The Town Council of Middleburg, Virginia, has voted to retain ownership of the historic Asbury Church, update its stabilization plan and move ahead with completing its restoration and opening — instead of selling it to a preservation-minded buyer.
The Town Council says they have a budget surplus, which will allow them to fund the project.
“Visitorship and tourism is a significant component of the town of Middleburg. A majority of our tax revenues are based on that. And coming out of the pandemic, Middleburg has been blessed to do very well with visitorship and tourism,” said Middleburg Mayor Bridge Littleton.
He said the town ended fiscal 2022 with a $1 million surplus.
It won’t need all of that to restore the church: An estimate from several years ago for stabilization and repairs was about $300,000. In 2014, Middleburg spent $174,000 from the town’s budget for initial work on the church’s preservation.
Town officials have budgeted $50,000 toward an updated stabilization study for the church, including work that was not completed in an original stabilization project, to determine what still needs to be done.
“It’s in good shape,” Littleton said. “It is dry and safe, and the stabilization efforts we performed five years ago put it in a preserved state. There is some additional wood rot and things like that that need to be taken care of, and that’s what we will address.”
It will also update the building for Americans with Disabilities Act access.
The Town Council believes the restoration can be completed within the next 12 to 18 months, with work beginning early next year.
The Asbury Church, at 105 N. Jay St., was built in 1829 and was originally home to the Methodist Congregation of Middleburg. During the Civil War it served as a morgue. In 1864, it was donated to the African American Methodist Church, and also served as a school for African American children.
The Asbury Church building remained in active use up until 1994.
In 2019, the town sought to sell the property to a third-party owner who could fully restore the church.
Middleburg eventually envisions the church as a venue for hosting community activities and events for small groups. But it will also enlist historians to find ways to preserve its place in the community.
“The biggest, most important thing is to capture the stories and capture this history of Asbury Church and what it has meant to Middleburg. Working with those groups to capture that story and share that story is the primary focus,” Littleton said.
The Town Council is working with the Middleburg Museum Foundation and other local historic and preservation groups.
