St. John's Church

The oldest frame church in Richmond, built 1741, where the Second Virginia Convention met in March 1775 and Patrick Henry delivered his 'Give me liberty, or give me death' speech on March 23, 1775. The church was chosen for the convention because it was the largest indoor meeting space available in the small town of Richmond. Henry's exact words were never recorded verbatim; the speech as known today was reconstructed decades later by William Wirt from the memories of men who were present. The church survived intact and still stands on Church Hill. St. John's reenacts the convention speech on summer weekends.