Zion Episcopal Church is located on the highest point in Charles Town, on East Congress Street, between Mildred and Church Streets.[1][2] Due to its elevation, the church was named Zion, meaning "city on the hill, the heavenly Jerusalem."[3]
History
Episcopalian residents in the area of present-day Charles Town were originally served by St. Georges Chapel, which was built in the 1770s and fell into disrepair following the American Revolutionary War.[1][6] In 1815, the first church building on the site of Zion Episcopal Church was established and built as a successor to St. Georges Chapel.[1][3][6] This church was replaced by a larger structure built between 1847 and 1848; however, this church was destroyed by fire shortly after its completion.[1] In 1851, the present church was built and consecrated on December 6 of that year.[1][7]
During the American Civil War, the church was used by Union forces as a hospital for Union troops, during which time the building sustained significant damage.[3]
The Zion Episcopal Church is a brick building built in the Gothic Revival architectural style.[2] The church features a square bell tower, decorative corbeling, and multi-paned windows with pointed arched heads.[2]
The churchyard contains over 1,500 gravesites, including the interments of 70 members of the Washington family, more than any other site in the United States outside Mount Vernon.[3] The following notable individuals are interred in the churchyard:
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