{"nrhp_refnum":"70000899","name":"Christ Church","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"SE corner of Cameron and Columbus Sts.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Alexandria (Independent City)","county":"Alexandria","state":"VA","lat":38.80647574000005,"lon":-77.04779796199995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1970-05-10","is_nhl":true,"nhl_designated_date":"1970-05-10","areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["national"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"Christ Church is a small rectangular two-story brick Episcopal church at the southeast corner of Cameron and Columbus Streets in Alexandria, Virginia, designed by James Wren and built in 1767-73.","why_significant":"It is described as probably the finest surviving and least-altered example of the small two-story brick church type used in Virginia in the last third of the 18th century. Unlike other surviving examples of this late-Georgian type, it was never abandoned and its interior was never stripped. Galleries and a tower were added between 1785 and 1818.","narrative":"Christ Church in Alexandria, Virginia, is a two-story brick church built between 1767 and 1773 to designs by Colonel James Wren. Fairfax Parish had been created in 1765, and its vestry chose Wren as architect. James Parson began construction but could not finish, so John Carlyle took the second contract, and the church was accepted as complete on February 23, 1773. The building measures about 60 by 50 feet, with Flemish bond brick walls, two tiers of windows, white-painted stone quoins, a hipped roof and a Palladian window in the east wall. Wooden galleries were added between 1785 and 1800, and a three-story brick tower followed in 1818. The church was not abandoned during the Revolution or Disestablishment and continued in religious use during the Civil War occupation of Alexandria. For that reason it is regarded as one of the best-preserved churches of its Virginia type. It remains an active church and is open to visitors.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":"Designed by Colonel James Wren; James Parson was first contractor, then John Carlyle, who completed it in 1773","architectural_style":"Late Georgian","criteria":[],"status_note":"In excellent condition; still an active church and open to visitors.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:51:57.925683-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/71/6789/41678971/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_VA/70000899_NHL.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/70000899/b09aa4c2f8-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/70000899/b09aa4c2f8-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"RebelAt at English Wikipedia","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Christchurchalexandria.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">RebelAt at English Wikipedia</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Christchurchalexandria.jpg"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"66000928","name":"Alexandria Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/virginia/alexandria-historic-district-66000928/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/41678971","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christ_Church_(Alexandria,_Virginia)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5108734"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/virginia/alexandria/christ-church-70000899/"}