In 1822, a small group of Episcopalians set out to establish a house of worship they named St. Peter’s Episcopal Church.

What followed has become a history much too rich and colorful to detail in any one story.

The congregation grew in size until its members decided in 1824 to erect a permanent church, built on the site of the present day St. Peter’s Episcopal Church. The frame building served the community until it burned to the ground in 1864 as an indirect result of the Union occupation of Washington during the Civil War, according to church records.

But all was not lost. A crystal chandelier and the baptismal font were rescued from the flames and stored until a new church was completed in 1873. Then the items were installed in the brick building still in use today.

Other highlights of the interior of today’s church include breathtakingly beautiful stained glass windows, among them panels depicting St. Peter holding the keys to the kingdom. Beaufort County walnut was used for arches and wainscoting, and heart pine pews have provided seating for generations of Washington churchgoers. A marble altar dating to 1928 completes the setting.

The bell tower, finished in 1893, is a familiar facet of the landscape of downtown Washington. Outside the church, a cemetery provides a tranquil final resting place for St. Peter’s members including early church leaders as well as Col. James Bonner, founder of Washington. Trees in the churchyard have been designated as Heritage Trees, and the church itself is on the National Register of Historic Places. Brown Chapel was dedicated in 1927 and an adjoining chapel garden is a repository for ashes of deceased church members.

St. Peter’s Episcopal Church is located at the corner of North Bonner and Main streets in downtown Washington, approximately one block from the Pamlico River.

“In History’s Footsteps” is a new series of stories focusing on historic sites of interest in Beaufort County and will be appear occasionally as part of Pamlico Life.