Polegreen Church Has New Marker, Walk

On September 20, guests attending a ceremonial opening were able to take a trip along the walkway of religious freedom.

Historic Polegreen Church off Rural Point Road now has a new State Historical Highway Marker and a walkway with granite stones listing significant events in the history of religious freedom, ending at a flagpole.

Those wanting to know more about the history of religious freedom can start at the northern end of the walkway with 64-304 AD, when “Rome begins persecution of Jews and Christians but the underground Christian Church thrives.” Follow the stones through the centuries until in 1748, “Samuel Davies becomes minister at Polegreen and preaches elsewhere in central Virginia. Patrick Henry hears Davies preach at Polegreen.”

The Hanover Presbytery was founded at Polegreen Church in 1755. Following American victory in the Revolutionary War, the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, authored by Thomas Jefferson, was adopted in 1786. In 1791, the Virginia General Assembly ratified the Bill of Rights, the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution. The First Amendment guarantees all Americans the free exercise of religion.

Also new to the Polegreen Church historic site is a new informational kiosk, an improved parking lot capable of handling tour or school bus traffic and period fencing.

The improvements were constructed through contributions to the non-profit Historic Polegreen Church Foundation, which purchased the site of the historic church in 1990.

The Foundation’s mission is to preserve the historic Polegreen Church site and commemorate the struggle for civil and religious freedom in Colonial Virginia by Rev. Samuel Davies and the Hanover Dissenters.

The Historic Polegreen Church Foundation plans to construct a visitor’s center within the next two years on an adjacent lot.

For more information about how you can join this effort to preserve one of Hanover’s most significant historic sites, visit www.historicpolegreen.org/