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Grace Church (Ca Ira, Virginia)
Encyclopedia
Grace Church is an Episcopal church located in Cumberland County
, Virginia
. Designed by Dabney Cosby
, a former assistant to Thomas Jefferson
, it is the only substantial building remaining from the former community of Ca Ira
. For its architectural and historical significance, Grace Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
on October 30, 1980.
in 1796; the origin of the name is unknown, but given the spirit of the times, and the fact that many Virginians admired the French Revolution
, it is suspected to have been derived from a popular French song
of the era. By 1836, Ca Ira could be described as a post village, with a population of 210; it had forty dwellings, three stores, a mill, a tobacco
warehouse
, two tavern
s, and a Masonic
hall.
Construction of Grace Church was begun in 1840; the original deed to its location was described in the Cumberland County Deed Book of 1843 as
s. Among those known to be part of the congregation of the church was Valentine Parrish, who not only donated the land on which it stood, but served as the builder for the project. The architect was Dabney Cosby
, who had worked with Thomas Jefferson
on the construction of buildings at the University of Virginia
. This was not the first time that Crosby and Parrish had worked together; the two were listed together as co-architects on the cornerstone
of the 1826 Goochland County Courthouse in nearby Goochland
. Parrish was among the most prominent citizens in Cumberland County in the years leading up to the Civil War
; he presented numerous petition
s on the subject of local toll
s to the Virginia General Assembly
, and also made numerous suggestions regarding the distribution of economic aid to the county. Woodwork and framing on the church is said to have been the work of one Albert Mann, a slave attached to the Parrish plantation; construction of the church was overseen by Rev. Henry Kinckle.
With the completion of Grace Church in 1843 the town received its largest and most distinguished building to date. The church also revived the fortunes of Littleton parish
, which surrounded the town but which had been inactive since 1813. An 1857 report from Bishop William Meade indicated that the structure was "in constant use". Even so, although Ca Ira had continued to rise in importance through the 1850s, at one point incorporating its first and only bank
, by the postbellum years it had begun losing population, and shrank rapidly during the last decades of the nineteenth century. The church was not spared, and was abandoned along with most other structures during this period; a 1906 entry in the Lippincott World Gazetteer mentioned its presence among a handful of other buildings, mainly shops. The rehabilitation of the structure began in 1928, when descendents of members of the initial congregation organized the Ca Ira Restoration Society; this organization was dedicated to raising funds to restore the building, which was soon accomplished. The Society also blocked an attempt by the diocese to sell the property, and in 1954 reinstituted an annual series of "homecoming services" in continuation of a tradition begun in the 1930s. Today, Grace Church is preserved in working order as a shrine of the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia
; to keep its status as such, it is required to host at least one religious service yearly.
The church was surveyed as part of the Historic American Buildings Survey
sometime after 1933.
The exterior of Grace Church reflects the influence of Roman
, Greek, and Gothic Revival architecture
on mid-nineteenth century American architectural design. Described as a "temple-form country church", it measures 32' x 48'; there is a small vestry
attached to the back of the building. The church sits on a foundation of brick, and has ventilation holes at its base. Its walls are built of handmade bricks, even in color and unglazed
; the mortar
joints are deliberately precise. Two styles of brickwork
were used in construction; the front and east side are of Flemish bond, the north side is of five-course American bond, and the west side is a combination or the two, with four-course American substituted for the five-course. Original penciling may still be seen in the mortar joints.
All elevations are fitted with window
s; these are triple-hung with 12/12 sash, and are hung with louver
ed shutter
s and 8-inch rectilinear molding
s; the moldings have been topped by ramped lintels with 6-inch-square corner blocks. Sitting over the entryway is a lancet transom
with intersecting tracery
, a similar design to which may also be seen in the window in the tympanum
. On the east side of the church, the first bay is a jib window which according to local lore was used for funeral
s. The roof is surrounded by a cove cornice
which serves to define two pediment
s, one in either facade. The roof is covered by Buckingham County, Virginia Buckingham Slate
. Later additions to the exterior include a pair of small chimney
s and a small wooden cross
, which latter is situated at the apex of the front pediment and was erected in the 1950s.
The church interior consists of one single room; the vestry, which is situated behind the sanctuary
proper, is in a later addition to the building. There are two main aisle
s in the nave
; these are formed by the placement of the original pew
s in the building. Of the pews, those in the center are freestanding, and larger than those on the sides; these have been angled slightly and attached to the side walls. There is a gallery in the south wall, with one center aisle and two down its sides. It is supported by a pair of Doric columns on the side walls, as well as by a number of pilaster
s. There is a dentil
ed entablature
, set above the columns and topped by a railing
with turned baluster
s. Entry to the gallery is achieved via an enclosed stairway on the east side; one wall is fitted with beaded diagonal paneling, and there is no stair rail.
The pulpit
for the church is attached to its north wall, enclosed in a communion rail with rectangular rung
s. It is paneled and inset with a bold Greek fret in its frieze
. This appears to have been adapted from a design found in the Practical House Carpenter of Asher Benjamin
, a popular builders' pattern book first published in 1830; with numerous other details, most especially the building's architrave
s, it indicates Cosby's familiarity with the popular architectural styles of the day. Near the pulpit is a baptismal font
of marble
. Also remaining in the church are two wood-burning stove
s, elaborate constructions in cast iron
, bearing the maker's mark
of "Leibrandt & McDowell, Philadelphia & Baltimore". The dado
running the perimeter of the main room is paneled and incorporates a chair rail. The floor is unfinished, while the walls and ceiling are covered in plaster
.
There is a small cemetery
attached to the church grounds, located at the back in a hilly, wooded area overlooking the Willis River
. Just when burials began is unknown; the earliest legible headstone
s date to the 1880s. It is possible that earlier burials exist; however, most of the grave markers on the grounds are nearly completely worn away, and as a result the total number of interments is unknown. Some of these missing markers have been replaced with modern stones, and the cemetery continues in use for some local families. Two veterans of the Confederate Army are also buried in the cemetery.
The church and cemetery are together contained in the National Register listing, as is the land on which both stand; the parcel, approximately two-thirds of an acre in area, follows the lines of the original deed of the property as recorded in Cumberland County records.
Cumberland County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 9,017 people, 3,528 households, and 2,487 families residing in the county. The population density was 30 people per square mile . There were 4,085 housing units at an average density of 14 per square mile...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. Designed by Dabney Cosby
Dabney Cosby
Dabney Cosby was an American architect and builder active primarily in Virginia and North Carolina. His earliest known work dates to the 1820s; he is known to have been active until the time of his death....
, a former assistant to Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
, it is the only substantial building remaining from the former community of Ca Ira
Ca Ira, Virginia
Ca Ira was a small community located in Cumberland County, Virginia. Formally established in 1796, it fell into disuse in the years after the American Civil War; today, few traces of the town remain, save for the old Grace Church and a handful of houses....
. For its architectural and historical significance, Grace Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on October 30, 1980.
History
At the turn of the nineteenth century, Ca Ira was a typical small farming community such as could be found in many locations around Virginia. It was formally established by the Virginia General AssemblyVirginia General Assembly
The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the oldest legislative body in the Western Hemisphere, established on July 30, 1619. The General Assembly is a bicameral body consisting of a lower house, the Virginia House of Delegates, with 100 members,...
in 1796; the origin of the name is unknown, but given the spirit of the times, and the fact that many Virginians admired the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
, it is suspected to have been derived from a popular French song
Ah! ça ira
"Ah ! ça ira" is an emblematic song of the French Revolution, first heard in May 1790. It underwent several changes in wording, all of which used the title words as part of the refrain.-Original version:...
of the era. By 1836, Ca Ira could be described as a post village, with a population of 210; it had forty dwellings, three stores, a mill, a tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
warehouse
Warehouse
A warehouse is a commercial building for storage of goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, etc. They are usually large plain buildings in industrial areas of cities and towns. They usually have loading docks to load and unload...
, two tavern
Tavern
A tavern is a place of business where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages and be served food, and in some cases, where travelers receive lodging....
s, and a Masonic
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
hall.
Construction of Grace Church was begun in 1840; the original deed to its location was described in the Cumberland County Deed Book of 1843 as
a certain lot or parcel or ground adjoining the town of Ca Ira on the West, and bounded as follows. Orig. on the South by the Main road fromImmediately upon its completion, it began serving not only the populace of the town itself but also those families, many prominent in local affairs, that owned the surrounding plantation
Ca Ira to Buckingham Ct. House, West by the line separating it from McAshan's Old Stemmery Lot, on which the fence now runs North by the road leading into said stemmery and, East by the Western Crop Street of the town of Ca Ira, it
being the lot, as now enclosed whereon the New Episcopal Church, called Grace Church, has been recently erected, containing about two thirds of an acre, together with all the appurtenances thereunto belonging.
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
s. Among those known to be part of the congregation of the church was Valentine Parrish, who not only donated the land on which it stood, but served as the builder for the project. The architect was Dabney Cosby
Dabney Cosby
Dabney Cosby was an American architect and builder active primarily in Virginia and North Carolina. His earliest known work dates to the 1820s; he is known to have been active until the time of his death....
, who had worked with Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
on the construction of buildings at the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
. This was not the first time that Crosby and Parrish had worked together; the two were listed together as co-architects on the cornerstone
Cornerstone
The cornerstone concept is derived from the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, important since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.Over time a cornerstone became a ceremonial masonry stone, or...
of the 1826 Goochland County Courthouse in nearby Goochland
Goochland, Virginia
Goochland is a census-designated place in and the county seat of Goochland County, Virginia, United States. The population as of the 2010 Census was 861. The community is also known as Goochland Courthouse or by an alternative spelling, Goochland Court House...
. Parrish was among the most prominent citizens in Cumberland County in the years leading up to the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
; he presented numerous petition
Petition
A petition is a request to do something, most commonly addressed to a government official or public entity. Petitions to a deity are a form of prayer....
s on the subject of local toll
Tariff
A tariff may be either tax on imports or exports , or a list or schedule of prices for such things as rail service, bus routes, and electrical usage ....
s to the Virginia General Assembly
Virginia General Assembly
The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the oldest legislative body in the Western Hemisphere, established on July 30, 1619. The General Assembly is a bicameral body consisting of a lower house, the Virginia House of Delegates, with 100 members,...
, and also made numerous suggestions regarding the distribution of economic aid to the county. Woodwork and framing on the church is said to have been the work of one Albert Mann, a slave attached to the Parrish plantation; construction of the church was overseen by Rev. Henry Kinckle.
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
, which surrounded the town but which had been inactive since 1813. An 1857 report from Bishop William Meade indicated that the structure was "in constant use". Even so, although Ca Ira had continued to rise in importance through the 1850s, at one point incorporating its first and only bank
Bank
A bank is a financial institution that serves as a financial intermediary. The term "bank" may refer to one of several related types of entities:...
, by the postbellum years it had begun losing population, and shrank rapidly during the last decades of the nineteenth century. The church was not spared, and was abandoned along with most other structures during this period; a 1906 entry in the Lippincott World Gazetteer mentioned its presence among a handful of other buildings, mainly shops. The rehabilitation of the structure began in 1928, when descendents of members of the initial congregation organized the Ca Ira Restoration Society; this organization was dedicated to raising funds to restore the building, which was soon accomplished. The Society also blocked an attempt by the diocese to sell the property, and in 1954 reinstituted an annual series of "homecoming services" in continuation of a tradition begun in the 1930s. Today, Grace Church is preserved in working order as a shrine of the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia
Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia
-General information:Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia is the diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America located in the southeast area of Virginia. It is in Province III...
; to keep its status as such, it is required to host at least one religious service yearly.
The church was surveyed as part of the Historic American Buildings Survey
Historic American Buildings Survey
The Historic American Buildings Survey , Historic American Engineering Record , and Historic American Landscapes Survey are programs of the National Park Service established for the purpose of documenting historic places. Records consists of measured drawings, archival photographs, and written...
sometime after 1933.
Description
Grace Church, Ca Ira, survives as a charming illustration of the stylistic hybridization that occurred with Romantic Revivalism in the antebellum period. Unlike many of its similarly imaginative contemporaries, Grace Church is devoid of architectural naivete and is at once a skillful blending of Roman, Greek, and Gothic Revival elements, all executed with superb crnftsmanship. Its temple form and fine brickwork are an offspring of Virginia's Jeffersonian tradition, while its Greek and Gothic details are adapted from builders' pattern books.
Exterior
Roman architecture
Ancient Roman architecture adopted certain aspects of Ancient Greek architecture, creating a new architectural style. The Romans were indebted to their Etruscan neighbors and forefathers who supplied them with a wealth of knowledge essential for future architectural solutions, such as hydraulics...
, Greek, and Gothic Revival architecture
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
on mid-nineteenth century American architectural design. Described as a "temple-form country church", it measures 32' x 48'; there is a small vestry
Vestry
A vestry is a room in or attached to a church or synagogue in which the vestments, vessels, records, etc., are kept , and in which the clergy and choir robe or don their vestments for divine service....
attached to the back of the building. The church sits on a foundation of brick, and has ventilation holes at its base. Its walls are built of handmade bricks, even in color and unglazed
Ceramic glaze
Glaze is a layer or coating of a vitreous substance which has been fired to fuse to a ceramic object to color, decorate, strengthen or waterproof it.-Use:...
; the mortar
Mortar (masonry)
Mortar is a workable paste used to bind construction blocks together and fill the gaps between them. The blocks may be stone, brick, cinder blocks, etc. Mortar becomes hard when it sets, resulting in a rigid aggregate structure. Modern mortars are typically made from a mixture of sand, a binder...
joints are deliberately precise. Two styles of brickwork
Brickwork
Brickwork is masonry produced by a bricklayer, using bricks and mortar to build up brick structures such as walls. Brickwork is also used to finish corners, door, and window openings, etc...
were used in construction; the front and east side are of Flemish bond, the north side is of five-course American bond, and the west side is a combination or the two, with four-course American substituted for the five-course. Original penciling may still be seen in the mortar joints.
All elevations are fitted with window
Window
A window is a transparent or translucent opening in a wall or door that allows the passage of light and, if not closed or sealed, air and sound. Windows are usually glazed or covered in some other transparent or translucent material like float glass. Windows are held in place by frames, which...
s; these are triple-hung with 12/12 sash, and are hung with louver
Louver
A louver or louvre , from the French l'ouvert; "the open one") is a window, blind or shutter with horizontal slats that are angled to admit light and air, but to keep out rain, direct sunshine, and noise...
ed shutter
Window shutter
A window shutter is a solid and stable window covering usually consisting of a frame of vertical stiles and horizontal rails...
s and 8-inch rectilinear molding
Molding (decorative)
Molding or moulding is a strip of material with various profiles used to cover transitions between surfaces or for decoration. It is traditionally made from solid milled wood or plaster but may be made from plastic or reformed wood...
s; the moldings have been topped by ramped lintels with 6-inch-square corner blocks. Sitting over the entryway is a lancet transom
Transom (architectural)
In architecture, a transom is the term given to a transverse beam or bar in a frame, or to the crosspiece separating a door or the like from a window or fanlight above it. Transom is also the customary U.S. word used for a transom light, the window over this crosspiece...
with intersecting tracery
Tracery
In architecture, Tracery is the stonework elements that support the glass in a Gothic window. The term probably derives from the 'tracing floors' on which the complex patterns of late Gothic windows were laid out.-Plate tracery:...
, a similar design to which may also be seen in the window in the tympanum
Tympanum (architecture)
In architecture, a tympanum is the semi-circular or triangular decorative wall surface over an entrance, bounded by a lintel and arch. It often contains sculpture or other imagery or ornaments. Most architectural styles include this element....
. On the east side of the church, the first bay is a jib window which according to local lore was used for funeral
Funeral
A funeral is a ceremony for celebrating, sanctifying, or remembering the life of a person who has died. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from interment itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honor...
s. The roof is surrounded by a cove cornice
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
which serves to define two pediment
Pediment
A pediment is a classical architectural element consisting of the triangular section found above the horizontal structure , typically supported by columns. The gable end of the pediment is surrounded by the cornice moulding...
s, one in either facade. The roof is covered by Buckingham County, Virginia Buckingham Slate
Buckingham Slate
Buckingham Slate refers to a specific type of slate quarried near Arvonia in Virginia. The Buckingham Slate Company is the only active quarry and manufacturer of slate in Virginia...
. Later additions to the exterior include a pair of small chimney
Chimney
A chimney is a structure for venting hot flue gases or smoke from a boiler, stove, furnace or fireplace to the outside atmosphere. Chimneys are typically vertical, or as near as possible to vertical, to ensure that the gases flow smoothly, drawing air into the combustion in what is known as the...
s and a small wooden cross
Christian cross
The Christian cross, seen as a representation of the instrument of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, is the best-known religious symbol of Christianity...
, which latter is situated at the apex of the front pediment and was erected in the 1950s.
Interior
Sanctuary
A sanctuary is any place of safety. They may be categorized into human and non-human .- Religious sanctuary :A religious sanctuary can be a sacred place , or a consecrated area of a church or temple around its tabernacle or altar.- Sanctuary as a sacred place :#Sanctuary as a sacred place:#:In...
proper, is in a later addition to the building. There are two main aisle
Aisle
An aisle is, in general, a space for walking with rows of seats on both sides or with rows of seats on one side and a wall on the other...
s in the nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
; these are formed by the placement of the original pew
Pew
A pew is a long bench seat or enclosed box used for seating members of a congregation or choir in a church, or sometimes in a courtroom.-Overview:Churches were not commonly furnished with permanent pews before the Protestant Reformation...
s in the building. Of the pews, those in the center are freestanding, and larger than those on the sides; these have been angled slightly and attached to the side walls. There is a gallery in the south wall, with one center aisle and two down its sides. It is supported by a pair of Doric columns on the side walls, as well as by a number of pilaster
Pilaster
A pilaster is a slightly-projecting column built into or applied to the face of a wall. Most commonly flattened or rectangular in form, pilasters can also take a half-round form or the shape of any type of column, including tortile....
s. There is a dentil
Dentil
In classical architecture a dentil is a small block used as a repeating ornament in the bedmould of a cornice.The Roman architect Vitruvius In classical architecture a dentil (from Lat. dens, a tooth) is a small block used as a repeating ornament in the bedmould of a cornice.The Roman architect...
ed entablature
Entablature
An entablature refers to the superstructure of moldings and bands which lie horizontally above columns, resting on their capitals. Entablatures are major elements of classical architecture, and are commonly divided into the architrave , the frieze ,...
, set above the columns and topped by a railing
Guard rail
Guard rail or guardrail, sometimes referred to as guide rail or railing, is a system designed to keep people or vehicles from straying into dangerous or off-limits areas...
with turned baluster
Baluster
A baluster is a moulded shaft, square or of lathe-turned form, one of various forms of spindle in woodwork, made of stone or wood and sometimes of metal, standing on a unifying footing, and supporting the coping of a parapet or the handrail of a staircase. Multiplied in this way, they form a...
s. Entry to the gallery is achieved via an enclosed stairway on the east side; one wall is fitted with beaded diagonal paneling, and there is no stair rail.
The pulpit
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
for the church is attached to its north wall, enclosed in a communion rail with rectangular rung
Rung
Rung may refer to:*Rung , a Pakistan band*Rung , an album by Hadiqa Kiyani*Rung , an ethnic group of people inhabiting the Pithoragarh district of Uttaranchal,India and Darchula district, Nepal...
s. It is paneled and inset with a bold Greek fret in its frieze
Frieze
thumb|267px|Frieze of the [[Tower of the Winds]], AthensIn architecture the frieze is the wide central section part of an entablature and may be plain in the Ionic or Doric order, or decorated with bas-reliefs. Even when neither columns nor pilasters are expressed, on an astylar wall it lies upon...
. This appears to have been adapted from a design found in the Practical House Carpenter of Asher Benjamin
Asher Benjamin
Asher Benjamin was an American architect and author whose work transitioned between Federal style architecture and the later Greek Revival. His seven handbooks on design deeply influenced the look of cities and towns throughout New England until the Civil War...
, a popular builders' pattern book first published in 1830; with numerous other details, most especially the building's architrave
Architrave
An architrave is the lintel or beam that rests on the capitals of the columns. It is an architectural element in Classical architecture.-Classical architecture:...
s, it indicates Cosby's familiarity with the popular architectural styles of the day. Near the pulpit is a baptismal font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
of marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
. Also remaining in the church are two wood-burning stove
Stove
A stove is an enclosed heated space. The term is commonly taken to mean an enclosed space in which fuel is burned to provide heating, either to heat the space in which the stove is situated or to heat the stove itself, and items placed on it...
s, elaborate constructions in cast iron
Cast iron
Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
, bearing the maker's mark
Maker's Mark
Maker’s Mark is a small batch bourbon whiskey that is distilled in Loretto, Kentucky by Beam Inc.. It is sold in distinctively squarish bottles, which are sealed with red wax. The distillery offers tours, and is part of the American Whiskey Trail and the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.- History...
of "Leibrandt & McDowell, Philadelphia & Baltimore". The dado
Dado (architecture)
In architectural terminology, the dado, borrowed from Italian meaning die or plinth, is the lower part of a wall, below the dado rail and above the skirting board....
running the perimeter of the main room is paneled and incorporates a chair rail. The floor is unfinished, while the walls and ceiling are covered in plaster
Plaster
Plaster is a building material used for coating walls and ceilings. Plaster starts as a dry powder similar to mortar or cement and like those materials it is mixed with water to form a paste which liberates heat and then hardens. Unlike mortar and cement, plaster remains quite soft after setting,...
.
Cemetery
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
attached to the church grounds, located at the back in a hilly, wooded area overlooking the Willis River
Willis River
The Willis River is a tributary of the James River in central Virginia in the United States. Via the James River, it is part of the watershed of Chesapeake Bay....
. Just when burials began is unknown; the earliest legible headstone
Headstone
A headstone, tombstone, or gravestone is a marker, usually stone, that is placed over a grave. In most cases they have the deceased's name, date of birth, and date of death inscribed on them, along with a personal message, or prayer.- Use :...
s date to the 1880s. It is possible that earlier burials exist; however, most of the grave markers on the grounds are nearly completely worn away, and as a result the total number of interments is unknown. Some of these missing markers have been replaced with modern stones, and the cemetery continues in use for some local families. Two veterans of the Confederate Army are also buried in the cemetery.
The church and cemetery are together contained in the National Register listing, as is the land on which both stand; the parcel, approximately two-thirds of an acre in area, follows the lines of the original deed of the property as recorded in Cumberland County records.
Significance
Grace Church is significant for a number of reasons, not least of which is its association with Dabney Cosby, and through him the Jeffersonian school of architectural thought so prevalent across Virginia in the second quarter of the nineteenth century. The building stands as a well-preserved example of a rural Virginia church, incorporating elements of various architectural styles into its construction; it also serves as one of the last few tangible reminders, and much the best-preserved, of the once-thriving merchant community of Ca Ira.See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Cumberland County, Virginia, for other nearby historic sites