021-0058

Old Chapel

VLR Listing Date

11/21/1972

NRHP Listing Date

04/02/1973

NRHP Reference Number

73002004

Located in Clarke County’s Chapel Rural Historic District and constructed of limestone rubble, this austere little structure is one of the earliest Episcopal church buildings west of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Old Chapel was built in 1793 under the patronage of Nathaniel Burwell of Carter Hall, replacing a log church of 1747 which stood nearby. The congregation left Old Chapel in 1834 for a new church in Millwood. It is still maintained by its parish with a special service held there once a year. Most of the original interior woodwork is intact, including the pulpit and box pews. Among the many graves of individuals bearing distinguished Tidewater Virginia surnames in its picturesque old cemetery are those of Edmund Randolph and Nathaniel Burwell. The Episcopal bishop William Meade began his ecclesiastical career as a lay reader at Old Chapel.

Last Updated: June 2, 2023

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

For additional information Read

Nomination Form

021-0229

Stone’s Chapel

Clarke (County)

021-0435

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Clarke (County)

093-5058

Rockland Rural Historic District

Clarke (County)