The 2300 Club is located in the oldest section of Richmond. The elegant and cozy interior was a perfect match for the plentiful and superb Southern dishes prepared for us.
Our
keynote speaker, Rita Bagby, seemed pleased with her honorarium - a blue
velvet bell pull bearing pewter images of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson
and St. John's Episcopal Church.
Marilyn Escalera
is an historian at St. John's Episcopal Church. We had the pleasure of
listening to her as she spoke of the 2nd Continental Congress, its participants
and the origin of our country.
St. John’s Episcopal Church in Richmond is one of our country’s most historically significant structures. It was erected in 1741, replacing the church that had been located at Curles Plantation, and was to serve the citizens of William Byrd’s newly situated city of Richmond. Until the latter 1800’s, it was called Indian Hill Church, Richmond Church or Old Church. The church was opened only a few times each year until the early 1800’s because the small Richmond population used the State Capitol for worship. The number of American notables who have visited the church or are buried under the church or in its cemetery is significant.
Future Confederate General George E. Pickett was christened in the church March 10, 1827. It was an appropriate place to begin our commemoration of the general’s 183rd birthday.
Clay Pickett
and his niece, Kailyn Pickett, stand with the only relic saved from
St. John's predecessor church at Curles Plantation, the baptismal font.
Niles Clark came from
Indiana and Mike Pickett came from Georgia to help us honor General
Pickett.
