A Parish with a Rich History

Christ Church Millwood is rooted in a rich, beautiful history and a pervading love for God.

1738 | “Frederick Parish” is created by an act of the colonial General Assembly of Virginia as an ecclesiastical unit of the Church of England. Cunningham Chapel was the first of three chapels of the parish.

1747 | Cunningham Chapel is constructed as a log building at a location just three miles south of present day Berryville. This was eventually replaced by a stone structure called Old Chapel, which still stands today at a site near the present intersection of US Route 340 and VA Route 255.

April 1829 |  A committee, comprising Bishop William Meade, Allen Williams, David Meade and Treadwell Smith, proposes a plan of enlargement of Old Chapel. It was found that the Old Chapel was too small and inconvenient for the increasing congregation, and it was therefore determined to erect another and a larger one in a more central and convenient place in the vicinity of Millwood.

April 18th, 1832 | Mr. George Burwell, of Carter Hall, signs a deed conveying two acres of land across the street from his property for the construction of Old Chapel’s enlargement in Millwood.

December 25th, 1832 | Nearing the end of construction, the new building in Millwood held a service to consecrate the church. 

1834 | Construction of the new building concludes.

1836 | Clarke County separates from Frederick County. The new building in Millwood becomes known as “Christ Church” without ceremony, formality, or designation. The official title as listed in the Convention Journal is “Christ Church and Old Chapel, Frederick Parish in Clarke County.” Hugh M. Nelson of Long Branch became the first layman to serve at Christ Church Millwood

March 29th, 1853 | In response to Old Chapel’s dwindling attendance, the Parish Vestry resolves "that the Rector be requested to hold two services annually at Old Chapel, one in the spring and one in the fall." 

June 13th, 1861 | Bishop William Meade gives a historic address at Christ Church Millwood.

1912 | Railroad comes through the town of Boyce, prompting Cunningham Chapel Parish to build Emmanuel Chapel at the crossroads of what is now US 340 and VA Route 723 to serve the thriving new railroad community of Boyce. (In June 2010, the property was deconsecrated and sold and is no longer affiliated with Cunningham Chapel Parish).

1947 | A fire at Christ Church Millwood prompts a rebuild of its interior. Today, it is attributed as being one of the county’s finest stone churches of the Gothic Revival style.

Source: Old Chapel and The Parish in Clarke County, Virginia, A History From the Founding of Frederick Parish, 1738 to the Centenary of Christ Church, Millwood, 1932, authored by B. Duvall Chambers, Rector. This extract has been condensed and edited. A copy of Rev. Chambers' book is available in the Parish Hall Library at Christ Church, 809 Bishop Meade Road, Millwood, VA.

In the early-1990s, The Rev. Pete Gustin elected to put a memorial garden within the 19th century boxwood hedge on Christ Church’s property. On October 20, 1993 the vestry approved a design for the garden that was proposed by Greg Shannon, brother-in-law of parishioner Bob Hobbs. At the time, Mr. Shannon was a landscape design student at Virginia Tech (VPI) who donated his services. Mr. Hobbs donated the planting as a gift to the parish. The garden was completed in November 1994.

Symbolism

The circular gravel path, with its surrounding concentric rows of planting, symbolizes the cycle of eternal life; the central rocks, both God and the faith on which the Church is built. Original planting material was green and white except for the plumbago, a low blue-flowering groundcover at the base of the rocks.

In gratitude for gifts toward the Memorial Garden completion: 

Mildred Anderson; Martha and Bill Cook, in memory of Mr. and Mrs. H. Delmer Robinson; Shawn Morgan; Walter Robbins (bench for visitor meditation); Ruth and Don Tardif, (stone plaque at garden entrance).