{"nrhp_refnum":"95000239","name":"Coan Baptist Church","other_names":["Wicomico Church","VDHR No. 66-86"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"VA 638, E of jct. with VA 612","address_restricted":false,"city":"Heathsville","county":"Northumberland County","state":"VA","lat":37.92531959100006,"lon":-76.51393488699995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1995-03-17","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story, gable-roofed brick Baptist church built in 1846-1847 near Heathsville in Northumberland County, Virginia, on SR 638 east of the junction with SR 612. It has a simple nave plan, classical detailing, later additions and two cemeteries.","why_significant":"The church is presented as a well-preserved architectural reflection of the Baptist revival that swept Virginia's Northern Neck and Tidewater in the first half of the nineteenth century. It was the largest church building in the Northern Neck when built, with classical motifs and a nave plan typical of Protestant churches of the era. It was designed and supervised by its pastor, Reverend Addison Hall, and built through a cooperative effort of the congregation.","narrative":"Coan Baptist Church is a two-story brick meeting house in rural Northumberland County, Virginia, built between 1846 and 1847 for a congregation then known as Wicomico Church. Measuring about forty-four by seventy feet, it has a pedimented west gable end with a double door, a tripartite window and a semicircular fanlight, plus a nave with side aisles and a U-shaped gallery. At the time of construction the congregation included over 200 African members, and the gallery was likely meant mainly for them. Pastor Addison Hall drew up the plans and supervised members who supplied bricks, lumber and other materials; the cost was 900 dollars. It was the largest church building in the Northern Neck and reflects the Baptist revival of the early nineteenth century. Additions from 1957 and 1975 are set apart from the original block, which keeps much of its early character. Two cemeteries lie nearby, and the congregation still worships there.","period_of_significance":"1846-1853","architect_builder":"Hall, Reverend Addison","architectural_style":"Early Republic: Federal; Mid-19th Century: Greek Revival","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Still used as a religious facility with a church school and cemeteries; additions were made in 1957 and 1975, and the original section retains a high degree of integrity.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:52:00.164797-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/76/6822/41682276/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_VA/95000239.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/95000239/375d6f1c36-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/95000239/375d6f1c36-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Nyttend","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Coan_Baptist_Church.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Nyttend</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Coan_Baptist_Church.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/41682276","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coan_Baptist_Church","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q14712193"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/virginia/northumberland-county/coan-baptist-church-95000239/"}