WestVirginiaCemeteryPreservationAssociation

Historic Church

Church Name: Rock Castle Church

Date Congregation Founded:
Date Present Church Building Built:

 Unknown
1879
County: Mason Founding Denomination:  Evang. United Brethren
USGS Quad: Elmwood Condition of church building/grounds**: Abandoned (October 2004)
Coordinates: 38.7369ºN  81.8176ºW Preservation Outlook: Hopeful - no major damage or deterioration to the structure... quite restorable 
Maintained by: Not maintained Construction: Stick frame
Property owner:   Rock Castle Church Congregation
Date added to WVCPA register: October 2004  Data Updated: 26 October 2012
Accessibility: Fairly easily accessible in dry weather (the road runs at creek level in a number of places, and could get pretty wet and muddy in bad weather). Located north of Rockcastle in Jackson Co. (Rockcastle used to be in Mason Co.).  The route we took to get to the church was from Deerlick in Mason Co., following upstream along Thirteenmile Creek.  The church is near the road, just up a short rocky slope.

** Condition of church building and grounds as observed on the given date - may not be representative of care at other times of the year
Scale: Excellent - Good - Fair - Poor - Abandoned

Click thumbnail photos below to enlarge


 "Rockcastle Church Dedicated November 2, 1879" 

Still visible, though faint: 

Rock Castle
Church
Ded.
Nov. 2, 1879


Up the driveway (what remains of it) to Rockcastle Church

  1. The following information can be found on the back of a commemorative china plate:


  2. 1. The church site was donated by John Sayre
    2. Those who donated labor were: John Stone and sons, Samuel Pleasant 
        Stover and sons, William Cain and sons, and the sons of Leroy Morrison
    3. Part of the lumber was whip-sawed
    4. The carpenters were J. P. Dunham and Robert Sayre. William Cain furnished
        shingles for the roof
    5. The Church was dedicated November 2, 1879
    6. The first trustees were Johnny (John Wesley) Stone and Jess (Jessie)
        Dunham    ¹
"I believe that the first time I ever heard "I'll Fly Away" was at the Rock Castle Church Homecoming. I believe the date was August, 1953. The congregation sang with so much gusto that it seemed that the roof would come off of the church building."

~ Rev. Okey King, 1998

 


Northwest perspective    East side - entrance doors    Southwest perspective

Above three images taken from the northwest, east, and southwest side of the church, respectively

These photos donated by Tracy Cain, who also photo-documented the Rock Castle Church Cemetery, located on the
hill just to the north of the church (that is why these photos are marked "Rock Castle Church Cemetery"!).  To visit our
Rockcastle Church Cemetery page, Click Here

      
The view from the inside looking out over Thirteenmile Creek    From the inside of the church - Oct. 17, 2004    The grafitti is sad to see...

Above three images taken from the inside of the church
In the center photo, you can see a little of the ceiling and how good its condition is, despite its age


¹Information from the research of local historian Okey King on his website at http://www.okeylwva.com/rcchurch.html - at the bottom of Okey's Rock Castle Church Page, click on the "Smitten" link for a great tale of days gone by where Rock Castle Church played a central role 


Comments:

We would love to add old photos of this church - particularly from the time it was in active use.  Does anyone have any more history of this congregation to share, or any information on its current ownership and future? Contact us at .

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Updated: 26 October 2012