Burke's Garden Central Church and Cemetery - Burke's Garden, Virginia - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

Burke’s Garden is called “God’s Thumbprint.” In 1748, James Burke and James Patton ventured into the area on a survey mission. Legend has it that while in this fertile valley, James Burke buried some potato peeling, and a year later other explorers ventured into the valley and found a bountiful crop of potatoes thus the name “Burke’s Garden.”

In the early 1800 settlers of German origin migrated from Pennsylvania settling in Burke’s Garden. Here in the south end of this bowl shaped valley they built Central Church, which like most community churches served not only as a place of worship but as the ‘center’ of the community. The first church was built about 1828 and the surrounding cemetery has grave markers dating from about 1830. The present church is a simple wood-framed structure that was built in 1875 to replace the original building.

Today, the old Central Church is known as the Burkes Garden Lutheran Church, and while membership in the congregation has dwindled to less than 50 people, services are still held each Sunday Morning and this church remains at the ‘center’ of the Burke’s Garden Community.

Street address: 7645 Burkes Garden Road Route 623 Burke's Garden, Va. United States 24608 County / Borough / Parish: Tazewell County Year listed: 1979 Historic (Areas of) Significance: Architecture, Engineering, Event Periods of significance: 1825 - 1899 Historic function: Religious Structure, Cemetery Current function: Religious Structure, Cemetery Privately owned?: yes Primary Web Site: [Web Link] Secondary Website 1: [Web Link] Season start / Season finish: Not listed Hours of operation: Not listed Secondary Website 2: Not listed National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

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