Ongoing Projects

The 118-year-old historic Court Street United Methodist church has significantly deteriorated and is in danger of collapse unless remediated soon. The Foundation plans to rehabilitate the church to be a center for research, promotion, and preservation of a genealogical archive and repository of artifacts and educational curriculum of Bedford County (VA) African American history and culture. The church is deeded to the Foundation, and we have hired an experienced historical architect and project manager. He has developed drawings for office, display, research, recording, and conference spaces.  We have applied for several grants to restore the structure and create our new spaces.

The Court Street Church is a significant physical and historical link to BHSF's mission to research and communicate Black ancestry and cultural heritage centered in Bedford County.  In 1878, a group of former slaves started the Mount Zion United Methodist Church on Church Street in the town of Bedford. In 1901, they bought a lot on Court Street, and by 1907, a new building was built for worship, and they changed their name to Court Street United Methodist Church. This historic Black congregation served the Bedford community for 133 years, offering a place of refuge during the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and as a place of worship for many African American Christians. In 2011, the last worship service was held, and the building was deeded to the newly formed BHSF in 2015.

The church is located within the Bedford Historic District, behind the Bedford Museum & Genealogical Library and across the street from the County Courthouse.  BHSF will preserve and repurpose the Court Street church in a way that honors all generations of the church from its founding.