St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church

Historical Sites, Historical SitesCulpeper, VA

When the Anglican Church was established by law, Baptists were often imprisoned for preaching without licenses. In 1769 Culpeper officials imprisoned James Ireland for preaching without a commission from the ecclesiastical/civil authorities.

He was placed in the Culpeper Jail on the northwest corner of East and Davis Streets. When the Virginia General Assembly adopted Thomas Jefferson's Statute of Religious Freedom, the Episcopal Church, no longer the Church of England, experienced loss of establishment status, loss of income, loss of glebes, and loss of members to newly organized churches of other denominations.

In 1814 the Diocese of Virginia's Convention could list only ten towns and five counties in which the Episcopal Church showed signs of life; Culpeper County was one. The Church building was erected in 1821, on one acre of land willed by the Revolutionary patriot, Brigadier-General Edward Stevens, as a memorial to his young son. The cornerstone reads: 'James Madison, President U.S.A. 46th Year of American Independence.

St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church

115 N East Street
Culpeper, VA 22701

Culpeper County, VA
540-825-8786

MORE ABOUT THE AREA

Culpeper, VA — Originally known as Fairfax, the Town of Culpeper was founded in 1759. Roughly bounded by Edmonson Street, Stevens Street, West Street and the railroad in Culpeper, most of the commercial buildings are…

LOCAL TOURISM REFERENCES

Culpeper Tourism & Visitors Center
111 S. Commerce St Culpeper, VA 22701
540-727-0611
Monday – Friday 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Saturday – Sunday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
www.visitculpeperva.com