St. Thomas Chapel

St. Thomas Episcopal Church, now known as St. Thomas Chapel

Piers Lamb

Quick Facts

Location:

Middletown, Virginia

Significance:

Part of Cedar Creek Battlefield

Designation:

National Register of Historic Places

OPEN TO PUBLIC:

No

MANAGED BY:

St. Thomas Chapel Trust

Amenities

1 listed

Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits

Anglicans in the Middletown area established St. Thomas Episcopal Church in 1834. They finished building the church in 1837. The church's architect is not recorded, but they patterned it after the York Cathedral in England. It is an example of the Early Gothic Revival style in Virginia.

In 1862, during the Civil War, US Gen. Nathaniel Banks used St. Thomas as a commissary and stable. Local doctor John Guyer used it as a hospital throughout the war. He tended to the wounded from nearby battles. Again, during the Battle of Cedar Creek in 1864, St. Thomas became a field hospital. The dead were buried in the church yard, and later reinterred in their hometowns. After the war, the Federal Government paid the church to fix the damages.St. Thomas resumed services by 1867.

By the 1930s, St. Thomas had fallen into disrepair. Restoration began in 1966 for conversion to a nondenominational chapel. In 1973, St. Thomas became a Virginia Landmark. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. St. Thomas Chapel Trust runs the chapel. It hosts special events like weddings and occasional church services.

St. Thomas Chapel is at 7864 Church Street in Middletown, Virginia. It is not open to the public.