Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 12/08/2022
NRHP Listing Date 03/02/2023
NRHP Reference Number SG100008670
Gravel Hill Christian Church is located on a spur of Gravel Hill overlooking the village of Simmonsville in western Craig County, and affording views of the Sinking Creek Valley and surrounding ridgelines. The simple frame building, which replaced a ca. 1827 log meeting house, dates to circa 1855. Around 1900 an ornate entry/bell tower was added and the church was refurbished inside and out. Gravel Hill Christian Church stands today as a well-preserved example of the county’s simple but elegant traditional rural churches, which are typified by a rectangular footprint, symmetrical fenestration, a centered entry on the gable end façade, and Victorian-era decorative elements. The spartan interior plan features a sanctuary directed toward a pulpit dais at the back. The Mount Carmel and New Bethel churches, elsewhere in Craig County, share specific stylistic features with Gravel Hill’s remodeling, close enough to suggest the same carpenter worked on all three buildings.
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: March 3, 2023
