St. Peter's Episcopal Church (Purcellville, Va.)

In 1911, the first St. Peter's, Purcellville was built on Main Street. In 1930, further growth resulted in the formation of a whole new parish in western Loudoun County, Madison Parish, carved off of Shelburne Parish. Madison Parish consisted of the three Episcopal churches in Hamilton, Round Hill, and Purcellville. Eventually the three churches of Madison Parish saw benefit to consolidation. Purcellville was chosen for the central location and a new St. Peter's Episcopal Church was built at its present location on Glendale Street in 1964. That same year, parishioners held the first service of the newly merged church. The bell tower which currently sits atop St. Peter's was erected in Dec. 2000. It houses two bells, both with significance to Loudoun County history. The newer of the bells, dubbed "Loudoun," was cast in a Baltimore foundry in 1922 and dedicated in the old St. Peter's then on Main Street in Purcellville. With this bell parishioners commemorated the loss of twenty-nine Loudoun County men who died in World War I. Their names still ring the outside of the 500 pound bronze memorial. The older bell first resided in St. Paul's, Hamilton. In 1909 it was given in memoriam of Lt. Jesup Nicholson (1852-1893) by his parents Mr. and Mrs. A.S. Nicholson. Lieutenant Nicholson served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1873 to 1874 and died of kidney disease. Mt. Calvary Guild is Madison Parish's chapter of Episcopal Church Women (ECW). When Mt. Calvary Guild was first organized is unknown, but by the time the three churches of Madison Parish had consolidated into St. Peter's the women's group had already been meeting. Mt. Calvary Guild operated consistently from the early 1950s through to the present in order to conduct business, socialize, and share Bible devotions together. Their business included fundraising for different charities, keeping the church hospitable through decorating, managing the church kitchen, and many other tasks necessary for the maintenance and function of the church building and community.