{"nrhp_refnum":"72001502","name":"Westover Church","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"5 mi. W of Charles City off VA 5","address_restricted":false,"city":"Charles City","county":"Charles City County","state":"VA","lat":37.33208881650006,"lon":-77.1587543820305,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1972-12-05","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Religion"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A rectangular brick colonial parish church in a grove above Herring Creek, a branch of the James River, near Charles City, Charles City County, Virginia. The present building was constructed in 1731.","why_significant":"The nomination calls it an excellent example of the rectilinear form of colonial Virginia church architecture and a familiar landmark along Route 5. It also has many historical associations, including the very old Parish of Westover and worship by several presidents and prominent plantation families.","narrative":"Westover Church is a rectangular brick church of 1731 set in a grove above Herring Creek, a branch of the James River, reached by a lane through fields near Charles City. It measures about 60 by 28 feet inside and is laid in Flemish bond with glazed headers. The parish it serves is among the oldest in the country, recorded as early as 1625. The first church stood upriver near the original Westover plantation house, and its churchyard holds a stone said to be the oldest in Virginia. After 1805 the building was abandoned for nearly thirty years and often served as a barn. Changes came in 1867, when a west gallery and vestry were added and the floor was raised. A later restoration by Orin M. Bullock, Jr. replaced the roof, cornice and ceiling, though the roof trusses are original. Presidents William Henry Harrison, Benjamin Harrison and John Tyler worshipped here, along with families from nearby plantations.","period_of_significance":"18th Century","architect_builder":"Restoration by Orin M. Bullock, Jr., of Baltimore (original builder not stated)","architectural_style":"Rectilinear form of colonial Virginia church architecture","criteria":[],"status_note":"Condition listed as good and altered; the form checks occupied, unrestricted public access, and religious use. Restoration by Orin M. Bullock, Jr. included a new roof, cornice and ceiling.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:51:57.595803-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/20/6800/41680020/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_VA/72001502.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/72001502/b62abfc7db-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/72001502/b62abfc7db-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Frances Benjamin Johnston","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Westover_Church_Charles_City_County_Virginia_by_Frances_Benjamin_Johnston_1930.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Frances Benjamin Johnston</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Westover_Church_Charles_City_County_Virginia_by_Frances_Benjamin_Johnston_1930.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/41680020","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westover_Church","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7989521"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/virginia/charles-city-county/westover-church-72001502/"}