{"nrhp_refnum":"69000282","name":"Aquia Church","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"N of jct. of U.S. 1 and VA 610","address_restricted":false,"city":"Garrisonville","county":"Stafford County","state":"VA","lat":38.46452827400006,"lon":-77.40360510543232,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1969-11-12","is_nhl":true,"nhl_designated_date":"1991-07-05","areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["national","state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story brick colonial parish church near Garrisonville in Stafford County, Virginia, erected in 1751, damaged by fire in 1754 and rebuilt in 1757.","why_significant":"It is one of two colonial churches in Virginia with a true Greek cross plan and is described as one of the most elaborate and best preserved colonial churches in the state. Its interior appointments, including a unique triple-tiered pulpit, are among the finest in Virginia. The form also notes its colonial communion silver and its still-rural churchyard setting.","narrative":"Aquia Church is a two-story brick parish church in Stafford County, Virginia, built in 1751 on a true Greek cross plan, a layout shared by only one other colonial church in the state. Mourning Richards served as contractor and William Copein, who also worked at Pohick Church, was the mason. Fire damaged the building in 1754, and it was rebuilt in 1757; only the walls are thought to date from 1751. The exterior features Flemish bond brickwork, stone keystones and quoins, three pedimented and rusticated doorways, and a tower with cupola set into the entrance arm. Inside, the original triple-tier pulpit, reredos, west gallery and pews survive. The pulpit is considered unique in Virginia. Worship had occurred on or near the site since 1654, and the church became the parish church of Overwharton Parish in 1757. It is ranked among the most important colonial ecclesiastical buildings in the nation and retains a quiet rural setting despite nearby development.","period_of_significance":"18th Century (specific date 1751)","architect_builder":"Mourning Richards, \"undertaker\" (contractor); William Copein, mason","architectural_style":"Colonial ecclesiastical architecture; Greek cross plan","criteria":[],"status_note":"Condition marked as good; occupied and in religious use. Some twentieth century restoration work, with alterations described as not irremediable.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:51:56.982234-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/63/6837/41683763/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_VA/69000282.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/69000282/43ae0e8e49-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/69000282/43ae0e8e49-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Cowpie21","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aquia_Church.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Cowpie21</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aquia_Church.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/41683763","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquia_Church","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4782877"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/virginia/stafford-county/aquia-church-69000282/"}