HISTORIC GRACE CHURCH
The history of Grace Church dates back to colonial times. The first settlers in the area established a "mountain chapel", probably in the 1730's. Explore the development of Grace Church over the past 300 years. Learn more about how the mountain chapel became today's Grace Church.
Buildings
Historic Grace Episcopal Church stands at the site of one of the earliest colonial churches in Virginia. A “mountain chapel” had first existed on the premises, having been built by the earliest settlers in the area, probably in the 1730’s. The Vestry of the Fredericksville Parish of the Church of England later commissioned a church for this site in 1745. First known as the Middle Church, and later called Walker’s Church, foundation stones of this church, constructed of wood and completed in 1748, are visible today in the front yard of the present structure.​​
Windows
The three windows over the altar were installed at the time of the reconstruction of the interior after the fire of 1895. While these are not Tiffany windows, they reflect the style of Tiffany glass popular at the time. They feature the lighter and warmer colors of green and lavender, while the windows on the sides of the nave have more intense and darker colors.
Opus 77
Church Organ
In 2015, a series of heavy rains overwhelmed the water abatement systems on the Grace Church roof. The resulting leaks caused plaster to fall from the ceiling onto several components of the old organ. The damage to the organ and the church interior prompted the Vestry to appoint a church organ task force, and the result of their work was "Opus 77", a bespoke tracker organ created for Grace Church by Taylor and Boody, and dedicated in 2019.
Cemetery
Some families have lived in this community for many generations, going back to the 18th century. The earliest members of these families are buried in family graveyards on the farms and estates of the Keswick countryside such as Cloverfields, Castle Hill and Belvoir, but many of their later descendants are interred in the Grace Church cemetery. The oldest graves tend to be located nearest the church.
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All Saints Chapel
All Saints Chapel exists today, as at its founding, as a mission of Grace Episcopal Church at Cismont. The chapel’s origin is best described by the Rev. Frank Leslie Robinson, through whose efforts and leadership, All Saints and two other chapels were created on the west side of the Southwest Mountains in Albemarle County. All Saints is the only surviving mission of those three.
Grace Church and "Sacred Ground"
Stimulated by the tragic and historic events in 2017 in Charlottesville and 2020 in our nation, parishioners committed to learning more, and adding to the knowledge of the history of our community. In accordance with work done by the "Bridges to Understanding" task force, we resolved to acknowledge the past, to enhance our knowledge of local racial history and to share our knowledge with those interested in learning more.