BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.Va. — For decades, one of the most significant African American landmarks in Berkeley Springs quietly served as little more than a storage shed.
Now, community leaders hope to restore Mount Pisgah Church, an 1877 church founded by members of the town’s Black community, preserving a place of worship whose history reflects the faith, perseverance, and changing social landscape of Morgan County in the decades after the Civil War.
As the Town of Bath prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary in 2026, local officials and volunteers have launched an effort to stabilize and preserve the historic church rather than let it fade further into obscurity.
Known today as Berkeley Springs, the community is one of West Virginia’s oldest towns. Chartered in 1776 as the Town of Bath, it was named for the famous English spa city for its warm mineral springs, which had long attracted colonial visitors. Over time, the town became widely known by the name of its springs, and although the municipality remains officially incorporated as the Town of Bath, most visitors know it simply as Berkeley Springs.
“Mount Pisgah is more than an old forgotten church building,” said Priscilla Jones, chair of the Town of Bath Historic Landmarks Commission. “It is a living link to the history of Black faith, resilience, and community in Morgan County.”
A church that tells a larger story
Founded in 1877, Mount Pisgah served generations of African American families during an era when segregation shaped nearly every aspect of public life. Churches such as Mount Pisgah often became more than places of worship. They served as community gathering places, schools, centers of mutual aid, and anchors of civic life when opportunities for African Americans remained sharply limited throughout much of the United States.
Although relatively few details of the church’s earliest years have survived, local tradition holds that the congregation became known for its music. According to community accounts, hymns sung inside Mount Pisgah carried through the surrounding neighborhood, drawing nearby residents onto their porches simply to listen.
The building also reflects a later chapter in Berkeley Springs’ history. Local preservation leaders say the congregation that worshiped there in the 1960s was integrated, marking a period when the church welcomed worshipers of all races amid profound social change in West Virginia and across the nation.
In the years that followed, however, the congregation dwindled. The building gradually fell out of regular use and eventually served primarily as a storage shed for decades, leaving one of Berkeley Springs’ most important African American historic sites largely forgotten.
Preserving history for Bath’s 250th anniversary
Today, community members are working to reverse that history. Interest in the project has grown steadily in recent months. Jones said a recent public meeting drew strong attendance, with volunteers offering to assist with research, fundraising, and restoration, while local leaders began exploring grant opportunities to help stabilize the building.
Along with volunteers, pieces of the church’s history have begun to resurface. Local historian Donnie Mason recently shared that he privately purchased Mount Pisgah’s original church bell years ago to ensure it would not be lost. Preservation organizers hope the bell can eventually be returned to its original home as restoration progresses.
Another resident has contributed one of the church’s original pews, providing another tangible link to the generations who worshiped there.
Rather than transforming Mount Pisgah into a heavily developed attraction, preservation leaders envision a careful restoration that protects the building’s historic character while making it accessible for education and interpretation.
Ideas under discussion include creating a modest museum or interpretive exhibit exploring the lives, work, faith, and contributions of African Americans whose families helped shape Berkeley Springs and Morgan County.
The effort also reflects a broader movement across West Virginia and Appalachia, as communities work to preserve historically Black churches before they disappear through neglect or redevelopment. Across the region, such buildings often represent some of the few surviving physical reminders of African American communities whose stories have received comparatively little public attention.
Historic churches frequently preserve architectural traditions, family histories, and community records that might otherwise be lost. They also offer visitors a fuller understanding of how towns developed beyond the stories typically found in traditional histories.
For Berkeley Springs, preserving Mount Pisgah offers an opportunity to broaden that narrative as the community prepares to commemorate two and a half centuries of history. While the town’s mineral springs, historic inns, and colonial heritage have long drawn travelers from around the country, local leaders say preserving places like Mount Pisgah ensures that the anniversary also recognizes the generations of African American residents whose faith, labor, and civic life helped shape the community.
Preservation advocates emphasize that saving Mount Pisgah is not simply about repairing an aging building. It is about ensuring that future generations can continue to experience a place where faith, music, fellowship, and perseverance shaped community life for nearly 150 years.
The Town of Bath Historic Landmarks Commission will meet Aug. 17 at 4 p.m. at Town Hall. Community members interested in volunteering, supporting restoration efforts, or learning more about Mount Pisgah Church are encouraged to attend.
Visiting Berkeley Springs
A visit to Berkeley Springs offers far more than its famous warm mineral springs. Visitors can soak in the historic baths at Berkeley Springs State Park, browse locally owned galleries and antique shops, enjoy award-winning restaurants and breweries, or explore nearby hiking and mountain biking trails at Cacapon Resort State Park. The town’s walkable historic district, arts community, and centuries-old reputation as America’s first spa make it one of West Virginia’s most distinctive destinations.
Mount Pisgah Church offers another meaningful stop for travelers interested in the region’s rich cultural heritage. As restoration efforts progress, the church promises to become an important place to learn about the African American history that helped shape Berkeley Springs, alongside its celebrated mineral springs and historic downtown. For trip ideas, lodging, dining, attractions, and upcoming events, visit Travel Berkeley Springs.