Little Fork Church facts for kids
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Little Fork Church
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Little Fork Church: South-east View
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 Location in Virginia
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Culpeper, Virginia |
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| Built | 1776 |
| Architect | John Ariss |
| Architectural style | Colonial |
| NRHP reference No. | 69000234 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | November 12, 1969 |
Little Fork Church is an old church located near Culpeper, Virginia. It sits on a small hill surrounded by trees, making it a peaceful place. Its name, Little Fork, comes from two nearby rivers, the Hazel and Rappahannock River, which meet close by. The church is quite large, measuring about 83 feet long and 33 feet wide. Unlike many churches from its time in Virginia, its pulpit is directly across from the main entrance. This design shows a mix of styles, including ideas from meeting houses in other colonies.
Contents
Church History and Changes
After the British left Virginia, the original Anglican church members stopped using Little Fork Church. It was then used by Methodists, who called it "Oak Shade Church." Even today, some people in the area still use that name. There used to be a cemetery near the church where people were buried in the early 1800s, but it can no longer be found.
Later, when the Methodist group offered to fix up the old building, the Episcopalians (who are part of the Anglican tradition) took back ownership. A big renovation happened in the 1970s. During this time, a memorial for the local Little Fork Rangers cavalry unit was moved to the church's side yard.
Parish Connections
Little Fork Church was part of a larger church area called St. Mark's Parish. Like many early parishes in Virginia, its size and leadership changed over time. This happened as new counties were formed because more people moved into the area.
- St. Mark's Parish was created from St. George's Parish between 1730 and 1731.
- St. Thomas's Parish was separated from St. Mark's Parish in 1740.
- Culpeper County was formed from Orange County in 1748.
Little Fork was a "chapel of ease." This means it was a smaller church built for people who lived far from the main parish church. It is the only colonial-era church still standing in Culpeper County.
Church Design and Builder
Little Fork Church was built later than many colonial churches, starting in 1773 and finished in 1776. It combines features of a simple rectangular church with elements seen in larger, two-story churches from northern Virginia. It has traditional features like its direction, south and west doors, and special "compass windows."
However, it also has newer elements for its time. These include a deep church layout, a sloped roof, and the main southern door placed in the middle of the wall. The pulpit is on the northern wall, directly opposite the southern door. The design of the doorways and pulpit is very similar to Lamb's Creek Church, which was designed by the same architect.
Meet the Architect: John Ariss
Unlike many colonial buildings, we know who designed and built Little Fork Church: John Ariss (who lived from about 1725 to 1799). He also designed Lamb's Creek Church, which looks almost exactly like Little Fork.
Little Fork Church replaced an older wooden church that burned down in 1773. Before that, another wooden church reportedly burned in 1750. Instead of another wooden church, this brick building was constructed. Some records say that William Phillips built the church, and John Voss designed it. A famous architect named Milton L. Grigg helped with the church's restoration. He also worked on other colonial churches and the historic area of Colonial Williamsburg.
Bricks and Walls
The church's bricks are laid in a pattern called "Flemish bond." This pattern is used for both the lower part of the wall (called the water table) and the main walls. Sometimes, you can see shiny, glazed bricks mixed in. The walls are very thick, about 22 inches. At the corners, windows, and doorways, you can see special bricks that have been cut or rubbed smooth. The way the water table connects to the walls is also decorative. The church is very long, about 83 feet, which was almost too long for people to hear the speaker clearly. The decorative trim under the roof, called a modillion cornice, is likely from the original colonial building.
Inside the Church
The inside of the church was damaged during the American Civil War when Union soldiers used parts of it for firewood. It was restored in 1871 and again in 1976. The most recent restoration in 1976 carefully recreated the original interior.
The church has "box pews," which are like small enclosed seating areas. They are painted a colonial blue-green with dark wood tops. On the eastern wall, there is an original decorative screen called a "reredos." The pulpit, which looks like a "wine-glass," is high on the north-central wall. A lectern (a stand for reading) is placed underneath it. In 1963, a line on the plaster showed that the original wooden paneling on the walls was taller than what was put in during the 19th-century restoration. This was fixed in the more recent repairs. The reredos has a central tablet with the Lord's Prayer, the Ten Commandments, and the Apostles' Creed written in gold letters on a black background. The cross and some other decorations are newer additions, not from colonial times. The box pews were designed to keep out cold drafts in winter, and churchgoers used foot warmers. The flat wooden ceiling and most of the floorboards are also part of the restoration. It's thought the original floor was lower.
Windows and Doors
The church has fourteen tall windows, about 8 feet 8 inches high. They are in a typical "compass style" with round arches made of special bricks. These windows on the south, east, and north sides are all the same. However, the two windows on the west wall are smaller and rectangular. These smaller windows were often used for galleries (balconies) in other churches, but there's no sign that Little Fork Church ever had a western gallery.
The doorways you see today are probably not the original ones. The church likely had more decorative door frames, similar to Pohick Church or Lamb's Creek Church. This is suggested by brick repairs around the doors. The original door openings were about 6 feet 7 inches wide, and the southern entrance was probably the main one. The doors themselves are also not from the colonial period.
Important Historical Moments
The Little Fork Rangers, a cavalry unit (Co. D, 4th Virginia Cavalry), practiced at the church in 1861. As mentioned, the church was used by Union cavalry in 1863, and its interior was damaged. A story says that a "sorry Union officer" sent $100 to the church after the war to help replace the destroyed pews. Today, a memorial to the Little Fork Rangers stands south of the church.
There were no colonial graves right near the church. However, there seems to be the beginning of a memorial garden cemetery to the east of the building, among some small trees. Several members of the Spindle family were buried there in the early 1800s. Small cedar trees are scattered around the church, which is surrounded by a well-kept lawn.
See also
Images for kids
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Little Fork Church: South-east View
