Amherst County Churches

Join us as Sandi Esposito, architectural historian and museum volunteer, shares her recent research on many of the Churches of Amherst County. Her power point presentation will cover the early founding of churches in the county and some most interesting odds and ends, such as the church that was blown down in a storm in 1865, the church that sits on the site of an old plantation known as “The Oaks,” the oldest continuously used Church in the county, the first Church building, a Church Glebe, and notable individuals who spent time in county churches. Christianity followed a different pattern in Amherst County, from what it did in the eastern part of Virginia. Amherst was an area where settlement was just beginning during the first Great Awakening (1730s). This frontier area was originally part of Goochland County until 1745. From 1745 to 1761 it was the southern part of Albemarle County. The existing boundaries were created in 1807-1808 when Nelson County was formed from the northern part of Amherst. Settlement to this area followed up the James River and from north to south. Mrs. Esposito’s church presentation will cover the current bounds of Amherst and the period of 1761 to around 1960. The program, to be held in the Hamble Center behind the Museum, is open to the public with no admission fee. The Museum is located at 154 South Main Street in Amherst. Light refreshments will be served following the presentation. This program is made possible by The Greater Lynchburg Community Foundation. The Amherst County Museum and Historical Society is a nonprofit educational organization whose mission is to discover, collect and preserve objects related to the history and genealogy of Amherst County. The society exhibits, interprets and offers its collections to provide educational experiences for people of all ages. For additional information contact Octavia Starbuck, Director, Amherst County Museum and Historical Society at 434-946-9068 or by the website email: staff@amherstcountymuseum.org.