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State Marker Unveiling Slated For April 14
Immediately following the 11 a.m. worship service on Sunday, April 14, New Providence Presbyterian Church in Raphine will dedicate a Virginia historical marker on the church grounds. The public is invited to the worship service, the dedication ceremony and a reception with light refreshments afterwards.
Virginia’s historical marker program was established in 1926 to explain the state’s rich history to the traveling public. Markers were placed along major travel routes in order to reach the largest number of travelers. As such, the marker for New Providence (A-39) was placed on the east side of U.S. 11 in Steeles Tavern, and is actually much nearer to Mount Carmel Presbyterian Church in Augusta County than to New Providence Presbyterian Church in Rockbridge County.
Markers were identified by a letter/numeral code; an “A” in a marker’s number meant that it was located on U.S. 11. Although the original marker was revised and replaced in 2016, it remained in Steeles Tavern on U.S. 11.
Since U.S. 11 is no longer a major highway, the New Providence History Committee began an effort in 2022 to have the marker moved to church property on Va. 252, Brownsburg Turnpike. Dr. Jennifer Loux of Virginia’s Department of Historic Resources (DHR) helped in gain the necessary approvals from VDOT and DHR for relocation of the marker. DHR only approves five new markers annually in a competitive process, but New Providence was able to bypass this step since there was an existing marker.
In September 2022, the New Providence Session approved the History Committee’s proposal to move the existing marker, and the process began. New Providence submitted photos of the existing marker and suggested text revisions to DHR.
DHR requested additional documentation to support the revised text and New Providence supplied copies of source material such as “The Diary of Henry Boswell Jones of Brownsburg (1842-1871).” Jones was the chairman of the Building Committee for the erection of the current Greek Revival sanctuary. The 2016 marker noted that the sanctuary was completed in 1859; the revised text reflects the date when the congregation actually began worshiping in the new building, 1857.
VDOT funding for the new marker became available in 2023. Sewah Studios, the Ohio-based foundry which manufactures the markers, completed its work on the revised New Providence marker and delivered it to VDOT’s installation contractor in early February. VDOT installed the marker in March and will be responsible for its maintenance.
The church is located at 1208 New Providence Road.
