Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 06/16/2004
NRHP Listing Date 08/11/2004
NRHP Reference Number 04000844
Associated with the Virginia Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, the Thomas Methodist Episcopal Chapel is a rare surviving example of a formally designed, small, temple-form church. Prominent rural Bedford County citizens had it constructed in 1844 by local craftsmen in a vernacular Greek Revival style. It remains a one-story, one-room, rectangular-plan, brick building with a three-bay façade and a pedimented front-gable roof. The setting of the church and the view from the churchyard also are remarkable. The impressive Peaks of Otter loom large above the small, partially wooded knoll on which the chapel is situated. The area remains sparsely populated to this day, leaving the surrounding landscape unspoiled, and the Thomas Methodist Episcopal Chapel’s association with the distant past remains intact.
Many properties listed in the registers are private dwellings and are not open to the public, however many are visible from the public right-of-way. Please be respectful of owner privacy.
Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark
Updated: September 6, 2022
