A National Historic Register Site

More New England than Southern in appearance, this tall-spired little church has served the town of Washington for almost one hundred and fifty years, having been erected in 1825. The building has been changed only to add a vestibule and the Sunday School Annex. The sanctuary remains virtually untouched. Visitors are entranced with the balustrated choir loft in the rear, the original oil lamps (now wired), the hand-blown windowpanes and the large empire sofa so completely at home in the pulpit.

Dr. Robert Simpson gave the Hook and Hastings organ, which was installed in 1888 and has been in constant service since that time. Dr. Simpson played the organ himself for many years. The marble tablets on the walls of the sanctuary recall some of the illustrious men who have served this church. Eliza Bowen gives much space to the early Presbyterians in her charming, chatty History of Wilkes County. Dr. Addison Simpson compiled a book on the Rev. John Springer and the beginnings of the Presbyterians in original Wilkes. Both books are in the Mary Willis Library.

The original building had two front doors and the first pastor, the Rev. Alexander Webster, was buried between them. In 1836, when the vestibule and porch were added, the slab for Mr. Webster’s grave was raised to the vestibule. Visitors from all over the world have signed the guest register in the foyer. The wood in the vestibule is hand-planed and fashioned and the original bar for the two front doors can still be placed on its hand-wrought iron brackets.