Shepherdstown’s third Holiday Tour of Historic Houses of Worship will be held Monday, December 26, 2022, from 4 to 7 p.m. The self-guided walking tour includes several downtown historic churches, including one from as early as 1747. The tour is open to the public and there is no admission charge.
The churches on the tour include Christ Reformed United Church of Christ; New Street United Methodist; Shepherdstown Presbyterian; St. Agnes Catholic; St. Agnes Chapel; St. Peter’s Lutheran; and Trinity Episcopal. Greeters and docents will be stationed at each church to welcome visitors with information about the history of the congregation and the church, the architecture of the buildings, and the interior accoutrements of the sanctuaries. The Historic Shepherdstown Museum at the corner of East German and Princess Streets, and the newly-renovated Shepherdstown Opera House, at 131 W. German St., will also be open for visitors.
Walking tour brochures can be picked up at the War Memorial Building, and a few will be available at each of the sites on the tour. The War Memorial Building is located at the corner of German and King Streets. Refreshments and hospitality for tour visitors will also be available there.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for Shepherdstown residents and out of town visitors to admire the interior beauty of the town’s houses of worship,” said Jerry Bock, one of the founders of the tour and the vice president of Historic Shepherdstown Commission. All of the churches are within easy walking distance of each other and will be marked by luminaries. The tour will begin with a citywide ringing of the church bells at 4 p.m.
The tour is sponsored by a partnership of the churches, the Historic Shepherdstown Commission, the Shepherdstown Community Club, the Jefferson County Convention & Visitors Center, and the Corporation of Shepherdstown. Questions about the tour may be directed to Jerry Bock at [email protected].
