Northern Virginia's Churches Used as Hospitals During the Civil War

The old Stone Church on Braddock Road Centreville VA was once a Civil War Hospital. The Havanan House across the street was the Four Chimney House, and the other buildings were stores or shelters for the soldiers. The church was destroyed during the civil war but was rebuilt as a Methodist Church in 1870. This church today is five miles away from the Killing Grounds of the First Battle of Manassas. It was a form of Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, in other words M.A.S.H. until the New York Infantry treated more than 200 casualties from the nearby battle in the building. One of the researchers say the Church was the sanctuary during the Civil War. Until the 60's the church was owned by the Methodist Congregation, then the town of Centreville bought it. This church is Centerville's oldest landmark.

This church began in 1765 and was completed by 1776. It was the lower Church of Truro Parish, established in 1732 and was the Parish of Mount Vernon and Gunston Hall. George William Fairfax, George Washington, and George Mason were vestry men and were members of the building committee under which the church was constructed.
The church was used as a field hospital for the wounded soldiers in Civil War battles. The soldiers carved their initials along the door's borders and these initials can be seen there today.

St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church was dedicated on Sept. 19, 1858. Catholic workers were employed in building the Fairfax Railroad and began work on the structure in 1856. Shortly after the dedication, Northern Virginia was ravaged by the Civil War and the church became a shelter for the wounded. Clara Barton was the director of the efforts to help the wounded. As a result, she founded the Red Cross and became the first director. The original pews in the church were used a firewood but later were replaced by President Grant after the war.

Arcola Church was built around 1857 and was part of a charge--that is one preacher would preach at several churches each Sunday. Arcola was teamed with Floris church, the Sterling church and others. We do not have exact details about it's Civil War record. It is reasonable though to believe it was a hospital of some sorts given it was one of the only large buildings in the area at the time which could serve this purpose. There was a one room school house and some stores, but they would have been used for other things. Moreover, there is a spring near the church which was used to water horses and men and from which the area got its original name--Gum Springs. We have communion ware which says "Arcola Methodist Episcopal Church, South" on it. This name did not come into existence until 1844 when the Methodist Church split over slavery. Arcola Church gave birth to a new church--Pleasant Valley Church--in the 1890's and then was teamed with other churches over the years. We had a balcony inside the building, probably for "colored" people to worship in as they were not allowed on the main floor with white folks. This balcony is no longer here. The church expanded physically in the 1950s and 1960s by building the Fellowship Hall behind the sanctuary. The front entrance was added in the past 15 years. We have some pictures that go back to 1889 which show the congregation, as well as some gravestones from the early 1880's.
by Chris Riedel, Pastor of Arcola United Methodist Church, email correspondence.

The Falls Church is an Episcopal church and was named "Falls Church" because it was built near the falls along the Potomac River in 1734. After 30 years, the wooden church had decayed, so George Washington and George William Fairfax tried to rebuild the church but failed because of the French and Indian War. Colonel James Wren then rebuilt it in 1769 using brick because some people didn't like the wooden church. In the Civil War, it was used as both a hospital and stable by the troops. In the churchyard, the oldest marked graves are from the year 1803. The church was again restored and enlarged in 1959. In 1967, the first pipe organ in the church was installed. Several pews in the church have silver memorial markers, including ones in memory of George Washington and Robert E. Lee.

To return to the homepage click here.

	The old Stone Church on Braddock Road Centreville VA was once a Civil War Hospital. The Havanan House across the street was the Four Chimney House, and the other buildings were stores or shelters for the soldiers. The church was destroyed during the civil war but was rebuilt as a Methodist Church in 1870. This church today is five miles away from the Killing Grounds of the First Battle of Manassas. It was a form of Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, in other words M.A.S.H. until the New York Infantry treated more than 200 casualties from the nearby battle in the building. One of the researchers say the Church was the sanctuary during the Civil War. Until the 60's the church was owned by the Methodist Congregation, then the town of Centreville bought it. This church is Centerville's oldest landmark.
	This church began in 1765 and was completed by 1776. It was the lower Church of Truro Parish, established in 1732 and was the Parish of Mount Vernon and Gunston Hall. George William Fairfax, George Washington, and George Mason were vestry men and were members of the building committee under which the church was constructed. The church was used as a field hospital for the wounded soldiers in Civil War battles. The soldiers carved their initials along the door's borders and these initials can be seen there today.
	St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church was dedicated on Sept. 19, 1858. Catholic workers were employed in building the Fairfax Railroad and began work on the structure in 1856. Shortly after the dedication, Northern Virginia was ravaged by the Civil War and the church became a shelter for the wounded. Clara Barton was the director of the efforts to help the wounded. As a result, she founded the Red Cross and became the first director. The original pews in the church were used a firewood but later were replaced by President Grant after the war.
	Arcola Church was built around 1857 and was part of a charge--that is one preacher would preach at several churches each Sunday. Arcola was teamed with Floris church, the Sterling church and others. We do not have exact details about it's Civil War record. It is reasonable though to believe it was a hospital of some sorts given it was one of the only large buildings in the area at the time which could serve this purpose. There was a one room school house and some stores, but they would have been used for other things. Moreover, there is a spring near the church which was used to water horses and men and from which the area got its original name--Gum Springs. We have communion ware which says "Arcola Methodist Episcopal Church, South" on it. This name did not come into existence until 1844 when the Methodist Church split over slavery. Arcola Church gave birth to a new church--Pleasant Valley Church--in the 1890's and then was teamed with other churches over the years. We had a balcony inside the building, probably for "colored" people to worship in as they were not allowed on the main floor with white folks. This balcony is no longer here. The church expanded physically in the 1950s and 1960s by building the Fellowship Hall behind the sanctuary. The front entrance was added in the past 15 years. We have some pictures that go back to 1889 which show the congregation, as well as some gravestones from the early 1880's. by Chris Riedel, Pastor of Arcola United Methodist Church, email correspondence.
	The Falls Church is an Episcopal church and was named "Falls Church" because it was built near the falls along the Potomac River in 1734. After 30 years, the wooden church had decayed, so George Washington and George William Fairfax tried to rebuild the church but failed because of the French and Indian War. Colonel James Wren then rebuilt it in 1769 using brick because some people didn't like the wooden church. In the Civil War, it was used as both a hospital and stable by the troops. In the churchyard, the oldest marked graves are from the year 1803. The church was again restored and enlarged in 1959. In 1967, the first pipe organ in the church was installed. Several pews in the church have silver memorial markers, including ones in memory of George Washington and Robert E. Lee.