Mitchells in Culpeper County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Mitchells Presbyterian Church

Photographed By Paul Crumlish, October 11, 2009

1. Mitchells Presbyterian Church Marker

Inscription. This Gothic Revival church, built in 1879, contains an elaborate example of trompe-l’oeil fresco painting done in 1888. Joseph Dominick Phillip Oddenino, an Italian immigrant artist, painted to deceive the eye into believing that his plaster murals of Gothic arches, Renaissance-styled cornices, and embellished Corinthian columns were three dimensional. Oddenino decorated the ceilings at Mitchells Church and Hebron Lutheran Church in Madison with geometric designs.

Erected 1985 by Department of Conservation and Historic Resources. (Marker Number F-25.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Churches & Religion. In addition, it is included in the American Presbyterian and Reformed Historic Sites, and the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1879.

Location. 38° 22.761′ N, 78° 1.427′ W. Marker is in Mitchells, Virginia, in Culpeper County. Marker is on Mitchell Road (Virginia Route 652) east of Hardy Lane (Virginia Route 651), on the left when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 12229 Mitchell Rd, Mitchells VA 22729, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies

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. A different marker also named Mitchells Presbyterian Church (approx. 2.2 miles away); Battle of Cedar Mountain (approx. 2.8 miles away); a different marker also named Battle of Cedar Mountain (approx. 2.8 miles away); George Washington Carver Regional High School (approx. 2.9 miles away); Tenth Maine (approx. 2.9 miles away); a different marker also named Battle of Cedar Mountain (approx. 2.9 miles away); a different marker also named Battle of Cedar Mountain (approx. 2.9 miles away); Pete Hill (approx. 3 miles away).

Regarding Mitchells Presbyterian Church. Mitchells Presbyterian Church was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. This church is also one of 445 American Presbyterian and Reformed Historical Sites registered between 1973 and 2003 by the Presbyterian Historical Society (PHS), headquartered in Philadelphia. Approved sites received a metal plaque featuring John Calvin’s seal and the site’s registry number (PHS marker location unknown).

The following text is taken from the Presbyterian Historical Society website:

Organized by the Presbytery of Rappahannock in 1867, the Rapidan Church moved to Mitchells and built the current Gothic Revival frame structure in 1879. In 1888, the name was changed to Mitchells Presbyterian Church,
Photographed By Paul Crumlish, October 11, 2009

2. Wide view of the Mitchells Presbyterian Church Marker
and the Italian immigrant painter Giuseppe Domenico Felipe Oddenino (1831-1913) was commissioned to decorate the interior with trompe-l’oeil frescoes. The building became a registered landmark on Virginia's Historic Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. In 1981, University of Virginia architectural historian Richard Guy Wilson said, "Oddenino's wall paintings are unique, some of the very finest trompe-l'oeil interior paintings in the United States." The murals were restored in 1983-1984.

Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. Hebron Lutheran Church in Madison County was also decorated by Joseph Oddenino.

Also see . . .
1. Mitchells Presbyterian Church. (Submitted on October 11, 2009, by PaulwC3 of Northern, Virginia.)
2. Mitchells Presbyterian Church NRHP Nomination page. (Submitted on August 20, 2018, by Douglass Halvorsen of Klamath Falls, Oregon.)

Mitchells Presbyterian Church (1879) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Paul Crumlish, October 11, 2009

3. Mitchells Presbyterian Church (1879)

Credits. This page was last revised on September 10, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 11, 2009, by PaulwC3 of Northern, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,172 times since then and 22 times this year. Last updated on August 19, 2018, by Douglass Halvorsen of Klamath Falls, Oregon. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 11, 2009, by PaulwC3 of Northern, Virginia. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.