The Commons at Little Fork Church

The Commons at Little Fork Church is a dawn-to-dusk open space with an ADA-accessible trail, offering the wider community a place to gather, reflect, and connect through nature, history, and art. We need 250 people to give $25, or whatever amount is meaningful to you, to show strong community support for this project.

Besides being an open space, The Commons will include:

Virginia Native Landscape Initiative: Beginning with Virginia native plants, we discern which can be sustainably cultivated to thrive in our current and future climate, supporting both ecological heritage and long-term resilience.

Historic Interpretation & Engagement: Researching and interpreting the history of the rural regions surrounding Little Fork—from its establishment as a chapel of ease in 1731 to the present—across what are now Culpeper, Rappahannock, and Fauquier counties, through interpretive installations, art, and public programs.

Arts, Creative Practice, and Music Experiences: Creating space for artistic expression and community-based cultural experiences, with a particular focus on offering a place where local musicians, music teachers, and nonprofit partners can gather and make use of the Commons’ indoor and outdoor spaces.

In May, we are applying for a significant program development grant, and we must demonstrate that the surrounding community believes in and will support this work. We need your support of The Commons, a place open to all and meant to be shared, by helping us reach 250 people who will each make a gift through Give Local Piedmont as a sign that this is a needed and valued addition to our shared life.

Little Fork’s current brick church, completed in 1776 as the last church built with public funds in colonial Virginia, was restored by the community as a bicentennial project in 1976-79. Now, in this 250th year, we are establishing The Commons as the next chapter in that legacy, ensuring this place continues to serve the wider community. We cannot do this without you. Your support now helps carry this legacy forward as we look toward 300 years of life, service, and shared community at Little Fork.