CHoWs - By Denomination


Church of England


Christ Church, Middle Haddam
Middle Haddam, CT
Church of England, 1786
Wood
Old Trinity, Brooklyn
Brooklyn, CT
Church of England, 1770
Wood
Hold mouse here for more info!Its setting in the woods at the edge of town gives this church its perfect atmosphere of quietude, and of an earlier era.
St. Paul's, Woodbury
Woodbury, CT
Church of England, 1785
Wood
Christ Church
Dover, DE
Church of England, 1734
Brick
Immanuel on the Green
New Castle, DE
Church of England, 1703
Brick
Hold mouse here for more info!Substantially damaged by fire in 1980, restoration returned it to its early 19th century modified appearance.
Old Christ Church
Laurel, DE
Church of England, 1771
Wood
Hold mouse here for more info!Apart from exterior repainting/restaining, this church retains its original appearance and character, as well as original materials: it’s been unchanged for 250 years. It has no electricity, and its unpainted pews and interior walls reflect that era beautifully. Its setting out in the country is not completely rural (farm machinery can be heard in season), but one can imagine stepping back in time fairly easily here. This design of this beautiful church is based directly on its parent church, Green Hill (Whitehaven, Wicomico Co., MD), though the original is a brick building.
Prince George's Chapel
Dagsboro, DE
Church of England, 1757
Wood
St. Anne's
Middletown, DE
Church of England, 1768
Brick
All Faith Huntersville
Huntersville, MD
Church of England, 1765
Brick
All Hallows Snow Hill
Snow Hill, MD
Church of England, 1784
Brick
All Hallows South River
South River, MD
Church of England, 1727
Brick
All Saints Sunderland
Sunderland, MD
Church of England, 1774
Brick
Christ Church, Accokeek
Accokeek, MD
Church of England, 1745
Brick
Christ Church, Chaptico
Chaptico, MD
Church of England, 1736
Brick
Christ Church, Durham
Ironsides, MD
Church of England, 1732
Brick
Christ Church, Port Republic
Port Republic, MD
Church of England, 1772
Brick
Christ Church, Wayside
Newburg, MD
Church of England, 1750
Brick
Conventry Parish, Rehoboth
Rehoboth, MD
Church of England, 1784
Brick
Emmanuel
Chestertown, MD
Church of England, 1768
Brick
Hold mouse here for more info!The church was the setting for the meeting in 1780 which resulted in the official designation as the Protestant Episcopal Church, replacing the Church of England.
Middleham Chapel
Lusby, MD
Church of England, 1748
Brick
Old Green Hill / St. Bartholomew's
Whitehaven, MD
Church of England, 1733
Brick
Hold mouse here for more info!Now separated by state and diocesan lines, Green Hill was the mother church of Old Christ Church (Laurel, Sussex Co., Del.). Its beautiful lines were the model for the construction of the newer church, completed four decades later in wood. Green Hill's location is ideal for summoning up the aura of the 18th century.
Old White Marsh Trappe
near Trappe, MD
Church of England, 1685
Brick
St. Andrew's, Leonardtown
Leonardtown, MD
Church of England, 1765
Brick
St. Andrew's, Princess Anne
Princess Anne, MD
Church of England, 1770
Brick
St. Barnabas Leeland
Leeland, MD
Church of England, 1774
Brick
St. James Herring Creek
Herring Creek, MD
Church of England, 1762
Brick
St. James's My Lady's Manor
My Lady's Manor, MD
Church of England, 1750
Brick
St. John's Broad Creek
Broad Creek, MD
Church of England, 1723
Brick
St. Luke's Church Hill
Church Hill, MD
Church of England, 1730
Brick
St. Martin's, Showell
Showell, MD
Church of England, 1755
Brick
Hold mouse here for more info!Beautifully restored in the 2000s, St. Martin’s would be a good place to step back in time.
St. MaryAnne's, North East
North East, MD
Church of England, 1742
Brick
St. Paul's, Baden
Baden, MD
Church of England, 1733
Brick
St. Paul's, Fairlee
Fairlee, MD
Church of England, 1713
Brick
Hold mouse here for more info!Of note in the extensive burial ground is the grave of Tallulah Bankhead. This church is one of the most remote, thus offering one an easy step back 250 years or more.
St. Thomas's, Croom
Croom, MD
Church of England, 1733
Brick
St. Thomas's, Garrison Forest
Greenspring Valley, MD
Church of England, 1743
Brick
Trinity Oldfields
Hughesville, MD
Church of England, 1769
Brick
Trinity, Church Creek
Church Creek, MD
Church of England, 1675
Brick
Hold mouse here for more info!Oldest in Maryland.
Wye
Wye Mills, MD
Church of England, 1717
Brick
Hold mouse here for more info!Although this church looks the way it does thanks to a very generous 20th century restoration, that doesn’t alter that its appearance is now very evocative of the colonial era.
Christ Church, Cambridge
Cambridge, MA
Church of England, 1760
Wood
Hold mouse here for more info!Just across Massachusetts Avenue is the Harvard U. campus, which contains another CHoW, Holden Chapel (q.v.).
King's Chapel
Boston, MA
Church of England, 1749
Stone
Hold mouse here for more info!Originally built for use by the Church of England, and now surrounded by modern Boston. It is now Unitarian.
Old North Church
Boston, MA
Church of England, 1723
Brick
Hold mouse here for more info!Famous as the church which posted the lanterns advising Paul Revere (on the opposite shore) of his route through Middlesex, it’s a city church which still offers a glimpse of history.
St. Michael's, Marblehead
Marblehead, MA
Church of England, 1714
Wood
Union, West Claremont
West Claremont, NH
Church of England, 1773
Wood
Christ Church, Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury, NJ
Church of England, 1769
Wood
Old St. Mary's
Burlington, NJ
Church of England, 1703
Brick
Hold mouse here for more info!Oldest in New Jersey.
St. Peter's, Freehold
Freehold, NJ
Church of England, 1770
Wood
St. Thomas's, Alexandria
Alexandria, NJ
Church of England, 1769
Stone
Caroline Setauket
Setauket, NY
Church of England, 1729
Wood
Mohawk Indian Castle
Mohawk, NY
Church of England, 1769
Wood
Hold mouse here for more info!Upstate New York has numerous colonial-era houses of worship with excellent settings for the atmosphere. The history in this case is unusual: The church was established through charitable donations for the religious education of local Native Americans.
St. Andrew's, Staten Island
Richmond, NY
Church of England, 1709
Stone
Hold mouse here for more info!One of the oldest Church of England (Episcopal now) buildings in the entire northeastern US (1706-7), it’s in a historic section of Staten Island (Richmondville), but has been somewhat modernized, so the colonial aspect is not readily apparent, at least in its appearance.
St. George's, Schenectady
Schenectady, NY
Church of England, 1785
Stone
St. John's, Oakdale, LI
Oakdale, NY
Church of England, 1769
Wood
St. Paul's Chapel, Manhattan
New York City, NY
Church of England, 1764
Stone
Hold mouse here for more info!A true modern miracle, St. Paul’s, literally just across the street from 9/11’s Ground Zero, suffered dust, and reportedly one (1) broken window. For months after, St. Paul’s served as a place of refuge for first responders and repair and rescue workers on the site. It is the oldest CHoW in Manhattan (third oldest in the city of New York).
St. Paul's, Eastchester
Eastchester, NY
Church of England, 1761
Stone
Hold mouse here for more info!Although the approach to St. Paul’s might give one pause (it’s the Bronx on the south side of the NPS property), the setting itself is evocative of an earlier time.
St. Peter's, Van Cortlandtville
Van Cortlandtville, NY
Church of England, 1767
Wood
Hold mouse here for more info!Its setting in a large cemetery allows one to dream of the 18th century more easily.
Trinity, Fishkill
Fishkill, NY
Church of England, 1769
Wood
St. John's, Williamsboro
Williamsboro, NC
Church of England, 1773
Wood
St. Paul's, Edenton
Edenton, NC
Church of England, 1736
Brick
Hold mouse here for more info!St. Paul’s, near the waters of Albemarle Sound, bears a strong resemblance to Bruton Parish Church in Williamsburg.
St. Philip's, Brunswick
Brunswick, NC
Church of England, 1740
Brick
St. Thomas's, Bath
Bath, NC
Church of England, 1734
Brick
Hold mouse here for more info!The oldest CHoW in North Carolina, and seemingly unchanged since its construction. The small town helps persuade one of the reality of the earlier era.
Christ Church, Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA
Church of England, 1727
Brick
Hold mouse here for more info!Benjamin Franklin worshiped at this huge church (at one time believed to be the largest enclosed space in the colonies), and is buried in their burial ground two blocks away.
Gloria Dei, Old Swedes, Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA
Church of England, 1697
Stone
Hold mouse here for more info!Perhaps surprisingly, this very old church still seems a part of the 18th century, even with I-95 just a few hundred feet away.
St. David's, Radnor
Radnor, PA
Church of England, 1715
Stone
St. Paul's, Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA
Church of England, 1760
Brick
St. Peter's in the Great Valley
Paoli area, PA
Church of England, 1744
Stone
Hold mouse here for more info!Thanks to its immediate surroundings, one can forget the 20th century here fairly easily.
St. Peter's, Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA
Church of England, 1758
Brick
Trinity, Oxford
Lawndale, PA
Church of England, 1711
Brick
St. Paul's, Wickford
Wickford, RI
Church of England, 1707
Wood
Hold mouse here for more info!It was moved around 1800, because of population changes, from its original location about five miles away.
Trinity, Newport
Newport, RI
Church of England, 1725
Wood
Hold mouse here for more info!Although this is finished in white-painted wood, its architecture mirrors that of the Old North Church in Boston very noticeably.
Biggin Church
Monck's Corner, SC
Church of England, 1761
Brick
Christ Church, Mt. Pleasant
Mt. Pleasant, SC
Church of England, 1724
Brick
Old White Tabby
St. Helena Island, SC
Church of England, 1726
Tapia
Pompion Hill Chapel
Huger, SC
Church of England, 1763
Brick
Hold mouse here for more info!Thanks to its incredibly isolated location on the Black River north of Charleston, this chapel, largely unchanged from the mid-18th century, has a setting which completely replicates that which it had when first built. Except maybe the alligators are less common now.
Prince George, Winyah
Georgetown, SC
Church of England, 1741
Brick
Sheldon
Garden Corners, Yemassee, SC
Church of England, 1745
Brick
Hold mouse here for more info!Although this is a ruin, it is one of the most evocative locations I’ve encountered. Unusual cylindrical brick columns.
St. Andrew's, Charleston
Drayton Hall, SC
Church of England, 1706
Brick
Hold mouse here for more info!Oldest in South Carolina.
St. David's, Cheraw
Cheraw, SC
Church of England, 1768
Wood
Hold mouse here for more info!The church’s large cemetery, with numerous big trees, enhances the sense of the 18th century, even though the church is in the city of Cheraw.
St. George's, Dorchester
Dorchester, SC
Church of England, 1719
Brick
St. Helena's, Beaufort
Beaufort, SC
Church of England, 1724
Brick
St. James, Goose Creek
Goose Creek, SC
Church of England, 1713
Brick
Hold mouse here for more info!Isolation works here, but the church has a significant security system, so check their schedule for access. It is not visible from any public road.
St. James, Santee
Santee, SC
Church of England, 1768
Brick
Hold mouse here for more info!Unusual cylindrical brick columns supporting the front portico, found also at Sheldon.
St. Michael's, Charleston
Charleston, SC
Church of England, 1752
Brick
Hold mouse here for more info!It’s a brick building, with stucco painted white.
St. Stephen's, St. Stephen
St. Stephen, SC
Church of England, 1767
Brick
Strawberry Chapel
Huger, SC
Church of England, 1725
Brick
Hold mouse here for more info!This country church might have a better chance at evoking the 18th century if the surrounding fence and wall weren’t topped with barbed wire, which wasn’t invented until the latter part of the 19th century, and if there weren’t security cameras in place near the locked gate.
Abingdon Episcopal
White Marsh, VA
Church of England, 1754
Brick
Acquinton
King William Court House, VA
Church of England, 1760
Brick
Hold mouse here for more info!Substantially restored in the past 15 years.
Blandford Church
Petersburg, VA
Church of England, 1735
Brick
Hold mouse here for more info!The chapel, standing at the edge of the largest cemetery in Petersburg, adjacent to the national battlefield, and resting place of my parents and grandparents, offers a series of stained-glass windows designed by L. C. Tiffany.
Bruton Parish
Williamsburg, VA
Church of England, 1711
Brick
Hold mouse here for more info!One of the most historic churches, thanks to its location in the heart of the colonial capital of one of the most populous colonies. Regular attendees included George Washington, George Wythe, Thomas Jefferson, and most of the other Virginia names one associates with American Independence.
Christ Church, Alexandria
Alexandria, VA
Church of England, 1767
Brick
Hold mouse here for more info!One of the principal churches attended most frequently by George Washington.
Christ Church, Aquia
Garrisonville, VA
Church of England, 1757
Brick
Christ Church, Lancaster
Weems, VA
Church of England, 1732
Brick
Hold mouse here for more info!One of the supreme examples of Georgian church architecture in America, this church is almost entirely unchanged since its completion about 285 years ago. It has the blessing of a rural setting which further enhances the colonial-era atmosphere.
Christ Church, Middlesex
Saluda, VA
Church of England, 1712
Brick
Hold mouse here for more info!In addition to this charming church’s idyllic setting (wood thrushes can be heard in the forest behind the church in season), it is also the burial location of Gen. Lewis “Chesty” Puller.
Fork Church
Beaver Dam, VA
Church of England, 1735
Brick
Glebe Church
Driver, VA
Church of England, 1738
Brick
Grace Church
Yorktown, VA
Church of England, 1696
Stone
Hickory Neck
Toano, VA
Church of England, 1774
Brick
Hungars Church
Bridgetown, VA
Church of England, 1742
Brick
Jamestown Church Tower
Jamestown, VA
Church of England, 1639
Brick
Hold mouse here for more info!The tower is the only part remaining from the 1639 church at English America’s oldest permanent settlement, but work is underway to build a replica of the rest of the church, based on details found in 21st century excavations. This is probably the oldest church remnant in English America.
Lamb's Creek Church
Sealston, VA
Church of England, 1769
Brick
Hold mouse here for more info!Compare the architecture of this church with Little Fork Church (aka St. Mark’s) in Rixeyville.
Lower Chapel Middlesex
Hartfield, VA
Church of England, 1717
Brick
Lower Southwark
Lawne's Creek Parish, VA
Church of England, 1751
Brick
Mangohick Church
Mangohick, VA
Church of England, 1730
Brick
Merchant's Hope
Prince George, VA
Church of England, 1743
Brick
Hold mouse here for more info!Merchant’s Hope owes its strong 18th century atmosphere to the lucky location on a side road well out of any town. It appears to be unchanged in almost 350 years; it was built in 1657, and is one of the four oldest CHoWs in America’s English colonies.
North Farnham
Farnham, VA
Church of England, 1737
Brick
Old Chapel, Penhook
Penhook, VA
Church of England, 1769
Wood
Hold mouse here for more info!The very isolated location of this chapel makes it easy to imagine one has left the 20th century far away.
Old Donation Church
Lynnhaven, VA
Church of England, 1736
Brick
Pohick Church
near Fort Belvoir, VA
Church of England, 1769
Brick
Hold mouse here for more info!This was one of the churches George Washington attended most often (along with Christ Church, Alexandria). This is the one nearest to Mt. Vernon.
Slash Church
Ashland, VA
Church of England, 1729
Wood
Hold mouse here for more info!Probably the oldest wooden frame church in Virginia.
St. David's, Cat-tail
near Ayelett, VA
Church of England, 1748
Brick
St. George's, Pungoteague
Pungoteague, VA
Church of England, 1738
Brick
St. John's, Chuckatuck
Chuckatuck, VA
Church of England, 1752
Brick
St. John's, Hampton
Hampton, VA
Church of England, 1727
Brick
Hold mouse here for more info!Oldest congregation in the English Colonies, dating to 1610.
St. John's, Lower Chapel
King William Court House, VA
Church of England, 1732
Brick
St. John's, Richmond
Richmond, VA
Church of England, 1741
Wood
Hold mouse here for more info!The church has been rotated 90° on its foundations, but is the location of Patrick Henry’s famed “Give me Liberty” speech.
St. Luke's, Smithfield
Smithfield, VA
Church of England, 1682
Brick
Hold mouse here for more info!Architectural historians (which I’m not) have debated the exact age of this beautiful building for decades, if not centuries. It has now been confirmed through dendrochronology that the building dates to about 1682. Although it was believed for many years to have been built in the 1630s, that is no longer supported by science. It is one of the oldest churches in the colonies, and it stands in a setting which evokes the colonial period well.
St. Mark's, Little Fork Church
Rixeyville, VA
Church of England, 1776
Brick
Hold mouse here for more info!Compare the architecture of this building with that of Lamb’s Creek Church in Sealston.
St. Mary's White Chapel
Lively, VA
Church of England, 1740
Brick
St. Paul's, King George
King George, VA
Church of England, 1766
Brick
St. Paul's, Norfolk
Norfolk, VA
Church of England, 1739
Brick
St. Peter's, Talleysville
Talleysville, VA
Church of England, 1701
Brick
Hold mouse here for more info!Martha Washington was baptized here, and married here; it is her home church. Her first marriage took place here; her marriage to George Washington may have, but that’s not confirmed. It’s also one of the best preserved in a location evocative of the 18th century.
St. Stephen's Mattapony
Cumnor, VA
Church of England, 1755
Brick
Stratton Major Church
Shanghai, VA
Church of England, 1725
Brick
The Falls Church
Falls Church, VA
Church of England, 1767
Brick
Hold mouse here for more info!George Washington was a vestryman for some years.
Vauter's Church
Loretto, VA
Church of England, 1719
Brick
Ware Church
Gloucester, VA
Church of England, 1715
Brick
Hold mouse here for more info!Although it’s not far from a highway, Ware has an aura of peace and quiet, idyllic for dreaming of an earlier era.
Westover Church
Westover, VA
Church of England, 1731
Brick
Hold mouse here for more info!A simple design, well executed, on land which hasn’t been altered much in centuries, results in a place for stepping into another era.
Wren Chapel, College of W&M
Williamsburg, VA
Church of England, 1729
Brick
Hold mouse here for more info!As the College was alma mater for a few of the US presidents, this chapel was at least occasionally the scene of their worship (Jefferson, Monroe, Tyler). The Wren Building is the oldest college building in the original 13 colonies, though it has been restored multiple times.
Yeocomico Church
Kinsale, VA
Church of England, 1706
Brick
Hold mouse here for more info!The church, one of the best-preserved and best-located for evoking the 18th century atmosphere I value so highly, contains the baptismal font used for the baptism of George Washington.
St. Paul's
Washington, DC
Church of England, 1775
Brick
Hold mouse here for more info!Restored after a fire in the 1920s.
St. George's, Charles Town
Charles Town, WV
Church of England, 1771
Stone
Hold mouse here for more info!This ruin is the oldest CHoW in West Virginia, but not much remains.


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