Chestnut Ridge and Schellsburg Union Church and Cemetery

The story

Written by AI from this property's National Register nomination and the record above; every sentence is checked against its sources before it appears here. Corrections: privacy@treealive.com

The Chestnut Ridge and Schellsburg Union Church and Cemetery is a log church and cemetery on US 30 in Napier Township, Bedford County, built in 1806. A second building on the grounds dates from 1860, and a third from around 1920.

Why it's listed

It was listed in the National Register in 2005 under criteria A and C, with local significance in architecture and exploration and settlement. Its period of significance runs from 1806, when the log church was built, to 1860.

Physical character

The church is a rectangular building of steeple-notched, hewn oak logs on a sandstone foundation, with a metal roof and double doors under a six-light transom. Inside, a U-shaped balcony on octagonal posts wraps a sanctuary with an octagonal pulpit and plastered walls. Weatherboard was added over the log walls in 1881 and removed in 1936, when three logs were also replaced.

Historical context

In 1807 the Lutheran and Reformed congregations acquired the land, the year John Schell recorded the deed conveying the tract. The cemetery association was incorporated in 1860 under a charter approved by Governor William F. Packer, and Ludwig Nicodemus began serving as sexton in 1861. The church was in active religious use from 1806 until it closed in 1852.