Harmony Grove Meeting House Explained

Harmony Grove Meeting House
Location:off I-79, Harmony Grove, West Virginia
Coordinates:39.6033°N -79.9903°W
Added:September 16, 1983
Area:less than one acre
Refnum:83003245

Harmony Grove Meeting House, also known as Harmony Grove Church, is a historic church off I-79 in Harmony Grove, Monongalia County, West Virginia. It was built in 1854, and is a small, one-story wood-frame building. It measures 20 feet wide and 50 feet long. It sits on a foundation of rough-cut stone blocks. It is the oldest unaltered church building in Monongalia County.[1]

The church was built by Presbyterians, Baptists and Methodists. The deed for the land apportioned one Sunday per month to each denomination, leaving the fourth and fifth Sundays for "any Protestant Minister of good standing in his own church". The founding documents specifically prohibited Roman Catholics, which was not unusual for that era. Several denominations used the church until 1910, when Methodist circuit preachers became the main users. The church was also used as a school during the week, primarily from 1864 through 1871. The church was closed in 1979.[1]

It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Harmony Grove Meeting House. May 1983. 2011-08-18 . Dorothy J. Moore . Delores Fleming . Barbara Howe . State of West Virginia, West Virginia Division of Culture and History, Historic Preservation.