St. Peter's Episcopal Church
Also known as: The New Saint James Holiness Church of Christ Disciples
Why it's listed
Built in 1886 in Norfolk's Brambleton neighborhood, this wooden church at 1625 Brown Avenue is a Carpenter Gothic Revival building clad in vertical swamp cypress board and batten siding over a brick foundation. The cruciform sanctuary has arched stained-glass windows, arched doors, an arched chancel, and mahogany scissor trusses inside. A fellowship hall, first called the parish house, was added in 1912 and continues the Gothic theme with arched timber pillars and a quatrefoil window. Beneath the hall are footstones thought to belong to a Dyson family cemetery that predates the church. The architect is unknown, but the building's plain construction, materials, and details echo Richard Upjohn's pattern book for inexpensive wooden rural churches. It is the only one of six parishes descended from St. Paul's Episcopal Church to keep its frame structure. Its congregation left Brambleton in 1959, and the building later passed to a different congregation. Its significance rests on architecture, with a period of 1886 to 1912.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the church embodies distinctive characteristics of the Gothic Revival style and reflects design ideas from Richard Upjohn's pattern book for wooden rural churches. It is the only one of six parishes descended from St. Paul's Episcopal Church to keep its frame structure. The form also links it to the Dyson and Bramble families and to Norfolk's racial integration movement of the 1950s.
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 10000445, listed July 8, 2010. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1625 Brown Ave, Norfolk |
|---|---|
| County | Norfolk |
| Listed | July 8, 2010 |
| Reference number | 10000445 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1886-1912 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Late-19th Century: Carpenter Gothic Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Currently used as a religious facility by a congregation named The New Saint James Holiness Church of Christ Disciples; some slate shingles on the fellowship hall have fallen away and a small room above the kitchen is inaccessible because of a poor stairwell. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 36.84381, -76.27341 (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 10000445.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16900613
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.