Alleghany Living 2019 - 35

Oakland Grove
Presbyterian Church
"The Church by the Spring"
Located on Route 696 between Selma and
Low Moor, the Oakland Church was built
in 1847 and is the oldest church building in
Alleghany County. Rich in Civil War history,
Oakland closed to regular worship in 1963
and is on the Virginia Landmarks Register
and the National Register of Historic Places.
The Scotch-Irish plain-style building sits
below the road, bordered by wrought-iron
and split rail fencing. Bricks for the church
were made on the nearby antebellum Haynes
plantation and carried to the site in saddlebags.
Wander the graveyard surrounding the
church, and you'll see graves dating back to
the early 19th century. Twelve unidentified
Confederate soldiers are buried in the
Churchyard, as well as two of the nurses
who cared for Confederate troops when the
Church was used as a hospital. You'll also see

graves marked by plain stones lying outside
low-walled family plots-where the slaves who
served the plantation owners were interred.
Although the church is closed to the public
except for an annual fall homecoming service,
through the plain glass windows you can see
the original, worn wooden pews and kerosene
lanterns, as well as the upper slave gallery.
Oakland Church is another corner of
the Alleghany Highlands where the past
resonates deep within. Spend enough time
there to see, imagine and remember.

Humpback Bridge
One of a Kind
Built in 1857, Humpback Bridge spans
Dunlap Creek west of Covington: 110 feet of
hand-hewn timber joined with locust pegs. It's
thought to be the oldest bridge of its kind in
America.
What makes this covered bridge so
unique? It's four feet higher in the center

LOVEwork at Humpback Bridge

than on either end, designed to keep it safe
from rising water. It is, yes, a humpback
bridge.
Near the entrance of the bridge, which
closed to traffic in 1929, you'll find a picnic
area decorated with the famous "Virginia
is for Lovers" theme. L-O-V-E written large
in letters made from local materials: a fine
reflection of the welcoming Alleghany
Highlands. *

PROVIDING BUILDING SOLUTIONS
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OFFICE: (540) 862-5800
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(540) 969-9405

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Alleghany Living 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Alleghany Living 2019
