Located in Owensville, in the western portion of Albemarle County near the city of Charlottesville, the Gothic Revival-style St. James Church, constructed in 1896, is a remarkably well-preserved building. Never altered by the later installation of plumbing or electricity, the church’s notable features include arched windows and transom, wainscoting, and original pews. Long associated with the locally prominent Garth family, many of whose family members are buried in the church’s two cemeteries, at the time of its listing St. James Church was still owned and maintained by Garth family descendants through the Trustees of St. James Church.