Christ Church, Millwood

This Episcopal church was erected in 1834 as the third house of worship for the Cunningham Chapel Parish. The second church, which is referred to now as the Old Chapel, was built in 1793 and is the oldest continuously used Episcopal church west of the Blue Ridge Mountains and located three miles north on Highway 340. Both churches are included in the Chapel Rural Historic District, which covers a large area extending from Millwood to Berryville.

Old Chapel was first part of Frederick Parish (in Frederick County), which was established in 1793 along with Augusta Parish (in Augusta County). The first church of Frederick Parish was a log structure called Cunningham's Chapel (or Chapel at Cunningham's) built in 1747. It was named Cunningham after a nearby tavern. In 1792, local resident Col. Nathaniel Burwell donated two acres for a church and cemetery at the Cunningham Chapel property. Old Chapel was erected north of Cunningham Chapel (which, presumably, was torn down) in 1793. By the early 1830s, it was too small for the congregation and inconvenient to get to. As a result, the congregation built Christ Church in 1834 to be in a more central location. Regular services continued at Old Chapel but were eventually discontinued. It is used today on Easter Day and on the second Sunday in September.

In 1947, a fire damaged Christ Church and was rebuilt to its current appearance. The grounds include a Bishop's Chapel erected around 1852 and a rectory built around 1910, which is now used as the parish hall.

"Churches of Cunningham Chapel Parish." Cunningham Chapel. Accessed June 15, 2023. https://www.cunninghamchapel.org/history.

"Christ Church, Millwood Yesteryear." Cunningham Chapel. Accessed June 15, 2023. https://www.cunninghamchapel.org/christ-church-millwood/.

Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission Staff. "Old Chapel." National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. February 14, 2014. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/41680232.