Kernstown, Virginia Winter 1862

For years I carried in my mind the image of a painting. It was a snow scene, at night, with a group of horsemen riding by a church just as services ended. The congregation was visible, but the church was a dominant backdrop to the scene. I wanted this to be a country church with the right setting and the right foliage to match my image.

Finally, after years of watching for the right church in the right time and place. I "discovered" the Opequon Presbyterian Church in Kernstown, Virginia – near historical Winchester. The church building was on the site of the 1862 battle of Kernstown. Area history experts like C. Langdon Gordon, Ben Ritter and Marial Kalban provided the church’s history.

Opequon Church was severely damaged during the Battle of Kernstown and was destroyed by fire in 1873. The present church building was constructed on the foundation of the original structure with windows of the same shape and size as the Civil War era building. No image of the original structure exists today, so I hope this painting – which is based on the existing building – preserves the qualities and atmosphere of the Civil War church.

I hope too that Southern Stars helps preserve the historical sites of Kernstown and Winchester, which were so important during the War Between the States, and also reflects the legacy of the common Confederate soldier who was sustained during an awful war by the faith and traditions of the South.

Release Date: 1994