Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 03/02/1971
NRHP Listing Date 07/02/1971
NRHP Reference Number 71000986
Dating from 1740, the simple cruciform Hebron Church, set in the pastoral landscape of Madison County, is America’s oldest house of worship in continuous use by Lutherans. The congregation was formed by 1725 by German families, some of whom came to Virginia in 1717 to work at Governor Alexander Spotswood’s frontier mining community at Germanna. They built their church in what was essentially thinly settled back country. The building was enlarged ca. 1800, at which time Hebron’s celebrated pipe organ, crafted by David Tannenburg of Lititz, Pa., was installed. The Hebron Lutheran Church interior has been remodeled several times. An interesting Victorian adornment is the elaborate frescoed ceilings painted by the Italian-born artist Joseph Oddenino.
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: June 14, 2021
