The Falls Church Episcopal

Falls Church, Virginia

The Falls Church Episcopal, the namesake of the town of Falls Church, Virginia, was constructed prior to the Revolutionary War and helps illuminate many significant events in American history.

The Falls Church Episcopal Photo by David Scharre

The Falls Church Episcopal Photo by David Scharre

2024 Cohort

The Falls Church Episcopal

Falls Church, Virginia

The Falls Church Episcopal, the namesake of the town of Falls Church, Virginia, was constructed prior to the Revolutionary War and helps illuminate many significant events in American history.

Erected in 1769, The Falls Church was designed in a Georgian brick style by vestryman Col. James Wren. The building was constructed with the labor of enslaved persons, as most vestrymen and parishioners were enslavers, including Wren himself, as well as active parishioners George Washington and George Mason. During the Revolutionary War, the church served as a recruiting site for the Fairfax Militia, and the Declaration of Independence was read to local citizens from the church’s steps. During the Civil War, the town of Falls Church was occupied by Union forces and the church building was used as a hospital and stable. In 2006, congregational leaders voted to leave the Episcopal Church after the ordination of the denomination’s first openly gay bishop. The ensuing landmark legal battle over ownership of the building ended in the U.S. Supreme Court with justices ruling that the Episcopal Church – not the disaffiliated congregation – was the rightful owner of the church and grounds. This ruling returned the building to the open and affirming congregation that continues to worship there.

Today, The Falls Church is a community-serving congregation that partners with many local organizations, including a homeless shelter, a refugee support nonprofit, and a food distribution program. The church shares space with the Rock Christian Center, a progressive, African American Baptist congregation that is similarly dedicated to outreach. Several groups meet in the church’s building throughout the week, including dance and choral groups, a community orchestra, and a Farsi language school for children.

A National Fund grant of $175,000 matched with $175,000 raised by the congregation will support repairs to church’s roof structure, which has experienced rainwater intrusion, sagging, bat and squirrel damage, and condensation issues. The structural repairs will ensure the church is able to continue serving as a historical and community touchstone.

The Falls Church Episcopal Photo by Gary Mester

Spotlighting Women’s History at Historic Houses of Worship

Religious institutions have served both as a platform for the advancement of women’s rights and opportunities, and women have played critical roles in advancing religious traditions. The leadership and community building opportunities within these sacred sites have been critical to increasing female independence outside of the home and allowing women to develop institutions that strengthen their congregations and broader communities. The four historic houses of worship highlighted embody positive examples of how the histories of women and religion are inherently linked.

First Church in Oberlin

Stories and Media Coverage

Read more about how the National Fund for Sacred Places is helping congregations around the country rehabilitate their sacred places.

Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church by Luis P. Gutierrez