Edgemont Church
Also known as: 60-139
Why it's listed
Edgemont Church is a wood-frame country church near Christiansburg in Montgomery County, Virginia, built in the third quarter of the nineteenth century. It has a three-bay nave plan, a pedimented front, paneled corner pilasters with molded capitals, and segmentally arched openings. Six-over-six windows with arched heads and early louvered blinds light the building, and a circular louvered vent fills the pediment. A small belfry and modern additions were added later. A small graveyard to the north holds markers from the late nineteenth to the mid-twentieth century. The congregation was organized by the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), a movement tied to Chester Bullard, who founded six churches in the region. A deed dates to 1856, and the building appears on an 1864 Confederate Engineers map. It was recognized for architecture because its scale, ornament and detailing exceed those of the many simpler nave-plan churches common in the New River Valley. It remains carefully maintained and keeps its overall form.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the church is an unusually ornate and stylistically developed example of the nave-plan form popular in the New River Valley. It is also unusual for placing windows in the principal facade, and it has arched windows and paneled pilasters. It is larger and more elaborately detailed than comparable rural churches.
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 89001902, listed November 13, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | VA 666, 1 mi. E of VA 645, Christiansburg |
|---|---|
| County | Montgomery County |
| Listed | November 13, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001902 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1860 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian: Italianate (nave plan) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as carefully maintained and still in religious use, with a cemetery; additions to the west side and north end do not seriously affect its form. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 37.10771, -80.47880 (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 89001902.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14712271
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.