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West Virginia has many different kinds of religions, churches, and beliefs. However, when compared to the rest of the United States, fewer people formally belong to a specific religious group. In 2000, about 36% of West Virginians belonged to a church, synagogue, mosque, or temple, lower than the national average of about 50%. Even though fewer people belong to a specific group, many West Virginians consider themselves to be very religious overall.
This exhibit shows some of the unique churches featured in e-WV.
The African Zion Baptist Church in Malden (Kanawha County) is the oldest Black Baptist church in the state. It began as a formal congregation in 1852, when the area was known as Kanawha Salines and had the largest concentration of enslaved people ...
The Forks-of-Cheat Baptist Church was founded near Morgantown in 1775. It is the oldest church in the state west of the Allegheny Mountains that still has continuous records. The congregation was formally organized on November 7, 1775, by Rev. Joh...
The very first official celebration of Mother's Day took place in Grafton (Taylor County) on May 10, 1908 in this building: Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church. The day was chosen to honor the anniversary of the death of Anna Reeves Jarvis, who had...
Job's Temple is a small, historic log church in Gilmer County, located near the Little Kanawha River. The church's creation resulted from the North/South split during the Civil War. Job's Temple was established as a Methodist Episcopal Church, Sou...
The New Salem Baptist Church in Tams (Raleigh County) was built in 1921 in a Gothic Revival style, which means it looks like an old, detailed European church. The owner of the coal town, W. P., Tams put up the money for its construction. The churc...
The Rehoboth Church in Monroe County is believed to be the oldest church building west of the Allegheny Mountains. The land for the church was donated around 1786 by Edward Keenan, who had recently become a Methodist. The Methodist Church in Ameri...
The Old Stone Presbyterian Church in Lewisburg is one of West Virginia's oldest and most historic buildings. It is believed to be the oldest church building west of the Allegheny Mountains that has been used continuously.The sanctuary was built in...
St. George's Chapel (also known as Norborne Church or Berkeley Church) is a historic ruin near Charles Town (Jefferson County). It was part of the Anglican Church's Norborne Parish. The chapel was built around 1771 using local limestone. It was a ...
St. John's Chapel, located near the Sweet Springs resort in Monroe County, is one of the oldest Roman Catholic churches in West Virginia. The chapel was built around 1859 by the Lewis family, wealthy landowners in the area. It was built in the Gre...
The St. Joseph Settlement, also called the German Settlement, is a historic area of beautiful farms located near the Ohio River on the border of Marshall and Wetzel counties. The people who live here are descendants of German Catholic immigrants w...
Sam Black (1813-1899) was an influential Methodist minister from Greenbrier County. He was known as a circuit rider, which meant he traveled on horseback across many counties, spreading the word to more people than most ministers of his time. He w...
Virginia's Chapel, also known as the Little Brick Church, is a historic building located in Cedar Grove (Kanawha County). It was built in 1853 by William Tompkins Jr., a successful businessman in the salt and natural gas industries. The chapel is ...
This Exhibit has 19 Sections