Old Judy Church

The Old Judy Church is the oldest extant log church in Pendleton County and was most likely built around 1838. Old log churches were a common feature of Pendleton County until the late 19th century, as many congregations were spread throughout the sparsely populated frontier. The church was rededicated in 1936 after extensive restoration work and is now a community center.

Although Pendleton County was first settled in the mid-1700's, the county remained a colonial frontier for nearly a century. Even by the mid-1800's, it was common for the sparsely populated areas of the county to erect log churches for their congregations. The Old Judy Church was probably build in the 1830's, although the only documentary evidence for the early church dates to 1848. The church received its name from Jacob and Christena Judy, the original owners of the surrounding land who sold the property to the Methodist Episcopal Church.

Services were regularly held in the church until the early 1900's, when it fell into disuse. In 1936, extensive restoration work was performed on the roof and the log structure, with a rededication ceremony marking the building's new function as a community building. Another example of a log church in Pendleton County is St. George's Church, which still stands in Smoke Hole Canyon.

National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form, National Parks Service. Accessed August 29th, 2022. https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/10cf8a67-5f33-4e65-bf03-2e775a62fe88.