VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Nimmo United Methodist Church, believed to be the oldest United Methodist church in the United States, is asking the city of Virginia Beach to remove its historic district designation, due to preservation rules make necessary repairs costly.
The church, built in 1791, includes several historic structures, such as a tower constructed in the 1800s and the main sanctuary. After more than 230 years of serving the community, church leaders say the building is showing its age.
Because the property sits within the Nimmo Church Historic and Cultural District, any planned changes must be reviewed by the city’s Historical Review Board.
The Historical Review Board is an appointed body that reviews applications related to the city's designated historial distrists.
This includes areas around the city like the Court House District, Dewiit Cottage District, and the Ferry Plantation House District.
Church officials say the board requires repairs to be made using the same materials originally used when the building was constructed.
Those requirements, church leaders argue, are financially burdensome and prevent the use of more energy-efficient options.
“We can’t afford the installation and recurring future costs of original materials,” said Gene Estes of Nimmo United Methodist Church, at a planning commission meeting. “Those added costs threaten to place a financial burden on us that threatens the very sustainability of our congregation. We need an affordable solution that preserves our facility and serves our membership.”
An ordinance discussed during this month's planning commisison meeting was to remove the district designation.
The church wants to make upgrades to better serve future generations, including replacing siding and windows with materials that provide improved insulation. Under current guidelines, those changes would require custom-milled cedar siding and restoration of single-pane, wood-sashed windows.
Church leaders say preliminary estimates show the installation and long-term maintenance costs for original materials could be hundreds of thousands of dollars higher than modern alternatives.
Opponents of the historic district designation being removed at this months meeting, include members of the Historic Review Board, who say approving the request would set a troubling precedent for other historic and cultural districts across the city.
The Virginia Beach Planning Commission has deferred its recommendation on the matter for 60 days.
