This is an appeal to all the history lovers in Great Falls, Virginia for help in the preservation of another of the historic properties in our little village. Knowing that some of our historic properties have been saved recently due to concerted public interest - including the Great Falls Grange and the adjacent 1889 schoolhouse, both near the village center – we are reaching out now in the hope that you’ll be on board with helping to save another of our village treasures.

Smith Chapel’s story began many years ago, in 1890 to be exact, when some local Great Falls residents began to realize their dream of building a Methodist church in their neighborhood. Two local ladies, having heard that a neighbor farmer had a small plot of land he was willing to sell, hitched up their horse and buggy and paid a call on the neighbor. They were able to secure an agreement to purchase the land. The planning began. Just a few short years later, Smith Chapel opened its doors, and so began an almost-uninterrupted chronicle of serving the faithful on Beach Mill Road in Great Falls.

Fast forward to 2026. Smith Chapel continues this legacy by faithfully ministering to its members and neighbors— offering two church services on Sundays (one in English, one in Korean), helping with local food drives, working with the Wilderness Church in Washington, DC which ministers to the homeless, and supporting missionaries around the globe. It is therefore with humble hearts that we reach out to our friends and neighbors now in our own time of need.

Back during the heat of this past summer, we discovered that our chapel’s air conditioner had malfunctioned, leading to major issues with both the structure itself and possible health concerns for our members, as there was mold accumulation. The resulting cost of these repairs is, of course, quite high. We cannot simply “make do;” this particular issue must be fixed if we want to continue to be a presence in Great Falls.

Dealing with this new problem has meant that other issues we’d already been trying to budget for had to be put on the back burner. We have drafty old windows. A parking lot damaged by plowing after past snowfalls. A couple of tombstones in our adjacent historic cemetery, where some of our founders and their descendants are buried, are in need of repair. In total, the issues have quickly outstripped our ability to fund all of the needed work in a timely manner. Such repairs would go a long way towards improving both the longevity and the appearance of the historic chapel and grounds.

We have therefore set a total fundraising goal of $60,000. This would enable us to cover the cost of all of the needed work – the immediate necessity of mold remediation, after which we could focus on the wear-and-tear repairs.

Yet this appeal is about more than repairing a building.

We believe that historic places matter because living communities still gather within them. Our vision for Smith Chapel in this season is not simply to endure, but to continue serving as a place where faith, service, and care for others flow outward into the community. Scripture offers a powerful image of God’s presence as a river—moving, deepening, and bringing life wherever it flows. In that spirit, Smith Chapel seeks to remain a place that gathers people, forms them, and sends them out to serve their neighbors with compassion, generosity, and hope.

If you find that you’re moved to help defray the cost of repair and restoration of one of the oldest buildings in our little village, we would be profoundly grateful. If contributions aren’t an option for you at this time but you have prayers to offer, we welcome those wholeheartedly! Whatever you decide, we thank you for taking the time to read our story and to consider our request for help. May God richly bless you, and may Smith Chapel continue to be a place where history is honored, community is strengthened, and life continues to flow for generations to come.