Stone's Chapel Memorial Association

The 3rd annual Stone’s Chapel Homecoming is just two days away!  Please join us for a day of reflection and remembrance.  The Homecoming service will begin at 11:00am.  This year’s featured speaker is Arthur Pope, whose ancestors are buried in the Stone’s Chapel Cemetery.  Mr. Pope will talk about his forthcoming book, a reflection on the bond and mystery of place and a history of Berryville as his ancestors experienced it and as he has rediscovered it.

The service will also feature music by Dwight Hanline and Gene Williamson, including some favorite traditional Presbyterian hymns.

Following the service, we will enjoy the fellowship of a potluck luncheon.  The Memorial Association will provide meat; visitors are asked to bring a side dish or dessert to share.

Hope to see you on Saturday!

Painting of Stone’s Chapel by artist Rita King

The Stone’s Chapel Memorial Association will be at the Clarke County Fair, August 12-17, 2013.  Stop by and visit us!

We are raffling off an 11×14 print of this beautiful painting of the Chapel by local artist Rita King.  Print is matted (16×20) and ready for framing. Raffle tickets are $5 each or 3 for $10.  Raffle drawing will take place at the Homecoming on Saturday, September 14, 2013.

We also have 8×10 prints available for sale, $20 each.  Prints are matted (11×14) and ready for framing.  Plus, we have art notecards, 10 for $10, and the Cat’s Meow building miniatures for $15 each.  Of course, we will also gladly take donations.  All proceeds will go towards the building repair fund.

The 3rd annual Stone’s Chapel Homecoming will be on Saturday, September 14, 2013, with the Homecoming Service starting at 11:00am.  Following the service, we will have our traditional potluck luncheon and tours of the chapel and cemetery.

This year, the Homecoming Service will feature remarks by Arthur K. Pope.  Mr. Pope is a minister, journalist, author, historian, and historic preservationist whose ancestors were members of Stone’s Chapel and are buried in the Stone’s Chapel cemetery.  His forthcoming book is about the bond and mystery of place, and is a history of Berryville as his ancestors experienced it and as he has rediscovered it.

Please plan to join us as we remember and honor Stone’s Chapel’s past and celebrate its continuing restoration. All are welcome. Don’t forget to bring a dish to share!

Stone’s Chapel with new standing-seam metal roof, June 2013

If you’ve driven past Stone’s Chapel lately, hopefully you have noticed the new roof!  The Memorial Association received a $5,000 grant from the Daughters of the American Revolution toward the replacement of the roof, for which we are very grateful.

Of course, as with any historic structure, fixing one thing often leads to finding more repairs that need to be made.  The roofing company was unable to install the flashing where the roof abuts the back of the vestibule tower.  The mortar on the back of the tower needs to be repointed before the flashing can be installed, otherwise it will just pull the bricks out.  So, our next “emergency” repair job will be repointing the mortar.

We also had a number of the old maple trees around the Chapel taken down.

Cat’s Meow replica of the Chapel

Want a unique souvenir of Stone’s Chapel?  We now have miniature replicas of the chapel by The Cat’s Meow Village available.  The replicas are 5 inches tall and about 4.25 inches wide.  They are $15.00 each, plus $2.50 shipping.  If interested in purchasing, please send an email to stoneschapel@gmail.com.

The Shenandoah Presbytery, based in Harrisonburg, Virginia, recently transferred ownership of the former Stone’s Chapel Presbyterian Church and adjacent cemetery near Berryville to the Stone’s Chapel Memorial Association, Inc.  In a ceremony at the chapel on Saturday, November 10, 2012, the Reverend Tom Rhyne formally presented the Memorial Association Board with the title to the property.

“Once we received approval of our non-profit application from the IRS, we expected transfer of the title to be pretty quick,” commented Larry Hardesty, president of the Memorial Association.  “However, the only deed ever recorded for the property was the original one from 1793, conveying the property from Jacob Stone and his wife Barbara jointly to the trustees of the Lutheran and Calvinist Societies.”

“We are happy that we finally have the deed in hand,” he continued.  “Our fundraising efforts have been hampered by the fact that many people didn’t want to give us money until we actually owned the building.”

The Memorial Association plans to restore the chapel building and use it for special occasion services.  The Association has hosted two annual homecoming celebrations for former members of the Stone’s Chapel Presbyterian Church, both of which were well-attended.  The 3rd annual Stone’s Chapel Homecoming is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, September 21, 2013.

The Memorial Association also plans to submit a nomination for the property to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  In June 2011, the Virginia Department of Historic Resources State Review Board reviewed the Chapel’s preliminary nomination form and determined the property to be eligible for the register.

Interior of Chapel, showing plaster repair work - September 2011

The interior of Stone’s Chapel suffered water damage to the plaster, as a result of the roof leaks.  The ceiling of the balcony was completely destroyed and several spots near the roofline inside the main chapel were damaged as well.  Repair on the plaster is nearing completion, funded by the Shenandoah Presbytery.  In the picture at right, the repaired balcony ceiling is visible, along with one of the repairs in the main chapel.

The Stone’s Chapel Memorial Association will host the first annual Stone’s Chapel Homecoming on Saturday, October 15, 2o11. 

All former members of Stone’s Chapel Presbyterian Church, family members, friends and neighbors are cordially invited to this free event.  

The Homecoming will begin with a worship service in the chapel at 11:00 a.m.  At the conclusion of the worship service, representatives from the Shenandoah Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church USA will make a ceremonial presentation of the deed to Stone’s Chapel and the adjacent cemetery to the Stone’s Chapel Memorial Association, Inc. 

A potluck luncheon will follow the presentation. The Memorial Association will provide hamburgers and hot dogs; guests are requested to bring a side dish or dessert to share.  During the luncheon, members of the Memorial Association will give tours of the Chapel and its cemetery, highlighting the recent repair work and the Association’s plans for the property.

The Stone’s Chapel Memorial Association received its official 501(c)3 non-profit status from the IRS on August 30, 2011.  All donations made to the Memorial Association are now tax deductible.