St. John’s Church wins $2,850 grant

The church needs to match the grant and is accepting donations.

September 4, 2014; 10:59 AM • by Richard Hayes

From yesterday’s press release.

Today, St. John’s Church Foundation was awarded a $2,850 grant by the National Trust for Historic Preservation from Cynthia Woods Mitchell Fund. These grant funds will be used to commission a conservation assessment of the sounding board above the pulpit at historic St. John’s Church. The grant must be matched with other funding on a one-to-one basis.

Conservator Carey Howlett will undertake a careful treatment plan to evaluate the sounding board to determine the best course of action for conservation and care. The plan will include research, analysis of the construction and materials, microscopic paint
analysis to determine the original surface coatings and, microscopic wood analysis to determine the wood composition. In addition, a study of the historic elements of the sounding board in context with the history of colonial Virginia and British prototypes may reveal the maker.

Carl Lounsbury, Senior Architectural Historian at Colonial Williamsburg says “I welcome the idea to undertake a serious assessment of the sounding board’s condition and develop a treatment plan for its conservation. It is one of only three colonial sounding boards in Virginia.”

“Organizations like St. John’s Church Foundation help to ensure that communities and towns across America retain their unique
sense of place,” said Stephanie Meeks, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “We are honored to provide a grant
to St. John’s Church Foundation, which will use the funds to help preserve an important piece of our shared national heritage.”

Grants from the National Trust Preservation Funds range from $2,500 to $5,000 and have provided over $15 million since 2003. These matching grants are awarded to nonprofit organizations and public agencies across the country to support wide-ranging activities including consultant services for rehabilitating buildings, technical assistance for tourism that promotes historic resources, and the development of materials for education and outreach campaigns.

SJCF has received a lead gift of $250. If you would like to make a contribution, please contact Sarah Whiting at 804-649-0263.