 | The history of Truro Parish in Virginia, |  |
The Falls Church
"At a Vestry held at the Falls Church March
28th, 1763. Present, Henry Gunnell, William
Payne jun. Church Wardens, John West, William
Payne (sen.) Chas. Broadwater, Thos. Wren,
![illustration](https://iiif.lib.virginia.edu/iiif/uva-lib:1645/full/!1600,1600/0/default.jpg")
The Old Vestry Book
Geo. Washington, Vestrymen, Who being there
met to examine into the state of the said Church,
greatly in decay and want of repairs, and likewise
whether the same should be repaired or a new one
built, and whether at the same place or removed to
a more convenient one;—Resolved it is the
opinion of this Vestry that the old Church is
rotten and unfit for repair, but that a new Church
be built at the same place. Ordered that the
Clerk of the Vestry advertise in the Virginia and
Maryland Gazettes for workmen to meet at the
said Church on the 29th day of August next, if
fair, if not the first fair day, to undertake the building
a Brick Church to contain 1600 feet on the
floor, with a suitable gallery, and bring a plan for
the Church and price according to the same."
There is no record of a meeting in August.
Probably no contractors appeared.
October 3rd. 1763. "Ordered, that George
William Fairfax and George Washington Esqrs.
be appointed Church Wardens for the ensuing
year."
"Ordered, that the Vestry meet at Alexandria
on the third Tuesday in March next in order to
agree with workmen to undertake the building a
Church at or near the old Falls Church, and that
the Church Wardens advertise the same in the Virginia
and Maryland Gazettes to be continued six
weeks; and that it will be then expected of each
expense." The Parish Levy called for 30,000
pounds of tobacco" towards building the Falls
Church, to be sold for cash by the Church Wardens
for the highest price they can get." Again
there is no record of the meeting appointed for
March (1764) being held.[23] But in the annual Levy
laid in October of that year an additional 20,000
pounds of tobacco is levied "for building Churches
in the Parish," and ordered to be sold as before.
John Barry becomes Clerk of the Vestry.
Perhaps the Church Wardens overlooked their charge to advertise
for contractors until after this Vestry was to have met. But
on May 17th, 1764, their advertisement appeared in the Maryland
Gazette, a copy of which is preserved in the Library of Congress,
and ran for six weeks, as follows:
"Virginia, Fairfax county, March 20, 1764.
Notice is hereby given to any Person or Persons, who are willing
to undertake the Building a Brick Church at the Falls in Truro
Parish in the County aforesaid, (to contain 1600 feet superficial
Measure, with convenient Galleries,) That on the Third Monday in
June next, there will be a meeting of the Vestry, at what is commonly
called the Upper Church; At which Time and Place, any
Person or Persons, who will undertake the same, are desired to
attend, with their Plans, and Estimate of the Expence, and to
give Bond, with good Security, to the Church wardens of the said
Parish, for his or their true performance.
George W. Fairfax
George Washington Church wardens."
There is no record of a meeting of the Vestry on the third Monday
in June, as specified above, and it is probable that this effort
to secnre a builder to undertake the Church was not successful.
The present Falls Church was built a few years later by James
Wren.
| The history of Truro Parish in Virginia, | |