Brick Church Cemetery in Randolph County announces rededication ceremony and endowment campaign

RANDOLPH COUNTY, W.Va. — The trustees of the historic Brick Church Cemetery will host a public rededication ceremony on Sunday, May 24 at 2 p.m., marking the completion of the long-awaited Meditation Chapel, a faithful reproduction of the original 1820 Brick Church structure destroyed during the Civil War. The event will also serve as the official kickoff of a major capital fundraiser campaign to permanently endow the cemetery’s long-term care.

Founded in 1820, the Brick Church served as a cornerstone of the area in what was then southern Virginia. The site is recognized by the state of West Virginia with a historical marker along Route 250 South near the entrance to the Huttonsville Correctional Center. Interments at the cemetery include veterans of the Revolutionary War, War of 1812 and every major conflict of the 20th century.

The new Meditation Chapel stands precisely on the footprint of the original church, which was confirmed through excavation and historic documentation. The structure was rebuilt using authentic post-and-beam construction, mortise-and-tenon joinery and historically consistent brickwork consistent with the look for late 18th and early 19th century Southern architecture. Sourcing the suppliers, materials and artisans capable of producing this work was challenging but critical to reviving the chapel’s original stature.

A life-size bronze statue depicting Christ with two children, donated in 2019, first sparked the idea for the reconstruction effort. After receiving the gift, the trustees spent considerable time discussing how best to honor it and how it might serve the community. Their conversations eventually led to a shared conclusion: the original Brick Church structure should be rebuilt, not as a replica museum piece, but as a functioning meditation chapel and a dignified setting for future interment services.

“The restoration of the Meditation Chapel took more than a year and was the result of many generous donors and skilled construction teams,” explained trustee James W. “Jay” Wallace. “We hope the community will come celebrate with us and take pride in their family’s cemetery along with the continued preservation of history in Randolph County.”

The capital fundraising campaign will launch with a goal of establishing a $750,000 permanent endowment dedicated to the perpetual care of the cemetery’s grounds, monuments and future expansion needs. All contributions are tax-deductible and processed through the Brick Church Cemetery Foundation, a certified 501(c)(13) organization.

“Care and keeping of this property can be traced back to the 1960s when a group of local citizens came together to form a governing body of the Cemetery,” Wallace said. “Then in 1978 the governing body was formalized with the naming of Trustees and the establishment of a trust to continue the work in the future. The permanent endowment is the next step we can take to ensure the cemetery will be cared for in perpetuity. It’s a true investment in our heritage, history, and in the families who rest here.”

The community is invited to attend the rededication ceremony, which will also include guided tours highlighting the history and importance of the site. Following the conclusion of the ceremony, members of the Tygart Valley Lions Club will serve hot dogs and bottled water to the first 300 attendees. The trustees will be there each day of Memorial Day weekend to meet with families, receive maintenance contributions and assist with plot sales.

Organizers hope attendees will leave with a renewed sense of pride in their family history and in the region’s role in America’s history during the 250th celebration of the nation.

Event details:

• Brick Church Cemetery Rededication Ceremony
• Sunday, May 24
• Guided tours begin at 9 a.m.
• The rededication ceremony begins at 2 p.m.
• Food will be served immediately following the conclusion of the program.
• The event concludes at 5 p.m.
• Parking is available. Please drive to the Huttonsville Correctional Center main gate, then take the first left and go up the hill.