Ebenezer Baptist Churches
Also known as: VDHR No. 53-140
Why it's listed
Two stone Baptist churches stand about 100 feet apart near Bloomfield in rural southwestern Loudoun County, Virginia. The Old Church, a plain vernacular building of coursed field stone, may have been built before 1769 and was used by both Old School and New School Baptists. After a fire in 1855, the New School congregation received land next door and built the New Church, a stuccoed stone building in the Greek Revival style with a pedimented four-column portico. Inside, a trompe l'oeil painting attributed to local artist Lucien W. Powell suggests a columned apse behind the lectern. Two stone-walled cemeteries adjoin the churches; the older holds about 235 gravestones dating from about 1800, and the newer holds more than 1,700 graves from 1888 onward, including Confederate veterans. The site reflects the 1830s division among Virginia Baptists, and local tradition links it to Mosby's Rangers dividing a captured payroll in 1864. Restoration work has continued since the 1970s.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the Old Church is a well-preserved vernacular stone meetinghouse whose plain interior reflects Old School (Primitive) Baptist practice, and the New Church is a Greek Revival building built for the New School Baptist congregation. The New Church also holds a trompe l'oeil painting attributed to local artist Lucien W. Powell. Together they reflect the mid-19th-century split among Virginia Baptists, and the rural setting remains well preserved.
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 94000548, listed June 3, 1994. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Jct. of VA 719 and VA 779, NW corner, Bloomfield |
|---|---|
| County | Loudoun County |
| Listed | June 3, 1994 |
| Reference number | 94000548 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1769 to ca. 1876 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Art |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Worship ended in the Old Church by the early 1900s and in the New Church by about 1941. The Ebenezer Cemetery Company has restored both churches and cares for the cemeteries, which are well maintained. |
| Acreage | 7.2 |
| Within district | Unison Battlefield Historic District |
| Coordinates | 39.05826, -77.81121 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
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 94000548.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5331648
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.