The burning of the theatre in Richmond, Virginia, on the night of the 26th. December 1811. Image courtesy of the Valentine.

A CITY IN MOURNING

One of the worst urban disasters in American history at the time, the fire devastated members of the small Richmond community. Nearly everyone either knew someone who had died or was connected to a family that had lost a friend or loved one. Among the dead were former U.S. Senator and Bank of Virginia president Abraham Venable, as well as Governor George W. Smith, who had been inaugurated just thirty-one days prior to the tragedy. Messages of sympathy poured in from around the world. Richmonders wore black and abstained from business and public events for an entire month. City officials evoked a penalty of “six dollars and sixty-six cents for every hour that any public show, spectacle or dancing was exhibited,” (the number six-six-six referencing the mark of the beast in the book of Revelation.)

A common crypt was erected on the site to house remains of the victims of the fire. To stand over the crypt as a memorial, the heartbroken community of Richmond voted to build a much-needed church. Chief Justice John Marshall successfully led the fundraising efforts.

HEROES

The Richmond Theatre, a multi-story building with several balconies, was built long before fire safety regulations or emergency exits. Passageways were narrow, exits few, and doors opened inward, trapping terrified people inside. The heroes of the night were Dr. James D. McCaw (right) and Mr. Gilbert Hunt (left), an enslaved man who rescued many patrons. Dr. McCaw lowered individuals from the windows into the arms of Hunt. As a result of his unselfish deeds, Hunt, a trained black-smith, became a folk hero and eventually purchased his freedom. He left Richmond for several years but returned and lived out his final days there. In 1930, a memorial plaque was given in Hunt’s honor by a member of the Monumental Church congregation.

“The scene surpassed anything I ever saw, the wild shrieks of hopeless agony, the piercing cry, ‘Lord, save me’ or ‘I perish,’ the uplifted hands, the earnest prayer for mercy, for pardon, for salvation, I think I see it now- all just as it happened.”
– Gilbert Hunt

MAKING A MEMORIAL 

An open competition was held to determine the memorial’s construction and design. One of America’s first native born architects, Robert Mills was awarded the honor of constructing the memorial. Among his competitors was Benjamin Henry Latrobe, Mills’ own mentor and teacher. Mills is best known for designing the Washington National Monument, as well as four other auditorium-style, domed churches in Charleston, Baltimore, and Philadelphia. Monumental is not only the most elaborately designed of these churches, it is the only one still standing. It remains one of the earliest and best examples of Greek Revival architecture in the United States and was one of the first American monuments to incorporate Egyptian motifs. The original design included a spire and second portico to the right of the rotunda, both of which were never built. 1812 marked the beginning of construction. To construct the front portico, builders used Aquia sandstone from Northern Virginia, the same material used in the White House. To cover the exterior, white stucco painted with a lime wash was used.

ARCHITECTURAL INFLUENCES

Mill's design uses Roman, Greek, and Egyptian motifs, along with funerary imagery, to embellish this innovative architectural form: a church also serving as a memorial monument. The center of the portico features a Roman inspired urn sitting atop of a sarcophagic base. Mills had the names of the victims carved into the walls of the sarcophagus. He decorated its cornice with a winged orb, representing the creation and preservation of life, often found on Egyptian temples. The marble urn is adorned with funerary symbols including drapery, stars, and a wreath with flying ribbons. The faces of shrouded women also appear, which can be traced back to a 1728 book of architecture that Mills was likely to consult. Mills also incorporated the urns seen on the portico frieze. These lachrymatories, or tear vials, recall the ancient Roman tradition of honoring the dead by collecting every tear shed during mourning.

The interior of the church features more symbols of mourning. Capitals on the columns on each side of the pulpit feature upside-down torches, stars, and drapery. The upside-down torches symbolize life snuffed out, the stars represent heaven, and the drapery references a burial shroud. The columns under the balcony are capped with sarcophagus-shaped capitals. Unique to Mills’ design is a distinctive menorah–shaped item which is shown above the capitals. A sarcophagus shape can be seen over each doorway and window, both interior and exterior.

The unprecedented low-profile saucer dome that Mills placed over the auditorium is a Neoclassical feature favored by two of his mentors, Thomas Jefferson and B. Henry Latrobe. The slender, laminated, wooden ribs of the dome were invented by 16th century French architect Philibert Delorme. Mills utilized “Delorme’s Method” of dome construction to vault the large free-span rooms of the church. The wooden dome and cupola cover a broad expanse of space effectively allowing natural light to flood the interior.

Monumental’s octagonal auditorium measures seventy feet in diameter. The large cupola at the dome’s crown supports Mills’ concept of a lightflooded interior, as do the large, clear windows. The auditorium style reflects the emphasis placed on preaching and teaching, directing all eyes toward the preacher. Mills repeated this favored concept in many of the other churches he later designed.

Photo courtesy of Mathew Oswald Photography

A PLACE OF WORSHIP

On May 4, 1814, less than three years after the fire, Monumental Church opened its doors to the public and held its first Episcopal church service. The Marquis de Lafayette, Edgar Allen Poe, and John Marshall (pictured below) are just a few of the notable patrons who attended service at Monumental over the years. Until 1846, every Virginia governor except two worshipped there as well. After serving the community for 150 years, it ultimately gave birth to two of Richmond’s largest Episcopal congregations, St. Paul’s and St. James’s.