The Methodist Episcopal Church.
The first Methodist church in Charlottesville
was originally a small brick
structure, built on the site now occupied
partly by the parsonage, and had a
seating capacity of 350, including the
gallery in the rear end. The pulpit was
very high. The church was dedicated
in 1835 by Bishop Emory. At the
Conference of 1835 Rev. Edward Wadsworth
was appointed pastor to Charlottesville
and Scottsville, with one
church, Temple Hill, between. He alternated
the Sabbaths between the two
towns and preached at Temple Hill
during the week. Wadsworth was a
young man of great ability. In 1837
Charlottesville was made an independent
station. In the early days of the
Charlottesville church many of the
University students took an active part
in the church work and Sunday-school.
Some of them were teachers, superintendents,
etc. Don Peters, uncle of Col.
William E. Peters, was one of the
Sunday-school teachers. Dr. Gessner
Harrison was a teacher in the Sunday-school
for a long while. Both he and
his wife were thorough Methodists,
active in work and liberal in giving.
He was a member of the official board
and the first secretary of the church.
He held a class-meeting of the Methodist
students at the University. He
refused an invitation to dine with
Thomas Jefferson because the dinner
was given on Sunday. Mrs. William
Wertenbaker, mother of the present
Col. William Wertenbaker, was one
of the first members of the Charlottesville
Church, having joined the congregation
here while they were worshipping
in the Episcopal Church, before
1835. Robert Jones, the father of Mrs.
S. W. Sterling, was a member at an
early date, as was also Mrs. Malcolm
Crawford. Miss Fannie Vandergrift,
whose faithful work as teacher of the
infant class is too well known to need
comment, joined the Church in 1839.
Mr. J. B. Hawkins became a member
in 1847. For a long time the Methodist
preachers received only $100. a
year in addition to their board. Messrs
Whitehead, Early, Poulton, August,
Granbery and Judkins boarded with
John M. Godwin, who gave to some of
them at least their board without
charge. The present church was begun
before the Civil War. The auditorium
was not finished for some years,
and the congregation worshipped
in the lecture room. Within six
or eight years after completion it was
remodeled. While the new church
was being built the congregation used
the Presbyterian church, which was
courteously offered for their service.
Dr. Wm. E. Edwards, in 1868, was
the first married preacher sent to Charlottesville,
though several of them
married while here. Among the many
pastors who have served this charge
were: David S. Doggett, Jno. C. Granbery.
W. W. Duncan, Paul Whitehead,
Wm. E. Edwards, Adam Bledsoe,
J. Wiley Bledsoe, B. F. Lipscomb,
C. L. Bane, and Wm. H. Edwards. In
1896 while Dr. J. Wiley Bledsoe was
pastor, it was thought necessary to
erect an additional church, and under
the auspices of the Epworth League,
the work on Belmont Church was
begun. This was soon completed, and
[ILLUSTRATION]
Rev. George E. Booker, D. D.
now a good work is being done there.
The Virginia Annual Conference has
met here a number of times. The last
time being November 1903. The membership
of the church is now about 1000,
with 550 in the Sunday-school. An
Epworth League, Rosebud Missionary
Society, the Woman's and Young Woman's
Missionary Societies are all in
prosperous working order. The present
building was remodeled about 12
years ago, and improvements are now
in contemplation. The present pastor,
Rev. G. E. Booker, D. D., is one of the
leading pulpit orators in the state. He
is in great demand as a lecturer, and
by his strong preaching and good pastoral
work, has added many to the
church register.
