Mount Pleasant Baptist Church and Cemetery a historic Baptist church and cemetery located in Gainesville, Prince William County, Virginia along U.S. Route 29. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2021.
Mount Pleasant Baptist Church and Cemetery | |
 Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in October 2021 | |
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| Location | 15008 Lee Hwy, Gainesville, VA, 20155 |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 38°47′23″N 77°38′17″W / 38.78983°N 77.63818°W |
| Built | 1928 |
| NRHP reference No. | 100006159[1] |
| VLR No. | 076-6009 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | February 19, 2021 |
| Designated VLR | December 10, 2020[2] |
History edit
The Mount Pleasant Baptist Church was established in the 1870s, serving as a social and religious congregation site in a Black neighborhood known as The Settlement on land that was purchased after the American Civil War. The current church building was built in 1928, replacing another church building built in 1889. The earlier building replaced a log church that was burnt down, possibly due to arson, and relocated to its current site by trustees in 1882. Throughout the 20th century, the church has had several additions to the rear side of the building.[2]
On August 10, 2012, the church building survived an arson attack, which left the original part of the building mostly intact despite some smoke damage and broken windows, but caused severe damages to the latter rear-side additions of the building.[3] However, it was not until almost 8 years later in June 2020, following the murder of George Floyd and the arise of subsequent protests, that the church's reparation efforts were given widespread attention. To assist in funding the church's now 5-year long campaign to repair the church, Delegate Danica Roem started a GoFundMe campaign, which raised over $20,000 in the span of two days and doubled the church's $10,000 goal for the first phase of the $100,000 total cost of reparations of the building.[4]
In September 2020, attempts to block a plan for development nearby the church were rejected by Prince William County supervisors. Previously, attempts to block Dominion Energy from constructing power lines through the area were successful.[5]
On December 10, 2020, the Virginia Department of Historic Resources added Mount Pleasant Baptist Church and Cemetery to the Virginia Landmarks Register. Months later on February 19, 2021, the National Park Service added the church and cemetery site to the National Register of Historic Places.[6]
References edit
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ a b "076-6009 Mount Pleasant Baptist Church". Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
- ^ Sides, Emily (30 May 2019). "Preserving 'The Settlement'". InsideNoVa. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
- ^ Foretek, Jared (8 June 2021). "Damaged by arson years ago, church finds new support for repairs". InsideNoVa. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
- ^ Foretek, Jared (23 September 2020). "Prince William supervisors reject attempt to end development plan near historic Black neighborhood". InsideNoVa. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
- ^ Foretek, Jared (8 April 2021). "Mount Pleasant Baptist Church listed on historic register". InsideNoVa. Retrieved 28 September 2022.