The 1851 Mt. Zion Baptist Church, sitting alongside Rt. 50 east of Gilbert's Corner, will open its doors to the public for guided tours on Sunday, July 28 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Site manager Tracy J. Gillespie, staff member of the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority, believes the church's intriguing history as a hospital and temporary prison during the Civil War will be of interest to all, especially during the current sesquicentennial commemorations of the war.

"Many cars pass by Mt. Zion every day," says Gillespie, "and most drivers glance at the old brick church and wonder about its history. Now is their chance to find out just what went on here."

Used as a place of worship by members of the Old School Baptists from 1851 until 1980,Mt. Zion Church and its adjoining cemetery not only witnessed fighting during the Civil War, but also served in the aftermath of battle as a hospital for the wounded and a final resting place for some who fought in the war.

"It's especially fitting to focus on the Civil War heritage of the site now, 150 years after the war", stated Gillespie. "More than ever, we need to bring alive the stories of the men who fought in the war, the women whose lives were impacted by it, and the enslaved African Americans, whose futures were forever changed. This one site contributes greatly to all of those stories."

Visitors to Mt. Zion during Sunday openings will hear of local resident Eliza Davis, who tended to wounded soldiers in her front yard nearby, and of African Americans buried in the cemetery.

Volunteers will be on hand to lead personalized tours of the church and cemetery, and one living history participant will portray a Union army doctor. A highlight during the tours is a look at preserved signatures written on the walls of the church by wounded soldiers hospitalized there in 1863.

Mt. Zion is included on the Northern Virginia Civil War Graffiti Trail.

Admission is free, but donations are gratefully accepted. Mt. Zion Historic Park is located at 40309 John Mosby Highway Aldie, VA 20105. For more information about this event please visit http://www.nvrpa.org/park/mt_zion.