A history and record of the Protestant Episcopal church in the diocese of West Virginia, Part 44

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Since the above was penned, I have received a communica- tion which states that the ladies, by their zeal and diligence, raised one hundred and fifty dollars for the furnishing of the chapel, and that some contributions were made by individ- uals other than the family above mentioned, in the neigh- bourhood, and in Wheeling and Cincinnati, though not to a large amount. Contributions of labour were also made by. some of the neighbours. The Rev. Mr. Wheeler was the min- ister for two years from the year 1842. The Rev. Messrs. Martin and Craik and Brown, of Charleston; the Rev. Mr. Goodwin, of Point Pleasant; the Rev. Messrs. Smith and Per- kins, of Parkersburg; the Rev. Mr. Hyland, of Moundsville, and Drs. Armstrong and McCabe, of Wheeling, have all ren- dered acceptable services at Ravenswood. The vestrymen have been Mr. Henry Fitzhugh, Dr. John Armstrong, Thomas Atkinson, W. S. Holmes, D. M. Barr, Burdett Fitzhugh, Henry Fitzhugh, Jr., R. H. Dickenson, James R. Mays, George H. Fitzhugh, T. D. Noussey, J. Beckwith, Thomas Kirk, D. Frost, I. J. C. Davenport, H. Harpold and James Beatty.

The Churches in Parkersburg and the Vicinity.

Parkersburg was one of the places visited by our first mis-

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sionaries,-the Rev. Messrs. Lee and Page. The Rev. Mr. Goodwin, also, either before or after his settlement in Kana- wha, paid an acceptable visit to the people of that place. The Rev. Mr. McMechin, soon after his ordination, spent a year or more in attempting to raise up a congregation there. In the year 1843 the Rev. Thomas Smith was elected its min- ister and the church was regularly organized, and in the fol- lowing year was admitted into union with the Convention of Virginia. Mr. Smith immediately commenced, with his accus- tomed enterprise, to raise funds for building a church, and was sufficiently successful in securing enough to provide a small and plain church; but, as is too often the case in the progress of such a work, the views of those engaged in it were enlarged, both as to the size of the building and the style of its execution, so that the completion of it was de- layed for some years. It is a well-built and handsome brick church, and stands on ground presented to the vestry by J. F. Snodgrass, late member of Congress from that district. For a large portion of the funds for its erection, and for much of the superintendence of the work, the congregation is in- debted to General J. J. Jackson, of Parkersburg. Mr. Smith died in 1847, and was buried beneath the vestibule of the church, at his own request, the reason being assigned that, as he felt himself to be a poor sinner, he wished to be tram- pled under the feet of all who entered the house. In the same year the Rev. Mr. Perkins was chosen, who entered on his duties in the month of October. In the year 1853, Mr. Perkins resigned the charge, since which time it has been va- cant. During Mr. Perkins' term of service two other church- es have been built in connection with Parkersburg,-one about fifteen or twenty miles above it, on Cow Creek, and another about ten or twelve miles below it, at Bellville. The latter was built almost entirely by Mr. Wells, on whose land and near whose house it stands. Mr. Perkins used occasion- ally to officiate at each of these places.

The following is the list of the vestrymen of this parish :-

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John Taylor, J. G. Stringer, Dr. D. Creel,, A. L. Kinnaird, J. M. Littleboy, Sen., J. F. Snodgrass, J. R. Murdock, W. S. Gar- diner, David B. Spencer, J. J. Jackson, Beverley Smith, W. P. Rathbone, Dr. Farmin, E. D. Safford, C. J. Meale, Isaac Mor- ris, W. H. Morehead,, G. B. Neale, J. J. Dickenson, W. H. Lau- rence, W. H. Small, J. J. Neale, J. H. Adams and E. F. De Selding.

Church in Wetzel County.

A church at New Martinsville, in this county, was partly built some years since, under the auspices of the Rev. James McCabe and the Rev. Mr. Hyland, and supplied for some time with services by the same. I have no list of the vestrymen of this parish, which was called Wetzel parish after the name of the county.

Church at Moundsville.

Within twelve miles of Wheeling, on the Ohio River, is to be seen one of the largest of those Indian mounds which are to be found in our Western world. It gives the name to the place. In the time of the elder Mr. Armstrong, there were some families belonging to our Church in and around it, which were visited by him, and to whom with the other peo- ple of the place he preached. The passage of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad through it, and the establishment of a large depot at it, has increased the population so much that an Episcopal church was erected here some years since, and the Rev. Mr. Hyland has, in connection with a school, per- formed the duties of a minister in it.

The following is a list of the vestrymen of the parish :- Colonel John Thompson, Isaac Hoge, E. H. Caldwell, W. S. Lane, O. S. Hock, G. W. Bruce. William Collins, General G. Jones.

From the foregoing notices of the Church in Western Vir- ginia, it will be perceived that our "beginning is small." May some future historian, when all its resources have been de- veloped, have the pleasure of recording that "its latter end has greatly increased!"

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CHAPTER IX.

Records of all the Parishes, Churches, Missions, Stations, &c., in West Virginia, since Bishop Meade's book was published in 1857, compiled from accounts furnished by the Clergy and others. Barbour, Berkeley, Boone, Braxton, Brooke, Cabell, Calhoun, Clay, Doddridge Counties. Churches in Martins- burg, Hedgesville, Bunker-Hill, Sutton, Wellsburg, Hunting- ton, &c. Account of Rev. Joseph Doddridge.

Barbour.

Barbour county was formed from parts of Harrison, Lewis and Randolph, in 1843, and was named in honor of Hon. Phil- ip P. Barbour, of Virginia. Square miles, 360. Population -1870. 10,312; 1880, 11,870; 1890, 12,805; 1900, 14,198.

Bishop Peterkin visited Philippi in November, 1880, finding only one communicant. In the last few years there has been quite a development, in and about Belington. This point has been repeatedly visited by both the Bishops. It is now under the charge of the Rev. James L. Fish, who has his headquar- ters at Elkins. In the course of a year's time we hopeto have a chapel.

The Rev. Mr. Gibbons conducted services and preached in Philippi, once or twice in the autumn of 1880. Living in Fair- mont. Mr. Gibbons would sometimes drive through Barbour to Beverley, in Randolph, a distance of sixty miles, and preach at different places, including Philippi.

Berkeley.

Berkeley county was formed from Frederick in 1772. It was named for Sir William Berkeley, Governor of Virginia, 1642.

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He it was who rendered himself so unpopular because of his severity against those who took part in Brown's rebellion, 1676. He caused twenty-three persons to be executed, and Charles II., when he heard of it, exclaimed, "The old fool, he bas taken more lives in that naked country, than I have for my father's murder." Berkeley, in describing Virginiain 1665. said, "Thank God, there are no free schools or printing press- es in this colony, and I hope there will be none for a hundred years." Square miles, 320. Population-1870, 14,900; 1880. 17,380; 1890, 18,503; 1900, 19,469.

Trinity Episcopal Church, Norbourne Parish-First account.

When Frederick county was created by Act of the General Assembly of the Colony of Virginia, in 1738, a parish was constituted, embracing the entire district, and given the same name as the county. But in 1769 this large parish was sub- divided into three, the upper being Beckford, the middle Fred- erick, and the lower, comprising the counties now known as Berkeley, Jefferson and Morgan, Norborne; so named in honor of Governor Norborne Berkeley. There were three chapels in this parish at a very early date, some contending, in fact, that the Episcopal, or rather, at that time, the Church of England, has the best claim to having built the first church edifice in the Valley, south of the Potomac. The reasons seem to be strong for this claim: the leading men who organ- ized Frederick county were Church of England men, and it is very natural that they should have a house of worship, shortly after the erection of a parish. Certain it is, from actual documentary evidence (the records of Frederick coun- ty), that there was a "Morgan's Chapel" and a "Cunningham's Chapel," before 1750. One of these was near Bunker Hill, and the other about twelve miles southeast of Winchester. Hedgesville, also, lays claim to having a chapel at an early day. Not until after the Revolutionary War had Martins- burg a church of this denomination. Bishop Meade says that this first church was erected chiefly at the cost, and under the superintendence, of Philip Pendleton, who was a devout

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Episcopalian, and a man of very liberal mind. The church stood at the entrance of the cemetery, laid out by General Adam Stephen, who had it established by law. About 1835, the old church began to be considered unfit for use. Its walls gave evidence of being unsafe, and measures were taken to build another one, not upon its site, but nearer to the center of the population of the town. A lot being donated on King street, an effort to raise the necessary funds was made, which, being successful, the building was put under construc- tion about 1839. Not until 1843, however, was the structure finished, at which time it was consecrated by Bishop Meade, who was assisted by Revs. Alexander Jones and J. Chisholm, of Virginia, and Revs. James A. Buck and Theodore B. Ly- man, of Maryland. In regard to the clergy of the parish there are many breaks in the succession. Whether their names have been forgotten, or whether there were no ministers in charge of the parish at those times, it is impossible now to determine. But it is altogether probable the latter is the correct solution.

Although Norborne Parish was organized in 1769, no clergyman can be identified as its rector until 1771, when Rev. Daniel Sturges was licensed for the parish, by the Bish- op of London. He was succeeded in 1786 by Rev. Mr. Veasey, and he, by Rev. Mr. Wilson. In 1795 Rev. Bernard Page be- came rector, who was, according to Bishop Meade, "deeply pious, zealous and far beyond the ministerial standard of the parish." Rev. Mr. Heath came next, who was minister till about 1800, when he died, not far from that date. Rev. Eman- nel Wilmer succeeded Mr. Heath, and was in charge of the parish about 1805-06-'07. Rev. Mr. Price was rector from 1811 till 1813, and then there seems to have been a gap of several years, in consequence of the war of 1812-'14. In 1815 Rev. Benjamin Allen took charge of the parish. He is said to have been "a man of untiring energy and deep piety, and not unknown to the literary world." He published six vol- umes of poems, a history of the Reformation that ran through

REV. JOHN SMALLWOOD DOUGLAS.

TRINITY CHURCH AND RECTORY, MARTINSBURG.

REV. HENRY THOMAS.

CHRIST CHURCH, BUNKER HILL.

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three editions, a history of the church and edited the Chris- tian Magazine. He also edited, while in Martinsburg, the Layman's Magazine, the first religious paper ever published in the Valley of the Shenandoah. He was the first to propose a division of the diocese, and the committee appointed to confer with the Bishop and Standing Committee on this sub- ject, was Rev. Enoch Lowe, Edward Colston and Robert Page. Mr. Allen died on shipboard, coming from a foreign trip, where he had sought a restoration of his shattered health. His successor was Rev. Thomas Horrell, in 1816, who remained three years.

Fifteen rectors have served the parish during the interval from that time until the present day.

Trinity Church, Norbourne Parish, Martinsburg-Second account.

Norborne Parish is coeval with Berkeley county. Bishop Meade says that "this parish and county were, by Act of As- sembly, taken from Frederick in the year 1769." The original parish included all the territory now embraced by the coun- ties of Jefferson and Berkeley, and there seems to have been but two, possibly three, churches within these limits. The one at Mill Creek, or Bunker Hill, which was founded by Mor- gan Morgan about the year 1740, was the first Episcopal Church erected in the valley. The other was located in Meck- lenberg, or Shepherdstown. It was built by Mr. VanSwear- ingen, a little while before the parish was formed. We have it on authority better than mere tradition that there was also a chapel about this time in Hedgesville. If the latter is correct, then there were three and not two churches in the original parish.

The next church erected in the parish was the one in Char- lestown. This was done soon after the division from Freder- ick, and not many years before the Revolutionary War. But it was not until the close of the Revolutionary war that the first Episcopal Church in Martirsburg was built. This, says Bishop Meade, "was erected chiefly at the cost and under the superintendence of Mr. Philip Pendleton, who was a zealous

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Churchman, and so far as we know and believe, a good Chris- tian." This church stood at the entrance to Norborne ceme- tery, which, by the way, was laid out by Adam Stephen and established by law in 1778. Just about this time the church in Hedgesville was erected, because the founders and princi- pal contributors to that were Mr. Raleigh Colston and Mr. William Pendleton, brother to l'hilip.

In the year 1801, Jefferson county was formed from Berke- ley, and that territory in name and fact cut off from Nor- borne parish. The whole county is included in St. Andrew's parish. Norborne parish thus reduced contained three churches. One of these, that at Bunker Hill, was served principally by the rector at Smithfield, which arrangement has been continued to this day. The church at Martinsburg and Hedgesville jointly supported a minister.

The first Confirmation in the church, of which we have any record, was held by Bishop Meade November 14, 1830, when he confirmed a class of nineteen persons, two of whom, Miss Jane Maxwell and Miss Lucy Harrison, are still living in Mar- tinsburg, (when this account was written, 1900).

About 1835 the old stone church became unsafe for use and measures were taken to erect another in the town. But there was some apprehension on the part of many, lest such a step should leave the old burying ground unprotected ; whereupon on the 13th day of August, 1836, it was resolved "that it is the fixed determination of the vestry that they will preserve said burying ground as now located and keep it from injury, exposure or desecration," which determination has been faithfully observed, and the cemetery is still used as a bury- ing place by members of the congregation, and those to whom it is endeared by hallowed associations.

A lot on King street having been donated, the present edi- fice was erected, and consecrated by the Rt. Rev. William Meade, of Virginia, on Thursday, August 10th, 1843. Present and assisting, were the following clergy: The Rector, Rev. James Chisholm, and the Rev. Alexander Jones, of Virginia;

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IN WEST VIRGINIA.

Revs. James A. Buck and Theodore B. Lyman, of Maryland, afterwards Bishop Lyman, of North Carolina. The sentence of consecration was read by the rector, and the sermon preached by the Rey. Mr. Jones, from Zechariah, Chapter xiv. 20, " In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, Holiness unto the Lord: and the pots in the Lord's house shall be like the bowls before the altar." At a Diocesan Convention held in Norfolk, Virginia, May, 1848, a petition was presented by Trinity Church, Martinsburg, for its erec- tion into a separate parish. This petition was granted by the convention, and from that date Norborne was divided into two parishes: the one included Mt. Zion Church, Hedgesville, and Calvary Church, Back Creck, and the other Trinity Church, Martinsburg.

During the Civil War this church was so badly damaged (having been used as a hospital) that in 1865, it was found necessary to have it thoroughly renovated, before it could be used for divine service. This was done under the rectorship of the Rev. William D. Hanson. The present vestibule and iron railing were added in 1869. In 1883, under the Rev. Robert Douglas Roller, D. D., the church edifice was com- pletely renovated, enlarged and improved, and was conse- crated by the Rt. Rev. George W. Peterkin, D. D., March 18, 1888. The Rev. R. T. Davis, D. D., of Leesburg, Va., a former rector of the parish, preached the sermon. The other clergy present were the Revs. Landon R. Mason, of Shepherdstown; William T. Leavell, of Hedgesville; Dallas Tucker, of Charles- town, and John S. Gibson, of Smithfield. During the rector- ship of the Rev. Henry Thomas, who took charge October the 1st, 1888, a debt of two thousand dollars was paid, the in- terior of the church improved, and a handsome pipe organ built. The parish has at present a large and active Guild, a congregation of about two hundred souls, and a prospect of active work for the future. The present rector, Rev. John S. Douglas, took charge October 2nd, 1899.

The following is a list of the clergy who have served as

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rectors of the parish: 1771, Rev. Daniel Sturges, licensed by Bishop of London; 1786, Rev. Mr. Veasey; - , Rev. Francis Wilson; 1795, Rev. Bernard Page; 1800, Rev. Mr. Heath; 1806-'7, Rev. Emmanuel Wilmer; 1811-'13, Rev. James Price; 1815, Rev. Benjamin Allen; 1815-'19, Rev. Thomas Horrel; 1819, Rev. Enoch M. Lowe; 1821-22, Rev. Edward R. Lippett; 1826-'29, John T. Brooke; 1830-'31, Rev. James H. Tyng; 1832- "36, Rev. William P. C. Johnson; 1836, Rev. Cyrus M. Jacobs; 1837-'42, Rev. Charles C. Taliaferro; 1842-50, James Chis- holm ; 1850-55, Rev. D. F. Sprigg, D. D., 1855-'59, Rev. Richard T. Davis, D. D .; 1860-'74, Rev. William D. Hanson; 1875-'78, Rev. John W. Lea; 1879-'88, Rev. Robert Douglas Roller, D. D .; 1888-'99, Rev. Henry Thomas; 1899, Rev. John S. Douglas.

It may interest some to know that, among others, many of the oldest and most esteemed citizens have served as ves- trymen of this church. Among them may be mentioned the following: Ed. P. Hunter, Jacob Van Dorn, Robert Gregory, Franklin Thomas, Norman Miller, Stephen B. Snodgrass, T. Fryatt, Dr. Page, William D. Burkhardt, D. Conrad, Jacob Van Dorn, Jr., B. S. Lyeth, Thornton Henshaw, D. H. Con- rad, James Ijams, John Ardenger, John F. Staub, C. S. Lee, H. H. Conrad, J. F. Young, Edw. Pendleton, John J. Yellott, J. L. W. Baker, W. B. Colston, R. J. Rankin, William T. Hen- shaw, Talcott Eliason, John H. Hunter, John W. Abell, J. H. Tegmeyer, William Dorsey, R. P. Magruder, George D. Creg- low, Dr. James W. McSherry, John B. Nadenbusche, William P. Phillips, Dr. N. D. Baker, John E. Boyd, George A. Chris- man, Jacob Gassman, E. J. Simpson, John H. Doll, John M. Howell, J. T. Young, N. W. Jones, C. A. Miller, Samuel Ves- tig, D. S. Eichelberger, Edward Rutledge, Dr. V. B. Warren- fells, Alexander Parks, John Hutzler, Herbert Alexander. A. M. Gilbert, Dr. Alonzo Andrews, Prof. J. W. Tinsley.

Reminiscenses of Mrs. Mary W. Leigh, daughter of Colonel Ra- leigh Colston.

My Dear Mrs. Leavell:

You ask me for some reminiscenses of old Mt. Zion Church,

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Hedgesville. I am afraid the few I can contribute will not be of much interest, but I will do the best I can. The chapel, as it was called, as I can first remember, was built in 1817, I have been told mainly by the efforts of my grandfather, Mr. Rawleigh Colston, and old Mr. Hedges, who gave the ground. My first recollection of Mt. Zion Church was in connection with the Rev. Charles Taliaferro, who was the incumbent- but I was then a very little girl. I have a very dim recollec- tion of a Rev. Mr. Johnson, who baptized me, and my brother Rawleigh, two years younger, at the same time. After him came Mr. Taliaferro, but his bad health and that of his wife obliged him to give up the church after a few years. There were no Sunday schools in those days, but Mr. Taliaferro was in the habit of gathering all the children around the chan- cel, after services were over, who were old enough, and re- quiring them to say the Catechism, expounding it to them at the same time, and I remember well, how I always trembled in my shoes, for fear the "I desire" would come to me. I remember standing up with my two sisters, and answering in my turn, and it was no slight ordeal for the children to "speak out plainly," as we were enjoined to do, in the pres- ence of such members of the congregation as chose to re- main. Some of the boys were almost grown, the one I re- member best was Edmund Hedges, who afterwards lost his life in the Mexican war. Mr. Taliaferro had no choir and wore no gown, and the service was the baldest you can im- agine. The only attempt at music, was the singing of a couple of hymns, or a psalm and a hymn, when Mr. W. Pendleton would generally "lift the tune," one of the simple, old fash- ioned ones, but the whole congregation joined in with many quirks and quavers, but with a hearty good will. Mr. Pen- dleton was one of the wardens, and a very prominent figure in the church; he with his family occupied a pew just in front of our own. Another prominent person in the congrega- tion was old Mr. Josiah Hedges, who always wore shoe buck- les and his hair combed straight back, and plaited down his

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back in a queue. For some years we were without a minis- ter, and then came the Rev. James Chisholm. All these min- isters divided their services between Martinsburg and Hedgesville, preaching alternately in the two churches. Like Zacheus, Mr. Chisholm was very small of stature, but I well remember the indignation of the ladies of the Hedgesville congregation when they determined to send to Baltimore and have a black silk gown, the students' gown made, for Mr. Chisholm to officiate in, so, that all things might be done de- cently and in order. Mr. Chisholm's measure had been taken and sent down to have the gown made by some one, who knew how such things were to be done, for this was an in- novation, such a thing having never been seen amongst us before. When the box arrived, there was the black silk gown beautifully made, but at least one-fourth of a yard too short, even for little Mr. Chisholm, and there was nothing to be done, but to buy more silk and add it to the bottom to lengthen it. It was during Mr. Chisholm's time that a small pipe organ was bought, and a choir formed for the singing of the chants and anthems. It was a great event when the organ was set up, and was the wonder of all the children, as to what the words "Laus Deo," which were over the top, meant. Mr. Daly, who taught the children at Honeywood, was organist, and with Mr. Chisholm's assistance undertook to train the choir, with Mr. James Cox as leader. Mr. Chis- holm was very much beloved and the memory of him is still fresh in the hearts of some who were only children then, but who are old people now.

He possessed a fund of quiet humor, and would often tell of very amusing people and things he met in his journey- ings in the mountains. At that time, services were held once a month in a little stone church, belonging to the Epis- copalians, near "Tomahawk." Mr. Chisholm was called to Portsmouth, Virginia, and perished there in 1856 from yel- low fever. Next in order, was Rev. D. F. Sprigg, and, I do not suppose there has ever been a man more beloved, than

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he was by both congregations. The Church seemed to take on a new life and the confirmation classes were always large. I well remember a very ludicrous thing which happened at one of the visitations of Bishop Johns. The "collection," as it was called, was taken up in deep velvet bags, attached to long poles, and the bags had heavy silk tassels at the bottom. The two wardens were taking up the offering, one of whom, was my father, and the other Mr. Pendleton, and father accidentally brushed his bag, heavy with silver, over the head of old Mr. Tabb, who wore a slick, new wig. The wig was knocked off, exposing the shining bald pate. The old gentleman made a number of efforts to catch his wig, but in vain, and he picked it up in great confusion and dismay and replaced it on his head, amid the scarcely suppressed laughter of the whole congregation, Of course, Mr. Sprigg and the Bishop had full benefit and Mr. Sprigg, who had a keen sense of humor, repeated it afterwards with great ef- fect. After Dr. Sprigg, came the Rev. Richard Davis and after him the Rev. W. D. Hanson, one of the most saintly and gentle spirits that ever blessed this earth. He remain- ed through the whole of the civil war and ministered to people of all denominations, as all the other ministers had left Martinsburg, and Mr. Hanson was left alone, and was always ready to minister to the sick, and dying, or to bap- tize or marry or bury when ever he was called upon.

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A history and record of the Protestant Episcopal church in the diocese of West Virginia, Part 44

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