First Roman Catholic Settlement In Virginia

Drivers heading north on Route 1 near Aquia in the town of Stafford may do a double-take as they cruise past a larger-than-life crucifix that stands along the side of the road.

The display seems somewhat incongruous with its surroundings, but a historical marker explains that it was placed here in 1930 to commemorate the first English Roman Catholic settlement in Virginia.

Between 1647 and 1650, after fleeing an inhospitable situation in Maryland, Giles Brent and his sisters Mary and Margaret established a pair of plantations called Peace and Retirement on the north side of Aquia Creek.

Their nephew George Brent, who lived in a nearby plantation called Woodstock, was the only Roman Catholic delegate in the House of Burgesses during the colonial period.

The crucifix was created by sculptor Georg John Lober, who is best known for his statue of composer George M. Cohan in Times Square, and a bronze sculpture of Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen in Central Park.