Unearthing Kecoughtan: The Church Beneath the Church
I was first drawn to this story out of curiosity, watching archaeologists dig just steps from where students live and wondering what they were looking for. With a long-standing interest in archaeology, I began asking questions and discovered a site connected to early colonial history in Hampton. What started as being nosy and wondering why people were digging in my backyard, turned into uncovering a story bigger than I expected.
An ordinary space behind student housing is actually the site of a 400-year-old story. This piece follows an archaeological dig uncovering the early roots of Hampton and the history students pass every day.
The stacked churches at Kecoughtan offer something few sites can: a physical reminder that history is not linear, but layered.
Behind a set of student apartments, beneath protective tarp, grass, and dirt, the earliest foundations of worship in Hampton are still there waiting to be uncovered.
It is a reminder that each generation has the opportunity to build on what came before them, sometimes quite literally.
What does it mean to walk by faith and not by sight?
In this episode, we explore the hidden spiritual history beneath Hampton University, where generations of worship once stood. Through conversations with Trevor Huston and Carl “CJ” Moorer Jr.,members of HU Campus Ministry, we reflect on faith, legacy, and the powerful idea that the past is never truly gone.