History
A small group of dedicated men committed themselves to the task of recruiting and training a new generation of church leaders following the Revolutionary War. Francis Scott Key was one of this group which, in 1818, formed "An Education Society" and five years later opened the "School of Prophets," to become the Protestant Episcopal Theological Seminary in Virginia. When the school opened in Alexandria with two instructors, 14 students were enrolled. During the Civil War, the school was occupied. After the war, two professors and 11 veterans reopened the seminary on a campus that had been used to house 1,700 wounded Federal troops and to bury 500 soldiers.
On June 3, 1953, Virginia Seminary merged with the Bishop Payne Divinity School, a distinguished African-American institution started by Virginia Seminary in 1878. Since 1950, 22 new buildings have been added to the campus, including five dormitories, the refectory and Scott Lounge, 15 faculty homes, a recreation building, and a day-care center for young children. In 1993, the Addison Academic Center opened with classroom space, the Lettie Pate Whitehead Evans Auditorium, the seminary bookstore, and the student lounge.
On 22 October 2010, an intense fire destroyed 19th-century Immanuel Chapel on the grounds of the seminary. The flames were so fierce that firefighters were unable to enter the building and were forced to attack the fire from a distance using ground based crews and a high level (aerial platform) hose. No other part of the seminary was damaged and there were no injuries. Several of the stained glass windows were destroyed, including the Marian window and the window over the altar. The iconic words, "Go Ye Into All The World And Preach The Gospel," painted above that window, were also destroyed by the heat of the fire. The pulpit, the lectern and its Bible for readings during services, and the baptismal font, were not hurt by the fire. Damage is estimated at $2.5 million. An investigation by the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Alexandria Fire Marshal’s Office determined that the fire was of accidental nature.
Read more about this topic: Virginia Theological Seminary
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