Buffalo Mountain Presbyterian Church and Cemetery
Also known as: 017-5016
Why it's listed
Buffalo Mountain Presbyterian Church sits on the Carroll/Floyd County line near Willis, Virginia, surrounded by pasture, woods and views of Buffalo Mountain. Built in 1929, it is a rock-faced frame building with a nave and front and rear transepts, steeply pitched gable roofs, buttresses, round-arched stained-glass windows and four fieldstone chimneys. Across the road lie a cemetery enclosed by a fieldstone wall and a small matching stone springhouse. The church was the first of six fieldstone churches led by the Presbyterian minister Robert W. Childress, who arrived in the Buffalo community in 1926. Local men cut timber, hauled it with oxen and laid the stone, and the congregation dedicated the building on September 19, 1929. It is recognized for its role in Appalachian Presbyterian religious life and social activism and for its architecture. The period of significance runs from 1929 to 1956, the year of Childress's death.
Significance in brief: It is one of six rock-faced churches built between 1919 and the early 1950s by Presbyterian minister Robert W. Childress in Floyd, Carroll and Patrick counties. It is significant for Religion and Social History, reflecting Appalachian Presbyterian worship and social activism, and for its distinctive architecture. It was the first of the six and the mother church of his ministry.
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 07000229, listed March 30, 2007. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 2102 Childress Rd., Willis |
|---|---|
| County | Carroll County |
| Listed | March 30, 2007 |
| Reference number | 07000229 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1929-1956 |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Religion, Social History, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The interior is described as plain, simple and in excellent condition; the church, cemetery and springhouse are still used for their historic functions. |
| Acreage | 3.2 |
| Coordinates | 36.77696, -80.51731 (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 07000229.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4985791
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.