State money may help Nimmo United Methodist Church, which dates back to 1791, pay for renovations after it asked the city to release it from a historic designation that was driving up costs.
The state legislative budget proposal, which advanced Monday, includes $500,000 for the city to support church renovations and preservation. If included in the final budget, it could help cover cost differences between materials the historic district requires and other modern options.
Last year, the church asked to end the Nimmo Church Historic and Cultural District designation, which has been held since 1980. Advisory bodies recommended against a change, but City Council deferred the matter in April to see whether state funding came through.
In March, Daniel Lear spoke on behalf of the church during a Planning Commission meeting and said the change was “crucial for the survivability” of the church. The church needed critical repairs, including to the historic parts of the church, and could face hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional costs if some materials were required for renovations. He said the church was concerned about future costs, as well.
The district was established in 1980 and expanded in 1986. It also includes a nearby Royal Farms location built in 2023, which meant the gas station faced constraints in its design.
Boards that opposed the move said it could set a precedent. Virginia Beach has 16 historic districts. The Planning Commission in March voted, 8-3, to recommend the City Council deny the church’s request.
A funding request introduced by Del. Barry Knight prior to his death in February remained part of the budget agreement reached this week. Vice Mayor Rosemary Wilson told WHRO she hopes the money will help keep the district intact.
“That’s going to be a really wonderful thing to help preserve that property,” Wilson said during a meeting Tuesday.
City Councilmember Barbara Henley, who represents the area where the church is located, said she wasn’t sure the funding covers all of the costs. The church will have to decide to proceed with its request to end the designation.
Mary Lou Barnes, chairperson of the church’s leadership board, said she could not comment on the funding because it isn’t final yet.
“As of right now, we’re at a standstill,” she said Tuesday.
Nimmo United Methodist is the oldest Methodist church in continuous use in the U.S., according to a history of the church. Its original building dates back to 1791. A balcony used as a gallery for enslaved people was added in 1840 and today is “the only remaining structure related to slavery in what was formerly known as Princess Anne County,” according to the history. The church was used as a hospital and for billeting Union soldiers during the Civil War.