Aquia Church facts for kids
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Aquia Church
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Aquia Church in 2011
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 Location in Northern Virginia
Location in Virginia
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Aquia, Virginia |
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| Area | 8.5 acres (3.4 ha) |
| Built | 1751-1755 (Interior rebuilt, 1757) |
| Architect | Mourning Richards; William Copein |
| Architectural style | Georgian |
| NRHP reference No. | 69000282 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | November 12, 1969 |
| Designated NHL | July 5, 1991 |
Aquia Church is a very old and special church located in Stafford, Virginia, USA. It's found right on Richmond Highway (which is also US 1). This church belongs to the Episcopal faith. It started way back in 1711! The building you see today was built in the 1750s. It's a beautiful example of Georgian style architecture, made from brick. Because of its amazing design, it was named a National Historic Landmark in 1991. Even today, Aquia Church is still an active place of worship. It has many programs and helps the community.
Discovering Aquia Church
Aquia Church is located near Aquia Harbour and Stafford. You can find it at the corner of US 1 and State Route 610. The church sits on a wooded hilltop, a little bit away from the main road.
What Does It Look Like?
The church building has two stories and is shaped like a cross. It's made of bricks laid in a special pattern called Flemish bond. It also has nice sandstone decorations. The roof is sloped, and a small square tower rises from one end. This tower has a cross-shaped roof, a round cupola, and a cross on top.
The corners of the building have stone blocks, which are called quoins. The windows on the first floor are rectangular with stone "keystones" at the top. The windows on the second floor are rounded at the top, also with stone keystones. The church now sits on a concrete foundation built in the 1900s. This new foundation replaced the original one.
A Unique Design
The cross shape of Aquia Church is quite unusual for churches built a long time ago. It's also rare for churches from that time to have a full second story. This makes Aquia Church very special!
The church was built where two older churches used to stand. These churches belonged to Overwharton Parish, which was formed before 1680. The first permanent minister for this parish arrived in 1711.
Its Long History
The outside of the church was built between 1751 and 1755. The builders used sandstone from nearby quarries for the decorations. In 1757, a fire badly damaged the inside of the building. But the strong outer walls remained! The church was then rebuilt inside the existing shell.
Most of the interior of the church is still original. It has beautiful wooden details. One of the most famous parts is the altarpiece. It has a special triangular top, called a pediment. It is considered one of the finest colonial altarpieces in Virginia.
See also
