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Ebenezer Chapel

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c. 1825. On axis with Ohio Ave., north of WV Turnpike

When built, this tiny brick chapel was only two bays deep but had a three-bay facade. Along with many early churches in the area, its most prominent feature is a louvered belfry surmounted by a pyramidal roof. Heavy stone lintels cap the fenestration, and Greek moldings decorate the cornice. A rear frame extension is a later addition.

The chapel stands as a testament to tenacity. Union soldiers used it as a hospital in 1862–1863, Confederates shelled it, and by war's end it was left a ruin. Restored in the 1870s, it was abandoned in 1921. The William Morris Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution took it over in 1933 and leased it to the Disciples of Christ Church around 1941. Plans for it to become a museum and DAR chapter house never materialized, and the DAR sold it in 1947. In the 1970s it was again threatened, this time by construction on the Marmet ramp of the West Virginia Turnpike. The Elizaville Historical Society was formed to preserve and move it. Although the former goal has been achieved, the latter has not, and the little building still appears vulnerable to the vagaries of time and progress.

Writing Credits

Author: 
S. Allen Chambers Jr.

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