The Union Church Preservation Project

For nearly 200 years, the Falmouth, Virginia community has come together to worship, learn, and celebrate life here. Please join us today to repair and maintain the Union Church Historic Site.

Listed with Virginia Department of Historic Resources as a contributing structure in the Falmouth Historic District in 1966

Listed as one of Virginia’s “most endangered” sites
by Preservation Virginia in 2006

Designated as a Virginia State Landmark in 2008

Individually listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2008

The Narthex (or the façade) of the old Falmouth Union Church is all that remains of this important structure. After years of neglect, the church stands in a state of serious disrepair. The Trustees of the Union Church Historic Site are committed to preserving the structure and interpreting its history.

Although in disuse, Union Church continues to serve as a focal point, giving cultural identity to the historic town of Falmouth. It is a visual statement of the Town’s past and a reminder of the much-needed role of preservation in the community. The Church deserves salvation as a fine example of Federal architecture in a religious structure and as a survivor of war, storms, and salvage assaults.

Help us preserve the Union Church Site as a Historic Falmouth, Virginia District landmark for future generations to appreciate!

Become A Member of the Union Church Preservation Project!

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What's Happening at the Union Church Historic Site

More upcoming events can be found on our Upcoming Events page

Repairs to the Union Church Historic Site

May-June 2019 - If you have been driving by the Union Church Historic Site recently, you can see that repairs are in progress. A very generous donor has stepped forward to pay for the necessary repairs due to the many years of neglect.

Decades of roof leaks and termites severely compromised the timber frame elements within the building, impacting the wood from the floor joists all the way to the top of the belfry. Some of the timbers are so deteriorated that they will have to be replaced entirely. Others have rotted sections that can be repaired. The goal is to preserve as much of the original fabric as possible while stabilizing the iconic Falmouth landmark for future generations. The work is expected to take from seven to eight weeks, but with historic restoration projects, completion times are only guesses.

The work on Union Church is being done by Al Anderson of Timberworks of Interest, a company based in Pilot, Virginia. He's been doing timber frame restoration for many years and has worked all over the country.

With the exception of a new roof, the exterior of the building will change very little. The brick wall between the doors had settled, slumped, and bulged outward, a problem that had it not been addressed, threatened to allow the building to collapse. A restoration brick mason working with Al Anderson has installed eight earthquake rods that go through the church and help support the walls. Soon, he will commence removing all the Portland cement and replacing it with appropriate lime mortar.

Click Here for the Photo Gallery (21 photos as of June 2019)

More past events can be found on our Recent Events page.

Fundraising

Union Church Merchandise Is Now Available

Union Church Preservation Project merchandise is now available from CafePress. Help support the Union Church Preservation Project by purchasing T-shirts, Tote Bags, Christmas Ornaments, Drinkware and UCPP magnets!

Visit the Union Church Merchandise page for more details.

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