St. Christopher's School is an American private

college preparatory school A college-preparatory school (often shortened to prep school, preparatory school, college prep school or college prep academy) is a type of secondary school. The term refers to public, private independent or parochial schools primarily design ...

for boys located in

Richmond, Virginia Richmond ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been an independent city (United States), independent city since 1871. ...

. The school is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

History

Dr. Churchill Gibson Chamberlayne founded St. Christopher's School in 1911 as ''The Chamberlayne School''. On June 11, 1920, a system of church schools was established by the

Episcopal Diocese of Virginia The Diocese of Virginia is the second largest diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America, encompassing 38 counties in the northern and central parts of the U.S. state Virginia. The diocese was organized in 1785 and is one of t ...

, at which time ''The Chamberlayne School'' was renamed ''St. Christopher's School'', after

Saint Christopher Saint Christopher (, , ; ) is venerated by several Christian denominations. According to these traditions, he was a martyr killed in the reign of the 3rd-century Roman Empire, Roman emperor Decius (), or alternatively under the emperor Maximin ...

. The campus includes frame buildings from the era of its founding as well as brick buildings added in the second–quarter of the 20th–century. The campus became a Virginia Landmark on December 5, 2001, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 13, 2002.

Students

As of 2022, the student population is 938. The students are all male and are 63% White, 11% Asian, 9% African American, 8% Hispanic, 6% Multiracial, and 0% Native American and Pacific Island. The student-to-teacher ratio is 9 to 1.

Academics

St. Christopher's includes junior

kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cen ...

through 12th grade. It offers more than 25

Advanced Placement Advanced Placement (AP) is a program in the United States and Canada created by the College Board. AP offers undergraduate university-level curricula and examinations to high school students. Colleges and universities in the US and elsewhere ...

courses. A program of coordination with nearby St. Catherine's School allows a broader selection of courses at the Upper School level, taught in coeducational classes on both campuses. After graduating, 100% of its students attend a four–year college. ''Niche'' ranks the school as the number two all-boys high school and the number 8 K through grade twelve school in Virginia.

Student life

Athletics

St. Christopher's School belongs to two athletic associations, the Virginia Prep League and the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association (VISAA). St. Christopher's has longstanding athletic rivalries with Benedictine High School, Collegiate School, and

Woodberry Forest School Woodberry Forest School is a private, all-male boarding school located in Woodberry Forest, Madison County, Virginia, in the United States. Woodberry's current enrollment is 391. Students come from 34 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., and 36 coun ...

. The wrestling program, considered one of the best in Virginia, holds a streak of 21 straight Virginia Prep League titles and 3 consecutive VISAA State championships, as well as 16 of the last 22.

Student publications

* ''The Pine Needle Online'' (web-based newspaper) *''Raps and Taps'' (yearbook) * ''Hieroglyphic'' (arts journal)

Accreditations and memberships

St. Christopher's School is accredited or a member of the following organizations: *

National Association of Independent Schools The National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) is a U.S.-based membership organization for private, nonprofit, K-12 schools. Founded in 1962, NAIS represents independent schools and associations in the United States, including day, board ...

(NAIS) *

Virginia Association of Independent Schools Virginia Association of Independent Schools (VAIS) is a non-profit, voluntary membership association of schools within the state of Virginia. The VAIS is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools. Prior to its establishment in Ch ...

(VAIS) *

International Boys' Schools Coalition The International Boys' Schools Coalition (IBSC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization of all-boys schools dedicated to the education of boys, to the professional development of their educators, and to the advancement of educational institutio ...

(IBSC)

Notable alumni

* Edmund Archer (1904–1986), artist *

Penn Badgley Penn Dayton Badgley (born November 1, 1986) is an American actor and producer. He is known for his roles as Dan Humphrey in The CW teen drama series ''Gossip Girl'' (2007–2012) and Joe Goldberg in the Netflix psychological thriller series ''Y ...

(born 1986), actor in television series ''

Gossip Girl ''Gossip Girl'' is an American teen drama television series created and developed by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage and based on the series of novels of the same name by Cecily von Ziegesar. It follows a group of students on Manhattan's ...

'' *

Mason Bates Mason Wesley Bates (born January 23, 1977) is a Grammy Award, Grammy award-winning United States, American composer of Orchestra, symphonic music and Disc jockey, DJ of electronic dance music. He is the first composer-in-residence of the John F. ...

(born 1977), composer *

Brent Bookwalter Brent Bookwalter (born February 16, 1984) is an American former professional cyclist, who last rode for UCI WorldTeam . Career Born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States, Bookwalter was a member of the Lees–McRae C ...

(born 1984), professional cyclist,

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contender in 2010 *

Harry Easterly Harry Watkey Easterly Jr. (August 31, 1922 – June 16, 2005) served as president of the United States Golf Association, one of the World's two ruling bodies of Golf (the other being The R&A), in 1976 and 1977 and later as its first executive direc ...

(1922–2005), President of the

United States Golf Association The United States Golf Association (USGA) is the United States national association of golf courses, clubs and facilities and the governing body of golf for the U.S. and Mexico. Together with The R&A, the USGA produces and interprets the rule ...

* Henry Hager (born 1934), a politician *

Will Hardy William Culvahouse Hardy (born January 21, 1988) is an American professional basketball coach and former collegiate player who is the head coach for the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Professional career San Antonio Spu ...

(born 1988), professional basketball coach and current head coach of the

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* Dean H. King (born 1962), novelist * G. Manoli Loupassi (born 1967), politician, a former member of the

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(born 1963), filmmaker, producer, and director * Donald McEachin (born 1961-2022), politician, member of the

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(born 2003), baseball player *

Chris Peace Christopher Kilian Peace (born November 16, 1976) is an American politician. He is a member of the Republican Party. From 2006–2019 Peace was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates. He represented the 97th district in the Middle Peninsu ...

(born 1976), former member of the

* Robert Pratt (born 1951), professional football player *

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, CEO of

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Harrison Ruffin Tyler Harrison Ruffin Tyler (November 9, 1928 – May 25, 2025) was an American preservationist and archivist who, at the time of his death, was the last surviving grandson of the tenth U.S. president, John Tyler (1790–1862). The period from the pre ...

(born 1928), American chemical engineer, businessperson, and preservationist *

Stephan Said Stephan Othman Said () (born May 30, 1968), aka Stephan Smith, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, writer, and global activist. He hosts ''borderless'', a docuseries about people on the front lines of change, produced by difrent:, Inc. ...

(born 1968), musician and activist * Tom Slater (born 1968), baseball coach * James Harvie Wilkinson III (born 1944), a federal judge serving on the

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* Monk Willis (1916–2011), LBJ political adviser, regent for the

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* Martin Williams (1924–1992), jazz critic *

Tom Wolfe Thomas Kennerly Wolfe Jr. (March 2, 1930 – May 14, 2018)Some sources say 1931; ''The New York Times'' and Reuters both initially reported 1931 in their obituaries before changing to 1930. See and was an American author and journalist widely ...

(1931–2018), novelist

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Christophers School (Richmond, Virginia) School buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Virginia Schools in Richmond, Virginia High schools in Richmond, Virginia Educational institutions established in 1911 Episcopal schools in Virginia Private high schools in Virginia Private middle schools in Virginia Private elementary schools in Virginia National Register of Historic Places in Richmond, Virginia 1911 establishments in Virginia St. Christopher's School (Richmond, Virginia) alumni Brick buildings and structures in Virginia