On June 9, 1806, here in Virginia’s Lunenburg County, John Christian sold one acre of his land to John Blackwell, Sterling Neblett, and Thomas Adams as trustees on behalf of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The deed of conveyance described the land as where “a meeting house is built.” They bought the land for the “purpose of keeping a meeting house which said House is at all times to be free for the use of and benefit of keeping a school in when not occupied by Divine Worship.” Subsequently, this Methodist Episcopal Church congregation became a part of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Their meeting house, known as Antioch Meeting House, was their house of worship until it was sold sometime before March 1857, as noted in the records of the Quarterly Conference of the Lunenburg Charge of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South.

In March 1857, remembered locally as the winter of the Great Blizzard, the trustees for Antioch bought 1½ acres from Dabney Hardy and his wife Maria L. (Worsham) Hardy. The sale was conditioned in trust that these men would “erect and build a house of worship for the use of the members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South.”

1857 Building on present site. Photo from 1913. Gallery Entrance

The Antioch church stood without alteration for forty or more years after its 1857 construction. Then, a recessed pulpit was added, which necessitated removal of two of the original windows.

Later, in the 1920's, the ceiling was altered, stained-glass memorial windows were installed, and five classrooms and a vestibule were added, eliminating the original gallery and creating three second story classrooms with outside entrance stairs and openings to overlook the sanctuary.

Later, in the 1950's, classrooms were added to the back of the building.