 445-6655
Featuring graphic displays and artifacts that honor the 175 year history of St. Peter's Episcopal Church, the museum also highlights other churches that have formed Washington Parish over the years.
Numerous hands-on activities for visitors of all ages include tombstone rubbing, events detailing early church brick making, and John Washington's seamanship challenges on his ill-fated trip to Virginia.
Visitors can listen to recorded music from the historic 1849 Erban organ, unfortunately destroyed in the December 2023 fire.
Read this news article announcing "Sneak Previews" of the museum, and watch for the big grand opening on May 31, 2024, in honor of the church's 175th Anniversary.
Who is the Washington Parish Named After?
Hint: Not George Washington.
One winter day in 1657, the trading vessel named Seahorse of London sailed north up the Potomac River bound for a load of tobacco on Mattox Creek. Unfortunately, upon setting back to sea with its cargo, the ship did not get far. Running aground, Seahorse of London nearly sank in the Potomac under the onslaught of a severe winter storm.
The ship went under repair nearby in what is now called Pope's Creek. While repairs were underway, second mate John became friendly with the nearby Pope family, leading to a romance between John and their daughter, Anne. By the time the ship was repaired, John had fallen madly in love. Now he had to decide between a life on land with Anne or return to the life of a trader at sea.
Ultimately, John went to Anne's father who blessed the union and gifted the couple 600 acres of fertile Northern Neck Land, a fine start to life in Virginia. John and Anne are remembered today as a Virginia “power couple”. They each earned prestigious leadership positions that helped mold early Commonwealth history. For example, John was a founding member of the Appomattox Parish under the Church of England, renamed Washington Parish in 1664. The parish became part of the Episcopal Church in 1785, and the U.S. Episcopal Church officially separated from The Church of England in 1789 due to onerous burdens placed on American clergy by the British.
The story of John Washington demonstrates how a fateful winter storm helped to shape the course of this great country, as John eventually became the great-grandfather of George Washington, First President of the United States.
The Washington Parish Museum in Oak Grove tells these stories and so much more about the people, places and things that shaped the history of the Northern Neck.
Mark May 31, 4 p.m., on your calendar for opening of the “Best Little Museum in Virginia”, located behind St. Peter’s Church at Oak Grove.
A Building on the Move
In the late 1800’s, the rectory for St. Peter’s Episcopal Church was located about 1.5 miles south of the church building in Oak Grove. At that time, when Reverend Latane built his study there, he had no idea it would become a building on the move.
Before the rectory was eventually moved to its current location behind St. Peter's Episcopal Church on King’s Highway in Oak Grove, it was located on various sites nearby. At one point, the school board asked that the building be moved for use as a classroom at Oak Grove Elementary School. It may have also been moved for use as a post office.
When the rectory finally settled onto the church property, it was just to the right of the church building. When the current parish hall was built, the rectory was moved again by the Boy Scouts to the back of the church property and used as a study and a place for the Scouts to meet.
In early 2023, in the newly restored and re-designed Latane study building, the Washington Parish Museum was born, thankfully untouched by the December 2023 fire.