Our History

Before 1905, there was no organized congregation of Black Episcopalians in the city of Hampton. Those were the days of strict segregation of the races, and the few Episcopalians who lived on the Hampton Institute campus or in the city of Hampton did not feel welcome at other parishes.

St. Cyprian’s Episcopal Church was established in October 1905 as a mission of St. John’s Church. There were ten original members who met in several places, including the “Good Samaritan Hall” on King Street, the Court House, and St. John’s parish hall. Bible study and Confirmation classes were conducted on Sunday afternoons or Thursday evenings. There were 30 members in the first Confirmation class.

The first church building at 136 Lincoln Street was completed in 1907. The congregation worshipped in this building for more than 50 years. The church was named for Cyprian, the first bishop of Carthage, North Africa (248-258), who became a martyr of Christ’s Church universal.

Beginning in 1931 St. Cyprian’s and St. Augustine’s in Newport News were served by the same minister. In 1960 each congregation secured a full-time minister-- Father Dennis at St. Cyprian’s and Father Alexander at St. Augustine’s.

In 1910 the Reverend Ebenezer H. Hamilton, a seminarian at the Bishop Payne Divinity School in Petersburg, Virginia, served as the first Rector. He was ordained at St. Cyprian’s and served for 20 years. Priests who followed him were the Reverends Julian F. Dozier, Charles S. Sedgewick, Charles H. Dukes, Theodore R. Gibson, George E. Harper, Lloyd M. Alexander, Walter D. Dennis, Ivor A. Ottley, Nathan D. Baxter and James H. Hall, who was succeeded by the parish’s first female priest, Joy E. Walton. Her successor, the Reverend Dennis D. Patterson, Jr., was installed as St. Cyprian’s 13th Rector on November 19, 2008.

St. Cyprian’s congregation was growing. To accommodate this growth, a three and one-half acre plot of land at 55 East Tyler Street was leased from Hampton Institute in 1961. A new building was erected on this site and occupied in 1963. In 1981, realizing that the 25 year lease on this site would soon be due for renewal, a decision was made to purchase land and build on our own property. In June 1984 St. Cyprian’s congregation formally occupied its new edifice at 1242 West Queen Street, which included a sanctuary and parish hall.

In 2005 St. Cyprian’s celebrated its Centennial with year-long special programs and activities.