Sharon Lutheran Church and Cemetery
Why it's listed
Sharon Lutheran Church and Cemetery sit on a knoll amid rolling farmland just outside the village of Ceres in Bland County, Virginia. The frame church, probably built in 1883, has four bays, round-arched stained-glass windows and a square bell-cast tower at the entrance. Aluminum siding now covers the exterior, but the interior still has golden-oak Gothic-style pews, an Eastlake rail and chandelier, and a shallow chancel. The cemetery is the main draw. It holds roughly 50 to 60 thick sandstone gravestones in traditional German style, with lobed tops, raised moldings, hearts, vines and petaled flowers. Their carving matches stones at churches in Wythe and Tazewell counties, linking Sharon to the wider German settlement of the region. The congregation began as a union church in 1821, shared by Lutherans and Presbyterians until the Presbyterians built their own church in 1911. The site was recognized for the stones and the interior.
Significance in brief: The cemetery holds about 50 to 60 rare Germanic gravestones, stylistically tied to those at Zion and Kimberling churches in Wythe County and Central Church in Burke's Garden, and it is one of a handful of Southwest Virginia sites where such stones survive. The stones document the folk culture of German settlers. The 1883 church keeps a little-altered country-Gothic interior in the Eastlake manner.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 79003030, listed February 28, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | W of Ceres on VA 42, Ceres |
|---|---|
| County | Bland County |
| Listed | February 28, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79003030 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | cemetery 1817-1978; church 1883 |
| Architectural style | Country Gothic interior with Eastlake-style details |
| Areas of significance | Art, Exploration/Settlement, Architecture, Religion, Social History |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Church exterior is covered with aluminum siding, while the interior remains as built. The form marks the property occupied, in religious use, with condition good. |
| Acreage | 4 |
| Coordinates | 37.01629, -81.34942 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Religious properties are listed for their architectural or historical significance, not their religious use. Listing is honorary and does not restrict the congregation's use of the building. The federal rehabilitation credit is generally unavailable unless part of the building is income-producing; some state programmes and preservation grants do cover religious buildings. Federal funding or permits trigger Section 106 review.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 79003030.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7490137
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.