066-0089

Kirkland Grove Campground

VLR Listing Date

12/11/1991

NRHP Listing Date

10/15/1992

NRHP Reference Number

92001391

Named for the local Baptist preacher, Dr. William Heath Kirk, who was active in the Northumberland County area from 1845 to 1884, Kirkland Grove is one of the state’s few remaining 19th-century religious campgrounds. It is distinguished from other religious meeting sites by its massive tabernacle, along with its preacher’s “tent,” or dwelling, and a campers’ “tent.” William Dandridge Cockrell designed and built the all-wood tabernacle in 1892. A local craftsman, Cockrell is reported to have designed the tabernacle to specifications from the Old Testament. Annual camp meetings held each August attracted large crowds of people who filled the tabernacle’s 101 benches and stayed in the 42 cottages that once stood on the campground. Kirkland Grove is the only campground in the region that continues to hold regular yearly revivals.

Last Updated: April 20, 2024

Many properties listed in the registers are private dwellings and are not open to the public, however many are visible from the public right-of-way. Please be respectful of owner privacy.

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

066-5054

Gascony

Northumberland (County)

066-0075

Julius Rosenwald High School

Northumberland (County)

114-5250

Light Stations of the United States MPD

(MPD) Multiple Property Document