Earlysville Union Church

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Earlysville Union Church
Earlysville Union Church.jpg
Roadside view of the former church
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LocationVA 743, NW of jct. with VA 663, Earlysville, Virginia
Coordinates 38°9′25″N78°29′0″W / 38.15694°N 78.48333°W / 38.15694; -78.48333 Coordinates: 38°9′25″N78°29′0″W / 38.15694°N 78.48333°W / 38.15694; -78.48333
Area1.5 acres (0.61 ha)
Built1833, 1880
Architectural styleEarly Republic, Early Classical Revival
NRHP reference # 97001504 [1]
VLR #002-0449
Significant dates
Added to NRHPDecember 11, 1997
Designated VLRSeptember 17, 1997 [2]

Earlysville Union Church, also known as Earlysville Free Union Church, is a historic church located on VA 743, northwest of the junction with VA 633 in Earlysville, Albemarle County, Virginia. It was built in 1833, and is a one-story, frame building with weatherboard siding and a gable roof on a low stone foundation. Entrance to the building is by two doors on the south gable end. It measures approximately 50 feet long by 30 feet wide. The building was originally one room; a small vestibule with flanking rooms for Sunday School rooms was partitioned off around 1880. It is a rare surviving example of interdenominational churches constructed at the beginning of the 19th century in Albemarle County. It was used the Baptists, Methodists and Presbyterians until the turn of the 20th century. The building continued in use as an interdenominational Sunday School for the community until 1977. In 1995, the building underwent restoration. [3]

Church (building) Building used for Christian religious activities

A church building or church house, often simply called a church, is a building used for Christian religious activities, particularly for Christian worship services. The term is often used by Christians to refer to the physical buildings where they worship, but it is sometimes used to refer to buildings of other religions. In traditional Christian architecture, a church interior is often structured in the shape of a Christian cross. When viewed from plan view the vertical beam of the cross is represented by the center aisle and seating while the horizontal beam and junction of the cross is formed by the bema and altar.

Earlysville, Virginia Unincorporated community in Virginia, United States

Earlysville is an unincorporated community in Albemarle County, Virginia, United States, roughly 9 miles (14 km) north of Charlottesville. It is named for John Early, who in 1822 bought just under 1,000 acres (4 km2) of land that now comprise a portion of the town. Earlysville has a small central business district, with a grocery store, restaurant, dentist, daycare, mechanic, and several retail stores. As of January 2019 there remains only a thrift store, an auto repair shop, a United States Post Office, and many churches. There is a nearby light industrial park and several small suburban developments. The bulk of the area is rural in character.

Albemarle County, Virginia U.S. county in Virginia

Albemarle County is a county located in the Piedmont region of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Its county seat is Charlottesville, which is an independent city and enclave entirely surrounded by the county. Albemarle County is part of the Charlottesville Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the population of Albemarle County was 98,970, more than triple the 1960 census count.

It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1997. [1]

National Register of Historic Places Federal list of historic sites in the United States

The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance. A property listed in the National Register, or located within a National Register Historic District, may qualify for tax incentives derived from the total value of expenses incurred in preserving the property.

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Union Church and Cemetery is a historic Episcopal church and cemetery located at Falmouth, Stafford County, Virginia. The property contains the archaeological sites of the 1733 and 1750s Falmouth Anglican churches and the standing remains of the Union Church, built about 1819. The Union Church narthex, measuring 10 feet by 40 feet, is the section remaining from the Federal style building. The building contains an original stairway to the balcony and framing that extends upward to form the belfry which supports an estimated 300-pound bell. Also on the property is the church cemetery with headstones, dating from the 18th and the early 19th centuries through the 20th century. A violent rain storm in 1950 severely damaged the roof of the 40 feet wide by 54 feet long church leading to a collapse of the chancel and nave, leaving only the narthex intact.

References

  1. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. "Virginia Landmarks Register". Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Archived from the original on 2013-09-21. Retrieved 2013-05-12.
  3. Sylvia L. Jones (April 1997). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Earlysville Union Church" (PDF). Commonwealth of Virginia, Department of Historic Resources. and Accompanying photo