Wheatland Lutheran Church has been an important part of the Buchanan area of Botetourt County for generations. Organized to serve a growing Lutheran congregation in the early 20th century, the brick church became a familiar landmark and a spiritual home for families in the community. From weekly worship services to baptisms, weddings, and funerals, Wheatland was a place where faith and everyday life came together.
This commemorative plate features the church as it appeared during its years of service from 1934 to 1959, capturing a moment in its history and preserving the memory of a congregation that helped shape the surrounding community. It was donated to the Botetourt County Historical Society in December 2025 by Lee and Cathy Cronise. Pieces like this plate remind us that local history lives not only in buildings, but in the objects people chose to save and pass down.
Through artifacts like this, the Botetourt Museum of History & Culture in Fincastle is able to keep the stories of Botetourt’s churches — and the people who filled them — alive for future generations.
~ Botetourt County Museum of History & Culture
