The Woolen Mills Chapel finally gets a proper owner

The Woolen Mills Chapel on East Market Street quietly changed hands for only the second time in 136 years last month, when a neighborhood non-profit formed in 2015 transferred the deed to the property, which has been in legal limbo for decades, to Preservation Piedmont, a non-profit long-dedicated to historical preservation.

The original deed for the property was gifted to a group of employees of the Wool Factory by its owner, H.C. Merchant, in 1887 so that they could build a church. By Christmas of that year, a rectangular structure was in place and services were held, and in 1908 an addition was added, but since then no major work has been done on the chapel. In 2020, the original Woolen Mills Chapel Board of Trustees were still listed in city records as owners of the property, the year the neighborhood non-profit, after years of back and forth in the city courts, was finally able to take ownership of the property.

After the mill shut down in the 1960s, and the original trustees moved away or got older, maintaining the church slowly fell into the hands of willing neighbors, who over the years have shared duties (and keys to the front door), organized events and meetings, and held fundraisers to keep it from falling apart. An informal arrangement between the neighborhood non-owners of the property and the Rivanna Baptist Church to cover some expenses and upkeep has allowed the congregation to hold their Sunday services at the chapel for over 30 years, and according to Preservation Piedmont president Genevieve Keller, the plan is to keep that arrangement in place.

Keller says Preservation Piedmont's board, knowing the significance of the chapel (It has been on the National Historic Register since 1982 ), voted unanimously to take possession of the property from the neighborhood non-profit, as their goals were closely aligned.

"Our immediate plans are for the Rivanna Baptist Church to continue to hold their services and other events at the chapel," says Keller, adding that the church will also be made available for other selected community events and meetings, as has been the tradition. Keller says they plan to conduct a structural condition assessment and begin a fundraising campaign for repairs to the building.

"We had previously given a small grant for steeple repair," says Keller, " and we’re familiar with the chapel and historic neighborhood."

"We are not planning any significant architectural or use changes," she adds.

However, the cost of much-needed repairs to the 136-year-old building could be considerable, something Keller says they understand.

"We are well acquainted with the issues of historic buildings and recognize that there are some urgent needs," she said. " We hope that neighbors and others in the community will donate for the costs of repairs. We will also look for grants and in-kind donations."

Again, the chapel's future will be relying on the generosity of neighbors and others for its continuing operation, as it has for generations.