Germanna Volkssport Association (GVA)
P. O. Box 7674
Fredericksburg, VA 22404-7674
Updated January 30, 2010
Program Point of Contact:
Kay Collie — sydnakay@yahool.com
The program begins January 1, 2009 and will end December 31, 2011. Send check for $10 payable to GVA.
To qualify for this program you will need to complete 15 sanctioned walks and a club would have to determine whether a place of worship (church, mission, synagogue, etc.) has historic significance.
Each historic church event may be stamped only once. If an event includes two or more historic churches, a stamp may be awarded for each church provided the event is walked a separate time for each stamp. Walkers must make note of the name and location of the church when marking their book. Events must be walked after you register for the program. Insert cards may be used; however, at least one event must be recorded in the record book.
Buildings should be at least 75 years old. (The reason for the 75 years and not 100 is there are churches in Alaska, for example, that are historic, but not yet 100 years old.) Also, structures which were once churches, but are now used for some other purpose (such as a museum, library or school), may also be used.
The history of the church may be from colonial times, such as The Old North Church in Boston, or Bruton Parish Church in Williamsburg, Virginia. The church can have national significance such as The National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., or can have local significance, such as Fredericksburg Presbyterian Church in Fredericksburg, Virginia, where Clara Barton treated wounded Civil War soldiers.
In Bennington, Vermont, there is the Old First Church which was built in 1805, and is considered one of the finest church buildings in America. There is also the famous mission in San Juan Capistrano, California, which was dedicated in 1776.
All churches mentioned above are already part of Year Round Events in their respective states. The National Register of Historic Places and the National Park Service websites are a resource to help obtain information on any church that may be be listed and will assist to qualify a church for this program.
The below list is provided as a place to start.
Daphne [Event # 83942; March 20- 21, 2010 ] — Daphne United Methodist Church - The Old Methodist Church Museum, formerly Daphne United Methodist Church, is the second oldest church building in Baldwin County and is listed on the National Register of Historical Places. Located at 405 Dryer Avenue, the building was constructed in 1858 to provide a place of worship for all Daphne residents. The church was dedicated as a museum in 2001 to provide a center for educating the general public about the history of Daphne and surrounding communities.
Enterprise [YR-1548] — First United Methodist Church (1903)
Tombstone [YR-0984] — St. Paul Episcopal Church (built in 1882—oldest protestant church in the state—still in use by the congregation)
Quincy — Community United Methodist Church, in the early 1860s, the Plumas County area was served by circuit riders who came by foot or horseback. They used the courthouse for services initially, and then purchased a former saloon for the services. They began raising money for a church and in 1875, the existing church was built. During World War II, it was used as a school during the day, and community meetings were held there during the evening hours. After World War II, they built a fellowship hall and kitchen. In addition to church services, it is used today for community suppers held every Wednesday evening for the last 4 or 5 years.
Riverside (YR1478) — All Souls Universalist Church (formerly Unitarian-Universalist Church of Riverside) c. 1891, 1892; First Congregational Church of Riverside, c. 1900-1924; First Church of Christ, Scientist c 1900-1924
Sacramento — St Francis of Assisi Catholic Church; St Elizabeth Portuguese Catholic Church
San Diego — San Diego de Alcala, 16 July 1769
San Francisco — San Francisco de Asis —Dolores, 9 October 1776
San Gabriel — San Gabriel Arcangel, 8 September 1771
San Jose — San Jose, 11 June 1797
San Juan Bautista — San Juan Bautista, 24 June 1797
San Juan Capistrano — San Juan Capistrano, 1 November 1776
San Luis Obispo — San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, 1 September 1772
San Luis Rey — San Luis Rey de Francia, 13 June 1798
San Miguel — San Miguel Arcangel, 25 July 1797
San Rafael — San Rafael Arcangel, 14 December 1817
Santa Barbara — Santa Barbara, 4 December 1786
Santa Clara — Santa Clara De Asis, 12 January 1777
Santa Cruz — Santa Cruz, 28 August 1791
Soledad — Nuestra Senora Dolorosisima de la Soledad, 9 October 1791
Solvang — Santa Ines, 17 September 1804
Sonoma — San Francisco de Solano, 4 July 1923
Ventura — San Buenaventura, 31 March 1782
New Castle — Immanuel Episcopal (early 1700s); Presbyterian (early 1700s); St Peter's RC Church (1804); Bethany UAME (1905)
Newark — St John's RC Church (1868) and was a Presbyterian Church prior to that; Newark United Methodist Church (1799)
Smyrna — St Peter's Episcopal Church (1740); First Presbyterian Church (1884)
Wilmington — First & Central Presbyterian (1929); St Patrick's RC (1880); Grace United Methodist (1866); Cathedral of St Peter (1816); Friends' Meeting House (1738)
DeFuniak Springs [YR-1645] — St. Agatha's episcopal Church (1896); First Presbyterian (1923)
Pensacola — Old Christ Church on Adam's Street; Christ Episcopal Church on Palafox Street; St Michael Church (1781)
Tallahassee [YR-0335] — First Presbyterian Church (1835-38)
Springfield — Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception located at Lawrence & 6th Street.
Evansville — One Church (listed on Nat'l Register) Trinity United Methodist (1866); St. Paul's Episcopal (1885); St. Paul's Lutheran (1887); St. Lucas UCC (1889); St. Anthony's Catholic (1894 and 1896); First Avenue Presbyterian (1855)
Louisville — Walnut Street Baptist Church; Cathedral of the Assumption
Sandwich — Corpus Christi Parish, now Belfry Inne (a B&B)
Dundee — St. John's Evangelical Lutheran, chartered in 1860, built in 1863. At the corner of Riley and Plank Streets.
Monroe — 1. St. Mary's Catholic Church, original congregation 1788; current church built 1838. Corner of Monroe and Elm Streets. 2. First Presbyterian, organized on Jan. 13, 1820; built in 1845.. First Street and Washington. 3. Trinity Lutheran, congregation formed in 1785; church built in 1817.
Chaska [YR-0448] — Guardian Angels Catholic Church (1858)
Moorhead — St John Episcopal Church (1898)
Pelican Rapids — Maplewood Lutheran Church (1889) [event - Oct 10 & 11]
Shakopee [YR-1397] — St. Mark's Catholic Church (1865)
Reno [YR 0023] — First United Methodist Church (1870); First Church of Christ Scientist (1925)
Virginia City [YR 1939] — St Mary's in the Mountains (1860); St Paul's Episcopal Church (1861)
Charlotte — First Presbyterian Church
Cornelius/Davidson (YR1466) — Davidson United Presbyterian Church 1894. The church directly across the tracks was formed as a mission church in 1894 by the Davidson College faculty. It is the oldest African-American church in the area. Originally a small wooden chapel, the building has undergone a number of major renovations and additions.
Durham — Duke University Chapel
Kannapolis (YR0472) — In the mid to late eighteenth century, the original settlers along Irish Buffalo Creek and Templeton Mill Creek west of what is now Kannapolis were primarily Presbyterians. By the end of the century they built a meeting house which became Bethpage Presbyterian Church, the first church in this area and the mother church of five other Presbyterian congregations--including First Presbyterian Church of Kannapolis. First Presbyterian was born and grew up with the city of Kannapolis. The pastor of Bethpage Church organized a Sunday School for the Presbyterians in and around the new textile town of Kannapolis in 1908. On June 27, 1909, a church was organized with 25 charter members. The church met first on the second floor over a drug store and then at the YMCA. By January of 1911 the church had built its first house of worship, a frame structure located on South Main Street. By 1917 the membership had grown to 250 and Sunday Schools were being founded in other parts of town. Having outgrown the Main Street structure, First Presbyterian built a new brick sanctuary on the corner of West Avenue and West "C" Street (now Vance Street) in 1924. The membership continued to grow, reaching 530 in 1939. That year First Presbyterian planted its first daughter church, Second Presbyterian, on Centergrove Road. In 1943 members of First Presbyterian planted another church, Royal Oaks Presbyterian Church, on Tennessee Street. In 1962 an Education Building was completed adjoining the church. As soon as the debt was relieved on this building in 1967, a Sanctuary Building Fund was established. Work was begun on the new Sanctuary building on the site of the old one in 1974 and the first service was held in the new sanctuary on December 7, 1975. The church has had eleven ministers in its 95-year history. Dr. Joseph R. "Joe" Crawford began his service as pastor in February 2000. At least ten of the church's members have answered God's call to be ministers of the Word.
Rock Hill — First Presbyterian Church
Waynesville — First Methodist Church - 175 years old in 2006; First Baptist Church - organized August 1, 1823 - 185 years old; First Presbyterian Church - organized in 1875 [moved to present location in 1882]
Bedford — First Baptist church (1892)
Berea City YR-0538 — (First Congregational/United Church of Christ built in the 1860's)
Bucyrus YR-1729 — walk route passes First United Methodist, 227 S. Walnut (1851) and First Presbyterian Church, Poplar & Rensselaer (1860)
Canton YR-1727 — walk route passes United Methodist Church of the Savior, Cleveland Av. & Tuscarawas St. (1883)
Chagrin Falls YR-0830 — The Federated Church/United Church of Christ est 1875
Cleveland YR-1082 — Old Stone Church built 1850
Fairborn — St Mark's Evangelical Luthern Church
Lakewood-Historical and Clifton YR-0708 and YR-1434 — Faith Presbyterian built 1905
Oberlin YR-0100 — First Congregational Church of Oberlin built in 1834
University Circle YR-1618 — Holy Rosary Catholic Church built in 1908
Upper Sandusky YR-1732 — walk route passes Wyandotte Mission Church in Old Mission Cemetery (1824)
Van Wert YR-1741 — walk route passes First Presbyterian Church, 300 S. Washington St. (1873)
Hillsboro [YR-1741] — Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Washington County located at 22785 NW Birch Street. The trail passes the church that served the community during the community's existence from 1913 to 1938. We've been able to identify that the church was organized in 1909 to serve the primarily Hungarian settlers brought to work the area by the Oregon Nursery Company (hence the name of Orenco). It was originally a Presbyterian church and is currently owned and used by the Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Washington County. I am not sure of the exact date the church was built but it is at least 75 years old, probably closer to 100 years old.
Oregon City [YR-0065] — First Congregational (1925)
Portland [YR-0073] — First Congregational Church of St. Johns (1905); Pioneer United Methodist Church (1921)
Portland [YR-0033] — Mt Tabor Presbyterian Church (1892); Monastery of the Precious Blood (1923)
Portland [YR-0409] — Old Laurelhurst Church (1923); Sunnyside-Centenary United Methodist Church (1911)
Portland [YR-1708] — St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church (1924)
Portland [YR-0256] — Swedish Mission Church (1912); Temple Beth Israel (1928); Parish of St. Mark (1925); St Mary’s Cathedral (1926); First Presbyterian (1890); First Congregational (1895); St James Lutheran (1908); Sixth Church of Christ Scientist (1932);Portland Buddhist Church (1910)
Portland [YR-0297] — Parish of St. Mark (1925); Temple Beth Israel (1928); First Church of Christ Scientist (1909); Trinity Episcopal Cathedral (1906); First Immanuel Lutheran (1879); First Baptist (1894); Calvary Presbyterian (1882); Portland Korean (1905)
Portland [YR-0410] — Ascension Episcopal (1889); First Presbyterian (1890); Parish of St. Mark (1925); Swedish Mission Church (1912); St Michael the Archangel (1901); First Baptist (1894); Immanuel Lutheran (1879)
Collegeville — The Trinity Reformed Church was built in 1854. The congregation was founded by Bishop Abraham Hunsicker in 1846. Augustus Lutheran Church is the Shrine of American Lutheranism. Founded in 1730 and built in 1743 by Henry Melchior Muhlenberg, it is the oldest original (unchanged) Lutheran Church building in America. Henry Melchior Muhlenberg died in 1787 and is buried in the graveyard behind the old church. His son, Major General Peter Muhlenberg, Revolutionary War general and friend of General George Washington, was baptized and confirmed in this church and is buried next to his father. During the Revolutionary War Augustus Lutheran Church became a barracks for Pennsylvania militia between the battles of Brandywine and Germantown and also served as a hospital during the war. On October 5, 1777, one day after the Battle of Germantown, General George Washington rode to the main entrance of the church and spoke words of cheer and comfort to the soldiers from inside the church. Augustus Lutheran Church was added to the National Register of Historical Places in 1967.
Ellwood City YR-1885 — St Agatha Roman Catholic Church - 1915; First Baptist church - 1912
Harmony/Ellwood City YR-1959 — Park Avenue Presbyterian - 1897; English Lutheran - 1844; St Peter's Reformed - 1852; Calvin Prebyternan - 1854
Harrisburg — Historic Harrisburg YRE - Salem United Church of Christ, founded in 1787, building dates to 1821.
Phillipsburg — Union Church, established in 1820 known locally as the Mudd Church. St. Pauls Episcopal Church is the first church in America to have electric lights.
State College — The churches on the 10km route are: University Baptist and Brethren Church at 411 S. Burrowes St. (1926); Albright-Bethune United Methodist Church on corner of W. Beaver Ave. and S. Burrowes St. (1921). On the 5km route: Faith United Church of Christ at 300 E. College Ave. (1931); St. Paul's United Methodist Church at 109 McCallister St. (corner of E. College Ave.) (1910); State College Presbyterian Church at 132 W. Beaver Ave. (1890)
Charleston [YR-1358] — St Michael’s Episcopal Church (1751); St Johannes Lutheran Church (1810); Second Presbyterian Church (1811); St Philips Episcopal Church (1838); French Huguenot Church (1845)
Columbia [YR-0598] — Trinity Episcopal Cathedral
Lead — Christ Church Episcopal
New Braunfels — First Protestant Church (1875)
Fort Monroe [Hampton] YR-0874 — Chapel of the Centurion. Oldest continually used wooden military structure for religious services in the US. The Chapel is named for Cornelius the Centurion, who is believed to the first gentile to convert to Christianity.
Fredericksburg — Shiloh Old Site Baptist Church; Reformed Baptist now Unitarian Universalist; Fredericksburg Baptist Church; St George's Episcopal Church; Fredericksburg Presbyterian Church; Fredericksburg Pentecostal Church; Shiloh New Site Baptist Church; Fredericksburg United Methodist Church; Mt Zion Baptist Church
Hampton YR-1730 — St John's Episcopal Church. The oldest English speaking Parish in continuous use in America, founded in 1610.
Jamestowne YR-0286 — Jamestown Memorial Church. The oldest part of Jamestown Memorial Church remaining above ground represents the fifth structure built on this site. Tradition holds that construction of the first building started about 1639 and finished nearly a decade later. The building was later gutted by a fire that destroyed Jamestown during Nathaniel Bacon's 1676 rebellion. The tower was from the church built in the1670s. The current church was built in 1907.
Norfolk YR-0469 — St. Paul ’s Episcopal Church On National Historic Register. The church is the only pre-Revolutionary War building remaining in downtown Norfolk . Built in 1739, it was severely damaged during the British bombardment on January 1, 1776 . A British cannonball fired from one of Lord Dunmore’s ships remains lodged in the south wall. The cannonball can be viewed from St. Paul ’s Blvd.
Smithfield YRE-1168 — Christ Episcopal Church Date 1832 On the National Historic Register Established in the early days of the town of Smithfield . Trinity Methodist Church Date 1812 On the National Historic Register Established in the early days of the town of Smithfield.
Smithfield [January 1st 2009 Event AT 09-78918] Christ Episcopal Church Date 1832 On the National Historic Register Established in the early days of the town of Smithfield . Trinity Methodist Church Date 1812 On the National Historic Register Established in the early days of the town of Smithfield .
Williamsburg YR-0287 — Bruton Parish Church, an Episcopal Church in continuous use since 1715, is a reminder of the part religion played in the lives of 18th Century Virginians at a time when church and state were united. The walls and windows are original, as is the west gallery.
Yorktown YR-0285 — Grace Episcopal Church is a visible link between the bustling seaport which was 18th century Yorktown and the tranquil community of the present day. This has been an active house of worship since the 17th century. The T-shaped building was made of marl from the bluffs along the York River. During the British occupation of Yorktown in 1781, the church was used for the storage of gunpowder and ammunition. All of its pews and furniture were destroyed. In 1814, fire ravaged much of the church and much of the town. The center section was partially restored in 1825, and again in 1848. In an explosion in 1863, the church bell, cast in London in 1725, cracked. It was recast in 1886 in Philadelphia. The church itself served as a hospital during the Peninsula Campaign of the Civil War. Many prominent Virginians, including six generations of Nelsons, including Thomas Nelson, signer of the Declaration of Independence, are buried in the graveyard adjacent to the church.
Hansville (YR1684) - Hansville Community Church. The congregation began meeting in 1900 in homes and schools, and in 1909 their 30 members donated funds and labor and built a small church and began holding regular services led by various local and itinerant pastors. They have continued to use the original building, adding an addition 50 years ago to provide a fellowship hall and other amenities. They are on their 13th pastor now and the community celebrated the 100th anniversary of their church building this year. Hansville is certainly historically significant to our area. It has been a world-reknown commercial salmon-fishing area throughout the 19th and 20th centuries and still attracts fishing today. There was no road to Hansville until 1930 and it could only be reached by boat, so the establishment of the church there in 1900 was quite a testament to the settlers and the pastors who made the weekly journey there to minister to that congregation.
Kingston (YR1927) - Kingston Christian Church - The church dates to 1888.
Langley (YR1713) - Langley United Methodist Church, dedicated on September 13, 1909. It is the oldest church on the Southend of Whidbey Island. http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/whidbey/swr/news/57830497.html
Port Gamble - St Paul's Episcopal Church
Poulsbo - First Lutheran Church
Seattle-Downtown and Capitol Hill (YRE 733) — The Historic Church is Immanuel Lutheran Church, 1215 Thomas Street
Seattle — Alki Congregational Church
