Locust Grove in Orange County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Site of the First German Reformed Church
1714
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), April 17, 2021
1. Site of the First German Reformed Church Marker
Here at Germanna in 1714 the first permanent German Reformed Congregation in America located with their pastor, Rev. Henry Hager. They were a colony of thirteen families from Nassau Siegen Germany who were welcomed to Virginia by Governor Spotswood and who were settled here to develop his iron industry and to protect this area of the frontier. They founded Germantown in Fauquier County and moved there about 1720.
Heads of Immigrant Families
Melcherd Brumback John Camper (Kemper) John Cuntz (Coons) Harmon Fishback John Fishback Peter Hitt (Heide) Herman Otterbach (Utterback) John Huffman Jacob Holtzclaw John Joseph Martin John Jacob Rector John Spillman Tillman Weaver Rev. Johann Henry Hager
Erected 1953 by the Evangelical and Reformed Church.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Religion & Religious Structures • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1714.
Location. 38° 22.643′ N, 77° 47.031′ W. Marker is in Locust Grove, Virginia, in Orange County. It can be reached from College
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Northern Virginia and in the Piedmont. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Spotswood (here, next to this marker); The Marker Honors The Memory Of The Second Germanna Colony, 1717 (here, next to this marker); Hans Jacob Holtzclaw of Trupbach, Germany (here, next to this marker); Johannes Kemper and Ailsey Katherine Utterback (here, next to this marker); Giuseppe Oddenino (a few steps from this marker); Hans Conrad Amberger (within shouting distance of this marker); Alexander Spotswood's Enchanted Castle (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Fort Germanna Visitor Center (about 300 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Locust Grove.
Credits. This page was last revised on April 4, 2025. It was originally submitted on April 19, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 1,227 times since then and 130 times this year. Photo 1. submitted on April 19, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
