Group forms to restore 135-year-old church in Ridgeway
The Trinity Presbyterian Historical Foundation has formed to preserve the Trinity Presbyterian Church, a historical Black church in Ridgeway.
The church was formed in 1889 by Sallie J. Harris, a mission worker who was sent to the area by the Board of National Missions of the Presbyterian Church U.S.A.
The board sent her when the Rev. Henry Holmes, who was born in South Carolina and sent to Henry County by the missions board, said he needed some help. He had started a mission with a school in Chestnut Knob and was teaching any children and adults who could get to the location.
Many Ridgeway children who attended would walk to Chestnut Knob for school and also attended church services with their parents there. Holmes decided that Ridgeway would benefit from Harris' help and sent her there to establish the church.
She began the mission in an old log building on King's Mill Road, which later became Trinity Presbyterian Church. Holmes would visit and hold worship services and Harris, who later married Walker Dillard of Ridgeway, became the first teacher in the church's school.
When Holmes passed in 1894, a series of different ministers worked together to serve not only Trinity, but also Holmes Memorial on Chestnut Knob and Grace Presbyterian in Martinsville which was also established by Holmes.
Services cycled through the different church locations and were held on the fourth Sunday of each month at Ridgeway's Trinity Presbyterian. Some of the ministers who preached were the Revs. S. Zephaniah Reid, R. P. Johnson, J. A. Davis, G. R. Carter, E. W. Jones, D. A. Henry, S. L. Stevens and Robert N. Cowen.
The Rev. Robert E. Foster, who passed in 1989 at the age of 69, served Grace Presbyterian and preached at Trinity for almost 40 years until illness prevented him from continuing his ministry.
The church stayed open before it was shut down during the pandemic.
At the beginning of this year, Jennifer Perkins-Randolph, who grew up in the community and right next door to the church, and a group of like-minded individuals began working together to form the Trinity Presbyterian Historical Foundation, a 501c3 nonprofit, which is dedicated to restoring and preserving this historical black church.
"There were some concerned citizens in the Ridgeway community who wanted to preserve the church," Foundation Secretary Joyce Staples said. The group found that the church was owned by the presbytery, who gifted it to the foundation.
Trinity was not only a church but also served as a school for Black children during a time of segregation. The foundation aims to honor the rich legacy of the landmark and ensure that its impact endures in the community.
Post-renovations, the foundation wants to open the church up as a museum-like attraction for the community to visit and see a piece of the history of Ridgeway.
On Sunday at 4 p.m., the foundation will hold a dedication ceremony to deem the church a historical site. The event will have many speakers including: Staples, Rev. Kelvin Perry, Rev. George Wilson, Ray Williams of the Black Caucus, Rev. William Randolph, Foundation President Jennifer Perkins-Randolph and Ridgeway Mayor Craig O'Der.
Valeria Edwards will perform a musical selection and the church will officially be dedicated before light refreshments will be provided by Kornna Kitchen.
In order to restore the church many different repairs need to be made. The foundation is accepting donations through its website trinityphf1879.wixsite.com/homepage , and through Paypal, CashApp and by check made out to Trinity Presbyterian Church, 50 Kings Mill Road, Ridgeway, VA 24148.
"It's important for people to know the history," Staples said. "Not many people know or realize that the races were separate, and that African Americans attended one school and white students attended another school."
"It's important for our heritage," she added. "We have to preserve our history."
Monique Holland (276)-734-9603,
