The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-02-06
For the Richmond Dispatch.I
ST. Peters Church, New Kent County,
Virginia.

This is one of the few remaining churches
of Continental times. 1t was built nearly
two centuries ago; or perhaps earlier, ut y
cost of one hundred and forty-SiX thousand
weight of tobacco. The >teeple was erected
twelve years later. Its original form was
that of the letter It, but i'll repairing it,
after the Revolution, it was changed to Il
plain parallclogram.
! The first rector whose name has como
Down to us was the Rev. William Sellake.
He had charge Of it in 1852, and from that
time down to the revolution the list shows
that the supply of ministers was kept up
with unusual regularity. The ministry OF
the Rev. David MoSSom was the longest,
extending through period of forty years.
I he vestry erected beautiful mural tablet
TO his memory; witch was silamCfully
broken and mulllated by the soldiers in the
late war.
To Mr.. Mossom belongs the honor of
having otficiated when Colonel Washington
and the accomplished and beautiful Martha
Gusts kneelcd ut its altar to receive the
blessing i'll cOnSllmmatlon OF the, pllghted
vows that made them lone iieSh.'
The register shows but few names OH the
rcrtol's list after the death Of Mr. MoSSom.
\ Iongand drcary interval now owcommenced,
which lasted fifty years or more. The most
OF the Episcopalians had moved away.
There was quite an exodus from Eastern
Virginia to the cotton States about this
tune.
The Prc>byterians now took possession
of the church. They repaired it, changed
its form, and made other alterations and
after occupying it for some years, they re-
moved five miles below, where they had
builL IL church OF their own.
The Rev. Mr.. Silioman, the author of
l., ,,J. al ,,.nrl. nnnlnur a
one time the pastor of this flock, and had
his study and dormitory in the room in the
stccple.
Some twenty-five years ago or more the
Rev. DR.. Dalrymple, now president OF the
University of Maryland, reorganlzed the
Episcopaiiins still left, and connecting them
with his parish in Hanover, made arrange
ments to supply them with seml-monthly
services. From this time the church began
to revive, and continued TO prosper until it
was found necessary to sever it from Han
over parish and throw it back on its own
resources. Since then its fortunes have
varied. It suffered greatly during the war.
at the advance Of General Mcclellan many
left their homes to return no more. Some
died in their exile. Others returned to
take a farewell look 1t their once happy
hut now desolated abodes. and then lett
to make for themselves happier homes i'll
other States. Those that remained had to
commence the struggle Of life anew, poor,
and broken i'll spirits, and rs yet, owing to
the unproptiouS seasons and the want OF
means, their labors have been we'll nigh
frultlesS.
The church itself was broken and bat
tered, and rendered wholly unit for Use.
The old massive stone font, in which the
children of two centuries had been bap-
tiZed, was broken and scattered i'll 1rag-
ments over the floor. The chancel was
torn down, the pulpit and desk broken and
dctaced, and not Il sash was left in the win
dows.
A short time ago the Rev. Mr.. Kepler
visited them in their distress, and called the
| little remnant together for worship. he
collected small sum to enclose it so as to
| keep the weather out, and render 1t habit
able until it could be more thoroughly re-
paired. He has, It's We understand, about
$500 in hand for this purpose, collected by
! him from abroad, mostly by letter, ana
| wishes to obtain as much more.
| feel authorized to say that the Rev. Mr..
| Kepler will be happy to receive any sum,
| large or small, for this purpose, If enclosed
| TO him at 719 Broad street, or left for him
| with Messrs. Woodhouse & Parham.
| SESEX.
lWe violate rule Of our own in giving
place to the last paragraph of the foregoing
letter. We could fill our columns with ap-
peuls in behalf of struggling churches which
| are trying to secure comfortable places oi
| worship. There is so much OF interest in
the history of this old church in New Kent
that we have been induced to make an eX
| ccption in its fayor.l