Berea Christian Church

Berea Christian Church. Spotsylvania Court House National Historic District. , In 1832 the process of starting a new church began when an organization known as the Reforming Congregation of Disciples chose a group of trustees to select a site. The group chose Berea Christian Church as the new name after Berea, an ancient city in Macedonia, where the Apostle Paul spoke. A site was chosen between the old Spotsylvania Courthouse and the Block House in 1834. This church building was destroyed by fire in 1855. Samuel Alsop, a wealthy planter and merchant, offered this site adjacent to his family burying ground. Alsop also supervised the construction of the new Berea Christian Church at the age of 81. The building was completed in 1856., The style of the building is a perfect example of Virginia Gothic Revival architecture. On December 11, 1856, The News, a Fredericksburg newspaper, stated that the building was a "neat and substantial place of worship... highly creditable.", Berea Christian Church was given to the Spotsylvania County Board of Supervisors by the remaining trustees in 1961. In 1964, it became home to the Spotsylvania Museum and was operated by the Spotsylvania Historical Association until 2012., [Captions:] , Berea Church circa 1895. Note the entrance door on the side of the building. It provided a separate entrance to a upper gallery so that free blacks and slaves could attend services. Approximately 130 free blacks, many with families, were living in Spotsylvania by 1860., The archways above the windows (left) were added after the fire. The steel reinforcing rods popularly known as earthquake stars were also added to provide stability. Note the fire stained brick as a lasting reminder of the tragedy., The interior is lighted by a large iron candelabra (left) originally raised and lowered by ropes from the ceiling. It was converted to electricity in the 1920's., Simple wooden pews face a raised pulpit inside (right) speaking of a congregation that was not of great wealth, but rich in their belief in the Lord., The area behind the church has changed over the years. The sheds, and water tower pictured in this circa 1930 photograph have disappeared.