Immanuel Episcopal Church (Mechanicsville, Virginia) facts for kids
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Immanuel Episcopal Church
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Facade
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 Location in Virginia
Location in the United States
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| Location | SR 606, 1.7 mi. E of jct. with US 360, Mechanicsville, Virginia |
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| Built | 1853, 1881, 1916, 1967 |
| Architectural style | Late Gothic Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 96000577 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | May 23, 1996 |
Immanuel Episcopal Church is a historic church and cemetery located near Mechanicsville, Virginia, in Hanover County, Virginia. It's an Episcopal church, which is a Christian church that grew from the Anglican Church. This church has a long and interesting past, especially during the American Civil War.
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The Church's Early Days
The Immanuel Episcopal Church building was mostly built in 1853. A man named George Washington Bassett helped a lot. He was the grandnephew of Martha Custis Washington, who was George Washington's wife. Mr. Bassett matched money given by St. Paul's Church in Richmond.
The land where the church stands was once part of Mr. Bassett's farm, called Clover Lea. The very first Anglican church in the area was built nearby around 1684. After the American Revolutionary War, the Anglican Church changed its name to the Episcopal Church. Many old church buildings were left empty.
By the 1840s, the church building at Old Church crossroads was old and falling apart. Episcopalians, Baptists, and Campbellites (who later became Disciples of Christ) all shared it. On April 3, 1854, a bishop named John Johns officially blessed the new Immanuel Church. The church was named "Immanuel" to show it was different from another nearby church.
Immanuel Church During the Civil War
During the American Civil War, the people at Immanuel Church supported the Confederate side. The church's leader, Rev. David Carraway, served from 1857 until he passed away in 1869.
In 1864, before the Battle of Cold Harbor, Rev. Carraway could only visit Mr. Bassett and his family with Union soldiers watching him. Immanuel Church also became a hospital during the war. Many battles were fought nearby, especially during the Peninsular Campaign in 1862 and the Overland Campaign in 1864.
After the War and Into the 20th Century
After the Civil War, the area around the church was badly damaged. It took many years for things to get better. The church received some money from the diocese (a church district) to help with costs.
Rev. Edwin Habersham helped fix the church and make sure it had enough money. He later moved away. After him, other leaders served Immanuel Church and other churches nearby, like St. James the Less Church in Ashland, Virginia.
From 1881 to 1904, Rev. Sewell Hepburn was the church leader. He is known for being related to the famous actress, Katharine Hepburn. Later, in 1924, Rev. Samuel Chilton became the leader for seventeen years. He then became a suffragan bishop, which is a helper bishop, for Virginia.
In the early 1900s, Immanuel Church was sometimes paired with St. Paul's Church in Hanover or St. David's Church in Aylett. As Richmond's suburbs grew, this area became less rural. By 1985, both Immanuel Church and another nearby church had their own full-time leaders. The church also received a large gift of money after the Clover Lea farm was sold, which helped pay for much-needed repairs.
Rev. Susan Goff was the leader of Immanuel Church for a time. She was also elected as a suffragan bishop for Virginia, a position she still holds today.
The current house where the church leader lives was built in 1957. The building where church activities happen was built in 1982. In 1998, a special garden called the St. Francis Garden was added for cremated remains.
Church Architecture
Immanuel Episcopal Church is a one-story building made of brick. It was built in the Gothic Revival style. This style tries to look like the grand churches built in Europe many centuries ago.
Over the years, parts were added to the church in 1881, 1916, and 1967. These additions made the building look like a "T" shape from above.
Around three sides of the church is its cemetery. This cemetery is also historic and has several graves of Confederate soldiers.
The church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996. This means it's recognized as an important historical site.
