010-0040 Sharon Lutheran Church And Cemetery

For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF

VLR Listing Date 11/21/1978

NRHP Listing Date 02/01/1979

NRHP Reference Number 79003030

This complex was established by Lutherans who were a branch of the large German settlement of Wythe County. The first church here was built in 1821. The cemetery contains a significant number of boldly carved Germanic gravestones, documenting the artistry and rich folk culture of these settlers. The fifty to sixty surviving Germanic stones relate stylistically to those in early Lutheran cemeteries in both Wythe and Tazewell counties. These thick sandstone slabs are decorated on both sides, and make use of standard Germanic motifs such as eight-petaled flowers, hearts, vines, and abstract geometrical shapes. The present church was built ca. 1883 to replace the 1821 church and retains a little-altered Eastlake-style interior. Both this church and its predecessor were shared by the Lutherans with a Presbyterian congregation until 1911 when the latter group built its own structure.

Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark

Updated: February 27, 2021