Middleburg recently received a donation of the historic Asbury Church at 105 N. Jay Street thanks to a donation from the former owners, B Diversified Funding I, LLC. Now the Town needs ideas from the community to ensure that the church is put the best use.

The church building has been vacant since its last congregation merged with another church in the 1990's. Because the building has deteriorated, initial plans call for stabilization of the structure to prevent further deterioration.

Once the Town has reviewed the submitted ideas and decided on the Church's eventual use, renovation of the structure will begin.

The 1829 Asbury Church, as the oldest surviving church building in Middleburg, and is a significant historic resource in the National Register Middleburg Historic District. It was built as the first Methodist place of worship in town until a larger church was built on Washington Street.

During the Civil War, it was used as a temporary hospital for both sides. In 1864, the church became the first Black church in town and remained a center of religious activity for the local Black community until it was removed from active use in 1994.

The Town Council and staff are very interested in the community's ideas about how this wonderful structure might be used to the benefit of the town.

For more information or to provide ideas for future uses for the building, please call Martha Mason Semmes at (540) 687-5152 or email her at townadmin@townofmiddleburg.org.