St. Stephen's Church (Heathsville, Virginia)
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St. Stephen's Church
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St. Stephen's Church, March 1971
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| Location | 6807 Northumberland Hwy (U.S. Route 360), Heathsville, Virginia |
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| Coordinates | 37°55′9″N 76°28′26″W / 37.91917°N 76.47389°WCoordinates: 37°55′9″N 76°28′26″W / 37.91917°N 76.47389°W |
| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1881 |
| Architect | T. Buckler Ghequiere |
| Architectural style | Carpenter Gothic |
| NRHP Reference # | 79003060 |
| VLR # | 066-0027 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | December 28, 1979 |
| Designated VLR | September 18, 1979 |
St. Stephen's Church, also known as St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, is an historic church located at 6807 Northumberland Highway, Heathsville, Northumberland County, in the Northern Neck of Virginia. Built in 1881, it was designed in the Carpenter Gothic style by T. Buckler Ghequiere. On December 28, 1979, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. It remains in use by an active parish in the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia. It is located in the Heathsville Historic District.
The church sits along U.S. Route 360 on the outskirts of Heathsville. Its main elevation, which faces the west, is dominated by a one-story porch. Its design consists of paired square columns supporting the roof, which is pitched steeply and topped with a cross. Inset is a Gothic-style arch with trefoils and wooden railing; the iron railing on the steps was added later. The double doorway which serves as a church entrance retains its original doors, patterned with a herringbone design and set with quatrefoils of stained glass, set inside a pointed arch. The porch is flanked by more stained glass windows on either side, quite narrow, and a rose window, also of stained glass, is set in the gable. At the very top of the roof is a cross; a finial and pendants make up the decoration of the gable. Inside the church are four bays at each elevation; each contains a stained glass window. The apse may be found in the east of the church; it is rectangular and lighted by three pointed windows, the center one larger than its fellows. A brick chimney on the exterior breaks the shape of the roof. A small vestry may be found beside the apse. A wooden communion rail separates the sanctuary from the nave. The reredos, pulpit, and lectern were constructed by a member of the parish, Clem Goodman. The pews are original. Also surviving is the original church bell, located outside the structure and to its east. The cemetery, behind the church, is a later addition to the grounds. The church design has been called "evidence of rural Virginia's architectural conservatism", as such churches were more likely to have been built earlier in northern states; it also reflects the influence of architect Richard Upjohn and his 1852 book Rural Architecture on many ecclesiastical architects.
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