Asbury Church Building Has a Rich History and Promising Future

Asbury Church Building Has a Rich History and Promising Future

By Peyton Tochterman

In 1829, Asbury Church was built on land donated by Middleburg resident Hugh Grant to provide a place of worship for Methodists. Now, nearly 200 years later, the town of Middleburg is seeking to renovate this historical landmark to preserve its rich history and preserve the oldest church building in the village.

The church served its original purpose until 1855, when a new, larger Methodist church was built on Washington Street. Asbury was emptied and abandoned until the Civil War erupted. The church was then used as a storehouse, a government depot for food, and a morgue and hospital for both the North and South during the war.

Toward the end of the conflict, Asbury was donated to the African-American Methodist Congregation, which repaired the church. By the end of the Civil War, Asbury became the first African-American church in Middleburg.

Asbury church is the oldest church in Middleburg.

Photo by Shannon Davis

The 1880s brought about a renovation that included an organ and a church bell. The church also served as a public school for African-American children. It continued to be the center of religious activity for its worshippers until 1994, when the congregation merged with the Willisville United Methodist Church, leaving the building vacant.

Nearly 30 years later, Middleburg Mayor Bridge Littleton said he is excited about the project and looks forward to the continued renovation and bringing a storied community building back to life.

“We want to tell the story of Asbury both physically and virtually, collecting and documenting the history, and putting it back into productive use as one would have seen them in the 1830s,” he said. “There are a lot of Asbury-focused groups -- Friends of Asbury Church and Piedmont Heritage Area are a couple – that want to partner with the Town of Middleburg to help us all be good stewards of our most precious historical landmarks. Asbury Church is central to the rich history of Middleburg.”

Middleburg town manager Danny Davis said he’s also looking forward to the project. “We see this as such an important piece of Middleburg’s history,” he said. “And the opportunity to restore this landmark is at the forefront of our preservation efforts.”

The town already has invested $174,000 to stabilize the building and protect it from further deterioration. It will take time, but other stages are in the works, including a capital improvement project, hiring architects, engaging conservation and restoration professionals to restore the building to its original state, and, of course, community engagement.

Dulany Morison, who serves on the board of the Willisville Preservation Foundation, is delighted to see the Town of Middleburg at the forefront of this preservation effort.

“One of the principal commitments of our mission is to preserve the heritage and history of our local African-American historic resources,” he said. “Asbury Church allows us to connect directly with the past while also living in the present and on to the future. We believe the town taking the lead on its restoration would be widely celebrated across the countryside….Asbury Church will have a bright future.”