USA > Virginia > Fairfax County > Fairfax County > The history of Truro Parish in Virginia > Part 10
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Since the year 1873 the following gentlemen, in order of their election, have served on the Vestry
155
THE HISTORY OF TRURO PARISH
of Pohick Church: R. G. Nevitt, T. F. Chapman, Charles Landstreet, Charles Potter, J. H. Clag- gett, J. M. Lewis, Dr. N. B. Nevitt, Seth Kurhling, W. R. Ward, A. C. Landstreet, James Haslip, George Erskine, John Theisz, John K. Nevitt, Harrison H. Dodge, John Landstreet, Joseph Specht, L. G. Reid, Wm. M. Nevitt, R. W. Gail- lard, J. P. H. Mason, Corbin Thompson, L. A. Denty, George N. Milstead, B. F. Nevitt, Dr. W. P. Caton.
The present Vestry consists of Messrs .. Thomas F. Chapman, William M. Nevitt, John Landstreet, N. B. Nevitt, M. D., W. P. Caton, M. D., J. P. H. Mason, Harrison H. Dodge, George N. Milstead, B. F. Nevitt, Corbin Thompson, L. A. Denty, and Luther G. Reid.
OLIVET CHURCH; TRURO PARISH. A Chapel bearing this name was for many years a Mis- sion station in charge of the students of the Theological Seminary of Virginia. This was de- stroyed during the war. A second Chapel was built on the same site, and was consecrated by Bishop Johns, June 2d, 1872. Twenty years later the present Church was built on a different and better site, and was consecrated by Bishop F. M. Whittle, April 4th, 1898. Olivet became con- nected with Pohick in 1881, when the Rev. Mr. Wallis took charge of them, and has since re- mained under the care of the Rector and Vestry
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7
THE HISTORY OF TRURO PARISH
of Pohick Church. It is situated near Franconia Station.
POHICK CHAPEL. This is a small Chapel, situated about four and a half miles northwest of Pohick Church, to which it belongs. It was built in 1903 through the efforts of the Rev. Everard Meade, and was consecrated by Bishop R. A. Gib- son on October 12th of that year.
I57
ZION CHURCH, TRURO PARISH
This Church, at the county seat of Fairfax County, was founded in the year 1843 by the Rev. Richard Templeton Brown. Mr. Brown was at that time Rector of the Falls Church. In his re- port from that Church to the Diocesan Council of 1843 he makes the following note:
"Fairfax court-house. On the 8th of February last we had the pleasure of organizing a new con- gregation at this very destitute place, and prompt measures were adopted for the immediate erection of a plain and substantial Church. The edifice has been commenced, and, if not entirely finished, will be used during the present year. Some of the most influential citizens of the place and neighbor- hood are interested in the work; the ladies also are zealously engaged; and we trust that, by the blessings of God, the Church at this place will ex- ert a wide and purifying influence. Communicants 5. Families who will be regularly connected with the Church, about 12." The services were at first held in the Court House, but when for some reason its use was forbidden Mrs. Daniel Rumsey of "Mount Vinyard," a Baptist lady, declared that she "could not see the Ark of the Lord refused a
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THE HISTORY OF TRURO PARISH
shelter," and offered her parlor in which the con- gregation met until the Church was completed. She was the mother of Mr. William T. Rumsey, who gave the lot for the Church and was one of its first Vestrymen. Mr. Brown removed from the field during the following year, and was succeeded in a few months by the Rev. William F. Lock- wood, who at first combined the work with that of St. Stephen's Church, Fauquier, but afterwards re- signed the latter and took charge of the Falls Church. The Church was completed, and was consecrated by the Right Rev. William Meade, D. D., on the 28th of June, 1845, under the name of
Zion Church. It was a frame building, of the same size as the present Church, and was the first Church of any kind erected in the village. At this time there were 14 Communicants. Mr. Lock- wood remained as Rector until 1852 or 1853, when he removed to Maryland. Under his ministry St. John's Church, Centerville, was built, and was con- secrated by Bishop John Johns, D. D., July 14th, 1851.
Occasional services were held by the Professors of the Theological Seminary until the Rev. R. T. Brown returned to his old charge in 1855, and re- mained Rector of Zion Church, in connection with the Falls and St. John's, until he and the greater part of his congregation were forced to flee from their homes in 1861, when Fairfax became in- volved in the maelstrom of war. Four years later,
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THE HISTORY OF TRURO PARISH
when the people returned to their desolated homes, they found only the foundation of their Church remaining. It had shared the fate of per- haps a majority of the country churches in that beautiful section, where they "Made a solitude and called it peace." Early in the conflict it had been used as a storehouse for the munitions of war, and rapidly becoming dilapidated it had been finally torn down by Union soldiers to provide material for their winter quarters on a neighboring hillside.
There was no minister until February, 1867, when the Rev. W. A. Alrich was ordained to the diaconate and sent to undertake the work of re- suscitating the Church at this point, in connection with Centerville, and Haymarket in Prince Wil- liam County. He found 18 Communicants. Ser- vices were held in the Court House. He reported, however, "A deep interest manifested in religious matters, and a willingness to make every sacrifice for the sake of the Master and his cause. The people, in their impoverished condition, are now making an earnest effort to rebuild their Churches." On December 13th, 1868, Bishop Whittle visited the congregation and confirmed fourteen persons in the Court House. He re- ported the new Church as being under roof, but its completion delayed for want of funds, and adds, "I think there is no congregation in the Diocese more deserving of help than this, where the peo- ple have shown such a determination to help them-
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THE HISTORY OF TRURO PARISH
selves." Mr. Alrich resigned, and was succeeded in June, 1869, by the Rev. William M. Dame, who remained during the year of his diaconate. The Rev. D. Hanson Boyden succeeded him in the summer of 1870, and gave the whole of his short ministry of fifteen months to this Parish. He re- signed on account of failing health on October Ist, 1871, and died less than three months later. Bishop Johns said of him: "His ministry was short and emphatic. The distress which his early death caused to the people whom he served affords af- fecting evidence of his personal worth and minis- terial fidelity and usefulness."
The Rev. John McGill took charge during the summer of 1872. The second Zion Church was now completed, and being furnished and freed from debt was consecrated by Bishop Johns on the 6th of December, 1875. It is a frame build- ing and was erected on the foundation of the orig- inal Church at a cost of about $2,000. On the day following its consecration Christ Church at Chan- tilly was also consecrated. This, with the Church at Centerville, which was also rebuilt, though really in old Cameron Parish, were supposed to be in Truro and were under the charge of Mr. McGill. In 1884 these Churches, with that at Herndon and the mission at Clifton, were formed into a Parish called Upper Truro.
Mr. McGill resigned April 23d, 1878, and was succeeded by the Rev. Frank Page during the fol-
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THE HISTORY OF TRURO PARISH
lowing summer. In the year 1882 the present Rectory property adjoining the Church was pur- chased for $2,600. Mr. Page resigned November 19th, 1889. During the earlier part of his rector- ship he ministered at no less than five Churches, but after the formation of Upper Truro Parish his labors were confined to Zion and the Falls Churches. After his removal the Church · re- mained vacant until July, 1890, when Mr. J.Cleve- land Hall, formerly a Presbyterian minister, but now a candidate for orders in the Episcopal Church, came as a Lay-Reader and continued to officiate as such until his ordination to the Diaco- nate in June, 1891; after which he continued as minister-in-charge until July, 1892. During the following year services were held by Mr. W. A. R. Goodwin, candidate for orders, and other stu- dents from the Theological Seminary. In the summer of 1893 the Rev. Thomas D. Lewis be- came the minister, in connection with Trinity Church, Manassas; the old partnership with the Falls Church having been dissolved. Mr. Lewis remained until May, 1896, when failing health compelled him to resign. He was followed by the Rev. W. H. K. Pendleton, who served the same Churches until early in 1900, when, the work hav- ing outgrown the capacity of a single minister, he resigned Zion Church and confined his labors to the neighboring Parish. An alliance was then formed with the Church of the Holy Comforter at
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THE HISTORY OF TRURO PARISH
Vienna, Fairfax County, now McGill Parish, and after some months the Rev. Albert R. Walker be- came the Rector. He continued until September, 1902, and was succeeded in June, 1903, by the Rev. Henry B. Lee, Jr., who remained nine months. On June Ist, 1904, the Rev. Edward L. Goodwin became Rector.
The destruction of all the Parish Records during the war of 1861 makes it impossible to give a list of the Vestrymen who served prior to that time. Among the families who formed the congregation of Zion Church in ante-bellum days were the Bak- ers, Balls, Chichesters, Fairfaxes, Fitzhughs, Fur- gussons, Gunnells, Hunters, Mosses, Ratcliffes, Ronks, Ryers, Stuarts, Terretts, Towners, Burkes, Coopers, Loves, Thomases, &c. The gentlemen of some of these families doubtless formed the Ves- try of those days. Since 1872 the succession of Vestrymen has been as follows: William T. Rum- sey, Thomas Moore, H. C. Fairfax, Albert Fair- fax, M. D., O. W. Huntt, W. D. McWhorter, M. D., Joseph Cooper, James M. Love, Daniel Mc- Carty Chichester, Gen. W. H. F. Lee, E. D. Fick- lin, G. Pat Berkley, J. N. Ballard, John Peabody, Upton H. Herbert, Washington Terrett, W. P. Moncure, M. D., Robert E. Lee, Jr., S. Thornton Terrett, R. Ewell Thornton, Alex. C. Bleight, C. Vernon Ford, J. Conway Chichester, J. B. Bow- man, R. Walton Moore, Thomas R. Keith, James P. Machen, Jr., Harry L. Burrows. Of these Mr.
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THE HISTORY OF TRURO PARISH
O. W. Huntt, Mr. Joseph Cooper and Mr. James M. Love have served continuously on the Vestry for thirty-five years, equalling the record of those veteran Colonial Vestrymen, George Mason and Daniel Mc.Carty. Besides these the Vestry at present consists of Messrs. Moncure M. D., R. E. Lee, Thornton, Bleight, R. W. Moore, Keith, and Burrows.
CHAPEL OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD, TRURO PAR- ISH. This Chapel, situated one and a half miles north of Burke's Station, grew out of Sunday School founded at Ashford school house many years ago by the Misses Fitzhugh and others, and continued chiefly by Mrs. Upton H. Her- bert, under the Rectorship of the Rev. Frank Page. By the earnest efforts of Mrs. Herbert, be- gan in 1882 and continued through more than a decade of years, the means were collected and the Chapel built. It was consecrated by Bishop John B. Newton, December Ist, 1896. The Rev. S. A. Wallis, of Pohick Church, held services for a num- ber of years in the school house and afterward in the new building. Since 1894 it has been under the charge of the Rector and Vestry of Zion Church.
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INDEX
NOTE: For many Proper Names not found in the Index see under Lists of Vestrymen, Processioners, Voters, etc., and throughout the book.
Acts of General Assembly, 2, 17, 22, 26, 28, 38, 40. Adams, Gabriel, 4.
Alexandria, 30. First Church
in, 30. Christ Church, 47, 97.
Alrich, Rev. W. A., 160.
Andrews, Rev. John, 48.
Ashford, Michael, 5. Assessment Bill, 146.
Attorneys for Parish, 32, 49, 64.
Aubrey, Francis, 4. Barnes, Abraham, 27.
Barry, Edward, 4. John, 49.
Baxter, James, 7.
Bill of Rights, 144.
Blackburn, Richard, 6. Fam- ily, 103.
Blumfield, Rev. Joseph, 15. Boggess, Robert, 21.
Books, Ornaments, &c. for Churches, 15, 62, 67, 88.
Boyden, Rev. D. H., 161. Braddock's Road, 23.
Broadwater, Charles, 4, 27ff.
Bronaugh, Jeremiah, 4ff.
Brown, Rev. R. T., 158.
Burgesses from Fairfax, List of, 126.
Cameron Parish, 22, 26,
161. Churches in, 22, 24. Champneys, William, 25. Chapel Above Goose Creek, 5. Church, The Colonial, in
Virginia, Introduction. De- cay of, 96. Disestablish- ment of, 143. Church Plate, 15, 61, 69, 145.
Church Wardens, Duties of, 16, 78. List of, 120. Be- come Overseers of the Poor, 93. Clerks and Lay Readers, List of, 123.
Clerks of the Vestry, List of, 123. Cockburn, Martin, 78, 116. Coffer, Francis, 92. Thos. Withers, 44ff. Family, 118. Cocke, Catesby, 9, 16. Colchester, 31.
Colville, Col. John, 7ff., 127. Contracts for Church Build- ings, 51, 73. Dame, Rev. W. M., 161.
De Butts, Rev. Lawrence, 5. Delegates to State Conven- tion, 1775-6, 126.
Deneale, William, 94.
Diocese of Virginia Organ- ized, 149.
Dranesville, Church near, 24.
Ellzey, Lewis, 21, 127. Thom- azen, 44ff.
Emms, Edward, 4ff. Fairfax County formed, 17. Boundaries changed, 26.
INDEX
Fairfax Court House, 17, 158.
Fairfax Parish, 36. Contest over lines, 39. Final Act establishing, 40. Vestries elected, 44-5.
Fairfax, George William, 33ff, 127.
.
Lord Thomas, 1, 10. William, 32-3, 127.
Falls Church, The first, or William Gunnell's, 5. The second. or "Upper"
Church, 6ff. The third, or present Church, 34ff.
Farguson, John, 7.
Front in Pohick Church, 84, 152.
Forbes, Murray, 108.
Ford, Edward, 92. John, 44, Thomas, 44ff. Ford, Paul Leicester, quoted, 6. 137.
French, Daniel, 21, 70ff. Gardner, William, 44ff.
Gibson, John, 95.
Glebe, 8, 12, 28, 29, 31, 61. Glebes, Confiscation of, 150. Godfrey, William, 4.
Gold Leaf given by Wash- ington and Fairfax, 81, 90. Good Shepherd, Chapel of the, 164.
Goodwin, Rev. E. L., 163.
Grayson, William, 64. 113. Green, Rev. Charles, 10. First Rector, 13ff., 141. Gunnell's, William, Church, 5.
Hall, Rev. C., 162.
Hamilton, James, 27. 127. Hamilton Parish, 2.
Henderson, Alexander, 44ff., 108. Family, 109.
Herbert, Mrs. U. H., 164. Hereford, John, 4ff. Holmes, Rev. John, 11.
Holy Communion, Elements for, 34, 66. Hutchinson, Andrew, 21ff. Induction, Right of, 57. Johnson, Joseph, 7. Johnson, Rev. W. P. C., 106.
Johnston, George, 38, 49, 115.
Keith, Rev. James, 12.
Kloman, Rev. H. F., 155. Lee, Rev. H. B., Jr., 163.
Lee, Gen. R. E., his pew in Christ Church, Alexandria, 96
Letters of Recommendation and Presentation, 10, 13, 55, 56, 59.
Lewis, John, 4. Lawrence, 111. Mrs. Nellie Custis, 100. 112. Thomas, 7. Rev. Thomas D., 162.
Linton, William, 44ff. Littlejohn, Samuel, 47. Lackwood, Rev. William F., 159. London, Bishop of, 8, 10, 54. Loudoun County formed, 26. Mandamus served on Ves- try, 25.
Mason, George, Vestryman and Church Warden, 27ff. Opposes change of site of Pohick, 64. Completes Church building, 84-85. His pews in, 87. Long service on the Vestry, 95- 96. Father of religious liberty, 143.
Massey, Rev. Lee. Letters in favor of, 55. Second
INDEX
Rector, 59ff. Retirement, 93. Testimony of, as to Washington's attendance at Church, 137. Charac- ter, 138.
McCarty, Daniel, 27ff. Long service as Vestryman, 95. Daniel, Jr., 94. Dennis, 4. McGill, Rev. John, 161.
McGill Parish, 3, 163.
Meade, Rev. Everard, 155.
Meade, Bishop William,
quoted, 21, 63, 100, 104.
Minister, effort to obtain from England, 9.
Minor, John, 21.
Moore, Cleon, 94, 116.
Mount Vernon, 41, 112.
Northern Neck of Virginia, 1.
Occoquan Church, 5. Olivet Church, 156.
O'Neill, Rev. Charles, 102.
Orphans bound to trades, 16.
Osborne, Richard, 4ff.
Overseers of the Poor, 93. List of, 124.
Overwharton Parish, 5. Page, Rev. Frank, 161.
Parish Levies, 9, 15, 49, 65. Vestrymen not to collect, 77. For support of the church abolished, 93, 146. Parishes formed from Truro, 3.
Payne, Edward, 44ff. Wil- liam, 27.
Paynes Church, 50. Con- tract for building, 51.
· Later history and destruc- tion of, 68.
Peake, William, 7ff.
Pendleton, Rev. W. H. K., 162.
Pews, assigned according to rank, 14, 27, 87. Sale of, in Pohick Church, 80ff. In Christ Church Alexan- dria, 97.
Physicians for the Poor, 25, 26, 66, 93.
Pohick Church, the Old, 5, 63. Repairs on, 16, 27.
Pohick Church, the present, 63. Discussion as to site for, 63. Plans for, 70. Contract for, 73. Lot for, 71, 77. Details in con- struction of, 79-90. George Mason completes it, 84-5. Pews sold, 83-5, 133. Other pews assigned, 87. Font in, 84. Books and orna- ments for, to be imported by Washington, 88. Wash- ington's attendance at, 99. Services after the Revolution, 100. Its de- cay, 104. Efforts at re- suscitation, 106, 151. Con- secration of, 153. Restor- ation now in progress, 155. Vestrymen, 156.
Pohick Chapel, 157. Pollard, Thomas, 91.
Poor, Provision for the, 11, 16, 25, 32, &c. Posey, John, 44ff.
Processioning of Lands, 18. Processioners and Pre- cincts, Lists of, 18, 28, 32, 62.
Reagan's, Michael, Church near, 6.
Religious Freedom, Mason's advocacy of, 143. Statute of, 148.
Rocky Run Chapel, 22.
INDEX
Ross, Hector, 60.
Rumsey, Wm. T., 159.
Salaries, of Ministers, 15,
93, 97, 145. Of Clerks and Readers, 9, 10, &c.
Scott, Rev. James, 45.
Sears, Wm. B., 88.
Slaughter, Rev. Dr. Philip, Introduction.
Sparks, Jared, referred to, 46, 64.
Sturman, John, 4ff.
Terrett, Wm. H., 22.
Tillett, Giles, 4.
Tithables, 10, 26, 91.
Tobacco as currency, 5, &c.
Tobacco House used as a Chapel, 48.
Trammel, John, 9.
Triplett, William, 92. Fam- ily, 119.
Truro Parish, Genesis of, 1. Old Vestry-Book of, 3. Boundaries of, 2, 26, 40. Churches in, 5, 6, 23, 50, 63. Division of, first, 26; second, 36-42. Decay of on suspension of levies, 93ff. Later history of, 151. Vestrymen of, In- troduction, 44-45, 120, 156, 163.
Turley, John, 27.
Upper Truro Parish, 26, 161.
Vestry House, 27, 60, 69. Vestry of Truro, The first, 4. Dissolved by the General Assembly, 20. The sec- ond, 21. Third, 44. Fourth, 45. Last Meeting, 96. Of present Churches, 156, 163.
Vestrymen, distinguished,
Introduction. Training of, Ditto. Lists of, 4, 21, 44, 45, 120, 156, 163. Oaths and subscriptions of, 21. Long service of, 95, 164.
Vestries in Virginia, Intro- duction. Not of Churches but of parishes, 47. Dis- solved, 149.
Voters, List of, in 1744, 128. Wagener, Dr. Peter, 78.
Peter, Jr., 91. Family, 110. Waite, Thomas, 29ff.
Wallis, Rev. S. A., Intro- duction. 154.
(Washington, George, Ves- tryman and Church Warden, 34, 35ff. Bap-
tism, 6. Part taken by,
toward building Falls Church, 34-6. In division of Parish, 41. Vestryman in only one Parish, 42. His lists of Vestrymen chosen, 1765, 44-45. On two Building Committees for Churches, 51, 72. Ex- tracts from diary of, 67, 72, 99, 142. Did he draw plans for Pohick? 70. Choice of site for church, 64. Gives gold leaf for gilding, 81, 90. Purchase of pews in Pohick, 82, 87. Gives bond for price of, 89. Deed for, 133. Re- quested to import books and hangings for Pohick, 88. His Last Vestry, 89. Regularity of attendance at Vestry, 89. Resigna- tion as Vestryman, 95. Buys pew in Christ Church, Alexandria, and
INDEX
was a parishioner there, 96-97. His memorandum of sale of pews, 97. Bond for pew rent, 97. Still attended Pohick when ser- vices there, 99. Regu- larity of his attendance at church, 99, 137. Distance from Churches, 141.
Stands as Sponsor, 142. Views of, on Assessments for support of Religion, 147.
Washington, Augustine, 9, 10. Bushrod, 103. Ed- ward, 15, 110. Lawrence, 9, 22. Lund, 95, 110. Waugh, John, 95. Weems, Rev. Mason L., 100. West,, Hugh , 21ff. John, 21ff. John, Jr., 33. Mrs. Sybil, 34.
Wren, James, 70. Thomas, 27. Zion Church, Fairfax, 158.
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