Tinkling Spring Presbyterian Church

{{Short description|Historic church in Virginia, United States}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}

{{Infobox NRHP

| name = Tinkling Spring Presbyterian Church

| nrhp_type =

| designated_other1 = Virginia Landmarks Register

| designated_other1_date = January 16, 1973{{cite web|title=Virginia Landmarks Register|publisher=Virginia Department of Historic Resources|url=http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/register_counties_cities.htm|accessdate=2013-05-12|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921053819/http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/register_counties_cities.htm|archivedate=2013-09-21}}

| designated_other1_number = 007-0033

| designated_other1_num_position = bottom

| image = Tinkling Spring Presbyterian Church-4x6-300ppi.jpg

| caption =

| location = VA 608, 1 mile (1.6 km) south of the junction with VA 636 and VA 631, Fishersville, Virginia

| coordinates = {{coord|38|05|06|N|78|58|59|W|display=inline,title}}

| locmapin = Virginia#USA

| built = 1850

| architect = Dabney, Robert Lewis

| architecture = Greek Revival

| added = April 11, 1973

| area = {{convert|10|acre}}

| refnum = 73001993{{NRISref|version=2010a}}

}}

The Tinkling Spring Presbyterian Church is a Presbyterian church founded in 1740,{{cite web | url= http://www.tinklingspring.org/history.php | title= Tinkling Spring Presbyterian Church - History | accessdate= 2014-09-04 | publisher= Tinkling Spring Presbyterian Church | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140905075119/http://www.tinklingspring.org/history.php | archive-date= 2014-09-05 | url-status= dead }} and is the oldest Presbyterian congregation in the Valley of Virginia (the Shenandoah Valley). Its historic building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).

The church's first building was a log structure built during 1742–1748. Much of the cost of the original meeting house was underwritten by Colonel James Patton.{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20061208063059/http://www.christianhistorysociety.com/pattonAF.html Greg Humphries, "Augusta Colonial Founders #1: James Patton," The Christian History Society of America]}} It took nearly three years to finish, with some controversy between Patton and his uncle John Lewis over where it was to be located. The first service was held there on 14 April 1745, when the Reverend John Craig wrote: "This being the first day we meet at the contentious meeting-house, about half-built." The log structure was replaced by a stone building in 1790.[https://archive.org/details/historyaugustac00peytgoog/page/n94/mode/2up?q=%22James+Patton%22 John Lewis Peyton, History of Augusta County, Virginia, Samuel M. Yost & son, 1882]{{rp|81}} Its 1850 Greek Revival building is its third building, and is significant architecturally for being designed by Robert Lewis Dabney who served as pastor there from 1852–1857.{{cite web |url=http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Counties/Augusta/007-0033_Tinkling_Spring_Presbyterian_Church_1973_Final_Nomination.pdf |title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Tinkling Spring Presbyterian Church |author=Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission Staff |date=December 1972 |publisher=Virginia Department of Historic Resources |access-date=2013-04-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120926203126/http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Counties/Augusta/007-0033_Tinkling_Spring_Presbyterian_Church_1973_Final_Nomination.pdf |archive-date=2012-09-26 |url-status=dead }} and [http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Counties/Augusta/Tinkling_Spring_photo.htm accompanying photo] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120926203136/http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Counties/Augusta/Tinkling_Spring_photo.htm |date=2012-09-26 }}{{cite web| url= http://photos.historical-markers.org/v/virginia/va-augusta/196_9635.jpg.html| title= VA-W155 Tinkling Spring Church| accessdate= 2007-10-08| publisher= Commonwealth of Virginia Historical Markers}}{{Dead link|date=July 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=no }} This Greek Revival building, along with two other churches designed by Dabney, is credited with influencing ecclesiastical architecture in Virginia. Dabney designed at least two other NRHP-listed churches, Briery Church, in Briery, Virginia, and New Providence Presbyterian Church, near Brownsburg, Virginia.

The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.