National Historic Landmark

Aquia Church

Garrisonville, Stafford County, Virginia
Listed
November 11, 1969
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
69000282

About this property

Aquia Church is an historic church and congregation at 2938 Richmond Highway (US 1 at VA 610) in Stafford, Virginia, USA. It is an Episcopal congregation founded in 1711, that meets in an architecturally exceptional Georgian brick building that was built in the 1750s. The building was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1991 for its architectural importance. It maintains an active congregation with a variety of programs and outreach to the community. Aquia Church is located west of Aquia Harbour and north of Stafford, at the northeast corner of United States Route 1 and the end of State Route 610, just east of Interstate 95. It is set back from the road on a wooded hilltop. It is a two-story cruciform structure, built out of bricks laid in Flemish bond, with sandstone trim elements. The roof is hipped, and a short square tower rises from one end, topped by a cross-gabled roof, circular cupola, and cross. The building corners are quoined in stone, and the first-floor windows are set in rectangular openings with keystones. The second-floor windows are round-arched, also with stone keystones at the tops. The building is set on a 20th-century concrete foundation with a brick water table, replacing its original foundation in 1915-16. The building's cruciform plan is not common for colonial period churches, and it is also rare for churches from that period to have a full second story. The church was built on the site of two earlier Anglican churches of Overwharton Parish, which was formed before 1680 by the division of Potomac Parish and received its first permanent minister in 1711. Its exterior was built 1751-55, using sandstone quarried nearby for the trim. In 1757 the building was gutted by fire, and was rebuilt in the surviving shell. The interior is largely original, and has richly detailed woodwork, including one of the finest known colonial period pedimented altarpieces in the state. National Register of Historic Places listings in Stafford County, Virginia Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) No. VA-415, "Aquia Church, U.S. Route 1 & State Route 676, Stafford, Stafford County, VA", 16 photos, 6 data pages Fredericksburg, Stafford, Spotsylvania Historical Markers: Aquia Episcopal Church E-90

Location

Garrisonville, Stafford County, Virginia
38.46474, -77.40371

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Quantico Marine Corps Base Historic District
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6.9 mi
Commanding General's Quarters, Quantico Marine Base
Industrial
7.1 mi
Orenda/SP-26 Historic District, Chopawamsic RDA Camp 3
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7.2 mi
Fair Oaks
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Mawavi Historic District, Chopawamsic RDA Camp 2
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8.1 mi

Nearby Battles

Potomac Creek Bridge Skirmish
1862Civil War
1.6 mi

Questions about this property

When was Aquia Church listed on the National Register?

Aquia Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 11, 1969.

What type of historic resource is Aquia Church?

Aquia Church is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Aquia Church a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Aquia Church has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for Aquia Church?

The period of significance for Aquia Church is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Aquia Church?

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