Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 02/21/1978
NRHP Listing Date 03/26/1980
NRHP Reference Number 80004223
With its temple form and Doric portico in antis, this country Greek Revival church follows the format favored by Robert Lewis Dabney, a Presbyterian pastor and amateur architect. New Providence was completed in 1859 and closely resembles Dabney’s 1850 Tinkling Spring Presbyterian Church in Augusta County. Because New Providence’s minister, James Morrison, was Dabney’s father-in-law, Dabney may well have had a direct influence on the design. Except for a large Sunday school addition, the building is little changed. The main interior feature is the engaged pulpit tabernacle, consisting of paired Doric pilasters supporting an ornamented entablature. The sanctuary also has a gallery supported on Doric columns. The New Providence congregation was organized in 1746 by the pioneering Presbyterian pastor John Blair.
Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark
Updated: March 1, 2021
