Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 06/17/1980
NRHP Listing Date 11/24/1980
NRHP Reference Number 80004209
Erected in 1842, the Washington Street Methodist Church was for many years the state’s leading church of its denomination. Here was held the first General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church South in 1846, an outgrowth of the schism that developed among Methodists over abolition. The church was also the scene of the first consecration of bishops of the Methodist Church South. During the Civil War the building served as a Confederate hospital. Two major alterations have given the building an extraordinary presence. A full Doric portico was applied to the original portico in antis in 1890, and in 1923 the flanking wings, each with its own Doric portico, were added. The wings were designed by Richmond architect Fred A. Bishop. The church is located within the Halifax Triangle & Downtown Commercial Historic District.
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: July 1, 2021
