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by Christopher S. HollimanAt right is Christopher Holliman (b 1978), a 9th great grandson of Christopher Holliman, Sr. (d 1691) dressed in his Colonial reenactment costume at St. John's Episcopal Church, Richmond, Virginia. Chris gives tours to visitors at this historic site on Saturdays and Sundays during the summer months.
St. John's Church is a National Historic Landmark in recognition of it being the site where Patrick Henry gave his famous "Liberty or Death" speech. With such men as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson in the audience, St. John's Church was, for a few days in March 1775, the center of the American Revolution. Visitors come to reconnect with this historical moment, and I'm lucky to be one of the people that they may meet while they are here.
A typical day here includes giving tours to school groups, walking tourists around the cemetery and church, and generally interpreting history for them. My favorite part of the job is meeting people that come from all over the world and care deeply about history.
On Sunday afternoons in the summer we provide a reenactment of Patrick Henry's speech at the church. Costumed actors perform the various roles of the famous patriots. We pack the church for each performance, and the energy in the room is absolutely electric. It's like watching history come to life.
So, if you are traveling in Virginia this vacation season, stop by Richmond and meet both Patrick Henry and me, Christopher Holliman, a relative of those who read this Weblog. For information on and directions to this Colonial history site, visit http://www.historicstjohnschurch.org/. Hope to see you soon! "
When not providing historical interpretations, Chris is a librarian with the Henrico County Library system. His three-year-old daughter, Camille, is a 10th, possibly 11th generation American (if we count John Holyman, d 1650 as the first generation). Yes, Chris is the brother of Grace Holliman, and son of Glenn Holliman, who prepare this blog.
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