Cedar Hill Church and Cemeteries
Also known as: 81-5166
Why it's listed
Cedar Hill Church is a one-story log building from 1874, covered in weatherboards and painted white with green trim, standing on a rocky hillside above Buffalo Creek in southwest Rockbridge County. Two small cemeteries belong to the property: an old burial ground behind the church, marked by fieldstones and grave depressions, and a newer one about half a mile away, begun around 1890 and still used. The congregation formed after the Civil War among African American farm families and received its lot by deed in 1874. The building also served as a schoolhouse from the late 1880s through 1905. Its interior keeps beaded matchboard walls and pews made in the mid-1910s. Services dwindled in the 1920s and ended in the late 1930s, but former members maintain the church and gather there each August. The property was listed for its place in the history of the county's Black community, with a period of significance from about 1874 to 1951.
Significance in brief: The church and cemeteries are significant for their association with the history of Rockbridge County's African American community. The church served as a place of worship and a schoolhouse and was described as the center of the Black community in the Buffalo District. The cemeteries record the congregation's growing prosperity in the early twentieth century.
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 01001570, listed February 11, 2002. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Cedar Hill Church Rd. and Kygers Hill Rd., Lexington |
|---|---|
| County | Rockbridge County |
| Listed | February 11, 2002 |
| Reference number | 01001570 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | Ca. 1874-1951 |
| Architect / builder | unknown |
| Architectural style | No Style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Black |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The church is lovingly maintained by former members and descendants and opened each August for a homecoming; the new cemetery remains in use. The church is not electrified or plumbed. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 37.74244, -79.53463 (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 01001570.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15208214
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.