Jim Patton’s file on St. Peters, Part 1, Outside Pictures

Recently, I received a file box labeled "St Peter’s" from Cookie that was compiled by Jim Patton. Patton died in November 2007 and for many years was the owner of Gay Mont through his wife’s connection to the Bernard family.

A native of Bridgeville, Pa., he moved to Washington, D.C., in 1941 to take a clerical position with the Naval Ordnance Laboratory . At the close of World War II, he served for a short period in the Army of Occupation in Japan. He retired in 1981 after 36 years as financial secretary/business manager of the New York A venue Presbyterian Church, and lived for many years in Alexandria. He was married to Frances Bernard Upton, whose family owned Gay Mont since the 1790s.

Patton worked closely with Ralph Fall’s work on Hidden Village, the history about Port Royal. Fall wanted to name Patton as co-author but Patton refused.

While Patton was a Presbyterian he worshipped at St. Peter’s due to his wife’s Episcopalian connections. (The picture above is with Emma Cocke in 2001. He often drove her to church). Patton was a genealogist and archivist and a great friend of St. Peter’s. He is responsible for saving many of St. Peter’s early records by sending them to the Library of Virginia where they are now viewable at microfile for all to see.

The file received has folders on the many priests at St. Peter’s, a folder on membership, correspondence with Ralph Fall after his time at St. Peter’s and one on pictures. The one on pictures is the subject of this article. I have divided them into outside and inside pictures.

The outside pictures are mostly St. Peter’s in the 1980’s and 1990’s with one from 1942 (which also hangs in the Parish House). The dates on the back of the pictures are probably due to Patton’s concern for posterity and his meticulous nature. Who took them is not clear unless they were part of another collection in the file. The dates are far more important than the photographer.

There are some unusual inclusions. A wonderful one is of Conway Davis and Beverly Pratt from 1983. Another interesting one is a model by Palladio in the 16th century that may have been an inspiration for the design of St. Peter’s.