 | The history of Truro Parish in Virginia, |  |
The New Pohick Church
1767. The annual meeting for laying the Parish
Levy was held November 20th. Present, the
entire Vestry.
"Resolved, that a Church be built at or as near
the Cross Road leading from Hollis's to Pohic
Warehouse as water can be had, which resolution
was carried by a majority of seven to five."
Bishop Meade has handed down a tradition as
to the part which Washington took in the location
of this Church. Although no allusion is made to
it in the Vestry Book it is good enough to be
true and therefore we reproduce it, as follows:
"The Old Pohick Church was a frame building,
and occupied a site on the south side of Pohick
run, and about two miles from the present site
which is on the north side of the run. When it
was no longer fit for use, it is said the parishioners
of the new Church, when George Mason, the compatriot
of Washington, advocated the old site,
pleading that it was the house in which their
fathers worshipped, and that the graves of many
were around it, while Washington and others advocated
a more central and convenient one. The
question was left unsettled, and another meeting
for its decision appointed. Meanwhile Washington
surveyed the neighborhood, and marked the
houses and distances on a well-drawn map, and,
when the day of decision arrived, met all the arguments
of his opponent by presenting this paper,
and thus carried his point." It was the Vestry,
however, and not the parishioners, who fixed on
the site. The old site was nearer to Gunston and
the new one nearer Mount Vernon.[27]
To return to this Vestry meeting:—It was "Ordered,
that Mr. William Grayson be appointed Attorney
for this Parish, and that he be paid fees
only upon such suits as he obtains judgments for."
The Collector being still not ready to settle his
accounts a special Vestry was appointed to meet
in March following to receive from him the tobacco
securities notice thereof.
The Parish accounts, to meet which the annual
Levy was laid, are given in full for this year, Washington
having been Church Warden and principal
administrator of Parish affairs.
Dr.
| Tobacco. | £. | s. | d. | |
| To Rev. Lee Massey's salary | 17,280 | |||
| John Barry, Clk. of Pohic | 1,000 | |||
| Elijah Williams, do. LittleJohn's | 1,000 | |||
| Do. for three days extra attendance |
60 | |||
| Mr. Peter Wagener, Clerk of the County |
627 | |||
| Rev. Lee Massey, in lieu of a Glebe |
4,000 | |||
| Rev. James Scott, for 6 sermons | 1,992 | |||
| Samuel Littlejohn, Sexton, &c |
1,000 | |||
| Charles Wright, Do. at Pohic | 560 | |||
| Grafton Kirk for maintg. Sarah Jackson |
400 | |||
| William Cullison, per acct. | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| John Hollis, for the board of Dorothy Chesher, from the 25th. of May to this date |
200 | |||
| Samuel Russell for his support, he being allowed to remove to Cameron Parish, his claim to continue |
500 | |||
| Mr. William Grayson, per acct | 6 | 0 | 0 | |
| Doctr. James Nisbett, per acct. |
8 | 15 | 0 | |
| George Washington Esqr. per acct. |
1 | 13 | 9 | |
| George Mason Esqr. for finding ellaments twice |
200 | |||
| William Gardner, bal. per acct. as Church Warden, exclusive of the Collection acct. that not being settled |
500 & | 3 | 12 | 3 |
| Robert Loyd, for his support | 500 | |||
| John Hollis, for his support | 500 | |||
| (These were also exempted from paying Levy in future.) |
||||
| Thomazen Ellzey, per acct | 3 | 10 | 8 | |
| John Barry, Clk. Vestry, salary and extra services |
850 | |||
| Charles Wright, for making a back and hearth |
5 | 0 | ||
| Thomazen Ellzey, for extra services |
5 | 0 | 0 | |
| Tobacco for building a Church |
7,000 | |||
| 38,169 | 29 | 16 | 0 |
| To 6 per Ct. for Collecting 38,169 lb. of Tobo |
2,290 |
| To a fraction in the Collectors hands |
254 |
| 40,713 | |
| Cr. | |
| By 993 Tithables at 41 lbs. of Tobacco per Poll |
40,713 |
Cash accounts due ordered paid out of money
in hands of Mr. Hector Ross. John Posey and
Thomazen Ellzey appointed Church Wardens for
the next year.
1768. March 5th. Mr. Gardner settled his account
by paying 18,011 lbs. of transfer tobacco and
25 pounds in cash, which were lodged in the hands
of George Mason Esqr. Mr. Gardner to have the
privilege of exchanging four hogsheads of his own
crop for transfer tobacco, and to redeem the
money with 2,101 lbs. of transfer tobacco.
"Ordered, that Hector Ross pay out of the
money in his hands to George William Fairfax
Esqr. the sum of sixteen pounds, seventeen shillings
current money, agreeable to the account
lodged for surplices and books imported by him
for the use of the Parish."
At a Vestry held at the new Church, (Payne's,)
September 9th, 1768,[28]
to view and examine the
agreement except the brick pediments over the
doors, "And being of opinion that the house can
receive no damage from the weather for want of
the pediments, and understanding that it is the
general desire of the people in this part of the
Parish to have the Church received, on account of
the great inconvenience they at present suffer for
want of it, we do accordingly receive the said
Church for the use of the Parish, except the pediments,
which the said Edward Payne is still liable
for and obliged to finish according to the Articles
of Agreement." Col. George Mason was ordered
to make to Mr. Payne the last payment on the
Church, and also to pay an account for "making
horse-blocks and benches, clearing the Churchyard,
and for some additional work done to the
Church over and above his agreement, which we
think of service and ornament to the building."
Messrs. Ford, Linton and Ellzey "dissented to receiving
the Church."[29]
November 28, 1768,—The Levy includes 15,000
lbs. of tobacco for building a Church. Daniel
Mc.Carty Gent. and Thos. Withers Coffer appointed
Church Wardens. Alex. Henderson and
George Mason exhibited accounts of moneys from
sales of tobacco which were approved. George
Washington was ordered to pay Mr. Henderson
eight Pounds, being balance in his hands of the
sum received from Major Broadwater for deficiency
in work done on the Falls Church. Mr.
Henderson was also to receive from Capt.
Mc.Carty 372 Pounds due on the purchase of the
Glebe. William Weston's offer to cover the Vestry
House at Pohick, the Vestry finding the nails,
and to keep it always clean and in good order for
the purposes of the Vestry, for permission to make
use of the said house, was accepted. Edward
Payne was authorized to open a window in the
west end of the upper Church to give light and
air to the gallery, and bring in his account. It
was Ordered that the Church to be built be of
brick, and contain three thousand square feet from
outside to outside; and that the Church Wardens
for workmen to attend at Pohick on the first Friday
in March with plans and estimates.
| George Wm. Fairfax | Edwd. Payne |
| George Washington | Thomazen Ellzey |
| George Mason | Wm. Gardner |
| Esqrs. | Wm. Linton |
| Alex. Henderson | Thos. Ford |
Vestrymen.
"The Vestry having met pursuant to a former
order to let the building of the new Church at
Pohic,—Mr. Daniel French undertook the building
the new Church at the Cross Roads, for the
sum of £877 Virginia Currency."
"Ordered, that Mr. Alexander Henderson pay
to Mr. James Wren and Mr. William Wait each
forty shillings, out of the money in his hands, for
the plans furnished the Vestry."[30]
Adjourned,
7th. (But no meeting was held on that date.)
"At a Vestry held for Truro Parish at, the Cross
Roads leading from Hollis's to Pohick Warehouse
Sepr. 21st. 1769.—
"A spott was chosen to fix the new Church upon
convenient to the said Cross Roads, and agreeable
to a former order of the Vestry, bearing date the
20th. day of November, 1767. A yard was laid
off for the said Church, and a certain quantity of
land laid off for the use of the said Parish, for
which the said Vestry do agree to pay Daniel
French Gent. at the rate of one Guinea per acre,
for what the same shall measure.
"At the same time the said Daniel French, who
on the third clay of March last undertook to build
the Church for the sum of eight hundred seventy
and seven Pounds, Current Money of Virginia,
agreeable to a plan then exhibited, did execute an
thereof, agreeable to a contract entered into with
the Vestry on the said third day of March, and
ordered to be ratified and confirmed, by certain
instruments in writing on the seventh day of April
following, but which for want of a meeting of the
Vestry on that day, and the frequent disappointments
since, has never been done till now."[31]
"Resolved, that the Church Wardens procure
from the said Daniel French a proper conveyance
of the lot or parcell of land aforementioned." They
were also directed to receive from Mr. Henderson
the money in his hands due the Parish and pay
Mr. French 200 Pounds, the first payment for
the new Church.
This story is given by Sparks in his Life of Washington, and
is repeated by Lossing and others. The first discussion probably
took place at the Vestry held on September 28th, at which time
both Mason and Washington were present but four Vestrymen were
absent. The question would naturally be deferred until Messrs.
Fairfax, Henderson, Mc.Carty and Linton could be heard, and no
mention of a fruitless debate would be made on the minutes. The
interest taken in the matter, and perhaps the opposition to the
new site, is indicated by the full atendance at this Vestry, and by
the mention made of the vote by which the change in location was
adopted.
From Washington's diary, 1768. "Septr. 9. Proceeded (from
Alexandria) to the meeting of our Vestry at the new Church and
lodgd at Captn. Edwd. Paynes." This Church was about seventeen
miles from Alexandria.
On July 16, 1768, he "Went by Muddy Hole and Doeg Run to
the Vestry at Pohick Church stayed there till half after 3 oclock &
only 4 members coming returned by Captn. Mc.Cartys and dined
there."
This Church is hereafter known in the Vestry Book as the
Upper Church, but probably from the beginning was popularly
known as Payne's Church. It stood on the present road from Fairfax
Court House to Fairfax Station, two and a half miles from
the former and one mile from the latter. Its fate was that of many
of its contemporaries. After the Revolution it was disused except
for perhaps occasional services. Early in the last century the Baptists
took possession of it as abandoned property, as the judgments
of the Courts allowed them to do, and upon the division in that
denomination in 1840 the Jerusalem Baptist Church, (New School,)
was organized in the building and continued to use it until 1862.
Other Denominations also held occasional services there. The
building remained unaltered, and many of our old citizens remember
its ancient interior. In the winter of 1862-63 a large body of Federal
troops were encamped in the vicinity, and by them the fine
old Church was torn down, brick by brick, and the material used
to build chimneys and hearths for their winter quarters. The tombstones
in the large graveyard perhaps shared the same fate, for
only one or two remain, though the yard is full of sunken graves.
A small frame Baptist Church now covers part of the site of old
Payne's, the foundation lines of which can still be traced.
The silver Communion service belonging to this Church was
given by an old lady living in the neighborhood to the Rev. W. F.
Lockwood about the year 1850, and was by him presented to St.
John's Church, Centerville, where it is still in use.
This would seem at first glance to dispose of the tradition that
Washington drew the plans for the present Pohick Church. Lossing
states, however, that he had before him, when he wrote, the
original plan and elevation which Washington drew, and gives a
cut of them. But he does not say how he knew them to have
been the original plans. Washington was very apt to possess himself
of a copy of such papers. The true story is possibly this:
that the plans and specifications adopted were a composite of those
presented by Mr. Wren, Mr. Wait(e) and perhaps Mr. French who
received the contract, and were practically drawn up in detail at
this prolonged meeting of the Vestry. In this work Washington
would doubtless have a large share. In his journal he mentions
this meeting: "Mar. 3d. Went to a Vestry at Pohick Church and
returned abt. 11 o'clock at night." The Vestry Book says they adjourned
to April 7th, "Not having completed their business," that
is not having drawn and signed the contract. As the Vestry usually
met early in the afternoon they had probably given six or seven
hours to the work, which would indicate very careful consideration
and perhaps some differences of opinion to be reconciled.
The same general plan was followed in building all four of
the Churches erected in Fairfax and Alexandria at about this time.
It was quite the usual one of the period, omitting for the sake
of economy the tower and the cruciform shape common in the
Churches of an earlier date. The tower of Christ Church, Alexandria,
is of comparatively recent construction, being less than a century
old. The Falls Church was built by Mr. James Wren, and may
represent the plan which he submitted to this Vestry.
Washington's diary casts some light on these "frequent disappointments,"
and would seem to indicate that they were not
wholly accidental.
(1769) "Apl. 7. Went a fox hunting in the morning and catchd
a dog fox after running him an hour and treeing twice. After this
went to an intended meeting of ye Vestry hut there was none."
"July 24. Went to an intended Vestry at ye Cross Roads, but
was disappointed of one by Mr. Hendersons refusing to act." Mr.
Henderson, living at Colchester, was probably one of the Vestrymen
who joined with Col. Mason in opposing the new site for the
Church. Is it possible that the art of filibustering was not unknown
in those days?
| The history of Truro Parish in Virginia, | |