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Old Judy Church

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c. 1836 or 1848. West side of North Mill Creek and U.S. 220, south of the Pendleton-Grant county line
  • Old Judy Church (State Historic Preservation Office, West Virginia Division of Culture and History)

Whether built in 1836 (according to local tradition) or in 1848 (when first mentioned in a deed), this is easily one of Pendleton County's oldest buildings. Named for the surname of an area family, the simple structure supported by uncoursed, unmortared rock piers measures 24 feet by 28 feet and stands eleven logs tall. White pine logs, approximately 18 inches in diameter, are hewn only on the two sides that form exterior and interior wall surfaces and are joined with square notches. Each wall contains only one central opening: a door in the front wall, windows in the other three. Finished lumber for door and window frames, clapboarded gable ends, floors, and ceiling came from a sawmill nearby.

The interior is as pristine as the exterior. The pine ceiling is 14 feet above the floor, and a rear gallery extends 8 feet into the room. Seating on the main floor consists of twelve benches, six to a side, separated by a center aisle. A handcarved wooden pulpit on an elevated platform is the focal point.

The church served the Methodist denomination until 1910, when it was abandoned. It stood vacant until 1936, when it was repaired—logs were rechinked and the roof reshingled—and rededicated. The building is now used as a community center. A well-preserved log building in a country setting, Old Judy Church speaks volumes about early settlement and life in this rugged, mountainous region.

Writing Credits

Author: 
S. Allen Chambers Jr.
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Citation

S. Allen Chambers Jr., "Old Judy Church", [Upper Tract, West Virginia], SAH Archipedia, eds. Gabrielle Esperdy and Karen Kingsley, Charlottesville: UVaP, 2012—, http://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/WV-01-PN9.

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