Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1873-11-22
Christ Church Centennial.

The exercises attending the celebration OF
the one huudrcdth anniversary ct the creation
of Christ Church, which commenced on Thurs
day evening, were concluded last night, when
the crowd in attendance was even larger than
the night before so large. in fact, that many
we're compelled to 50 away, being unable to OBJ
tain seats. The only change observable IN the
dressing of the church, described yesterday,
was that the Washington tablet had been deco
rated with flowers.
Bishop Johns and Rev. \. NJ. Randolph
having been prevented from Coming, short ad-
dresses were delivered by the rector, Rev Nlr.
! Mckim, followed BY remarks from Rev. Dr.
Walker and Rev. Mr. Slaughter, after which
the Communion Servc: was read and the tloly
Communion administered, all who had ever
| partaken of that Sacrament III the Church be-
ing invited to participate
! The musical part of the exercises was as fol-
lows: Hymn 500, Gloria Tlbi. Hymn lS9,
| Hymn lS4. TrSagion, Hymn POS, Gloria IN
Excesis
The following history Of the church was hur-
ridly condcuccd from the eloquent address OF
the rector delivered the night before.
Ga the lSt day Of February, l7G5, 10y virtue
Of an act passed the previous year. being the
first of George sd, the parish Of Fairfax was
created out Of portion Of the parish OF Truro.
On the 18th of March the same year Vestry
was chosen consisting of Twelve gentlemen, one
Of whom was Co.. Geo Washington, then
lust thirty-three years of aye. His name stands
9Th on the list he receiving pa votes, while
John West received $40, Chas. Alexander 800,
VIM. Payne 3O4 aud John Dalton Isl. The
first record in the vestry book bears date Aug.
26 1865, and Washington uame Is not on the
list of Vcstrymen Probably he found it moro
convenient or deemed it more important to act
as Vestryman in Truro parish to which he was
elected the same year, and so resigned his place
in the Fcstry OF Fairfax. 1t appears thus that
the parish organization dates back los years,
and it further appears from the records that
| there were two churches then III the parish, one
at Falls Church, and the other at Aexandra,
known as the lower church. The exact sltua-
ton of the latter church is unknown but it
appears quite certain that it did not occupy the
site of ln- present cdiicc If tradition can DC
relied on, the church at the Falls, was the parish
church, and the one at this place the chapel.
The respective dignity OF the TWO churches Is
indicated by the comparative emolumcnts OF
the Office OF sexton in the same, tor IN the year
| 1866 Gerard Tramili, sexton OF Falls Church,
receives salary of $50 pounds OF tobacco, while
John Rhodes, sexton at Alexandria, receives
only 500 pounds of the same article. That the
chanel at Alexandria was not very elegant
or substantial structure may be inferred from
| the fact that upon tie completion OF the new
church at the Falls the old structure at that
place was sold by the vcstry for e. los. In
Nov l7GG the vestry ordered levy to be made
upon the inhabitants Of the parish Of 81 lS5
lbs. of tobacco for the purpose OF building two
new churches, one al the Falls, the Other at
Alexandria Ia January l767, Jamcs Parsons
agreed to build the latter church for fGOO. The
| shingles were to be Of the best Juniper, I of an
uch thick, is inches long, and to show inches.
The mortar for the outside of the wall to be
two-thirds lime and ouc-thlrd sand; for the IN
side one halt lime, and one-halt sand The
arches and peulmcnts to be IN the Tuscan or
der, the altar piece, pulpit and canopy, in the
Ionic order. The architect bore the name OF
Jas. Wren, gentleman. ln LIP, Jas. Par
sous having failed to finish he church, the yes
try made agreement with Col. John Carlyle to
complete the same for the additional SUN Of
600 and on the 9th of Feb, l773, the build
ing was turned over to the Vc<trymen, and by
them pronounced completed in a workman
| like manner" On the same day ten Of the pews
being offered for sale, Col. George Washington
| became the purchaser of pew No. 5, for the
sum of ESQ lis, the highest price paid. The
| Dimensions originally proposed, 4pxGO feet,
were enlarged to 5OXGO TO admit OF ten ad
ditional pews, which were sold to meet the in
creased expenditure. The remaining 10 were
| "alottcd" to the Pensioners according to
"dignity." 10 consequence Of the relation be,
| tween the Church aud the State existing at that
time, the tuuclous OF the Ecstry extended to
matters of civil nature. By their decree the
tythe collector levied upon every landhoider 10
the parish and the ''prOceSsloncrs surveyed
and established all the laud boundaries The
| Church Wardens bound apprentices to their
masters and record of the indcuturts was made
! iu the Vestry book. To thcm were paid fines
| for violations of penal statutes thus, III l775
we fud the following entry in the proceedings
| of the Vestry by cash received of Mr.. VIM.
| Adams, for tue several fues for deer killing
| out of season, delivered to him by Mr.. Bryan
Fairfax, e. los, and ITS, by Lawrence Mon
roe, for gaming, e. los; Thos. Lewis, for hunt
| ing on Sabbath, IS; John Lewis DO do. IS. y
| Upon the Festry also dcv0lved the relief of the
| poor, care of the sick, burial Of the dead, the
maintenance of the blind ard the lame, also of
foundlings and vagranIs One Of the charges
ia the year ITO is to 'Townshend Dade, Tor
sitting poor mau over the ferry, "a lbs. Of to-
bacco." Another is, ito cash paid Elizabeth
Ramsey for making shifts aud aprons for blind
Betty, Is and Cd" Another item is, 'Dr. Robt.
Lindsay undertakes for TO make cure of Wm
Graham at 100 per CT on his medicines, each
portion at four pounds. In l779 an account
is rendered Of cloth for the poor at G5 for the
yard, linen at E As per yd., pair shoes &c,
for broad cloth 50 per yd., bottles vine
and bread for the communion ,e6 lSs.
In 1850 prices ruled still higher thus: One
pair of stockings for prisoner eI2 six yards of
linen for do, e63. In 1884 the Parish Of Fair
fax is debtor to VIM. Shakespeare for keeping
poor child 500 lbs. Of tobacco Twenty seven
gentlemen were vestrymen from l765 to 1884
In l765 John West, VIM. Payne, jr., Thomas
Wren, VIM. Adams, John Dalton, Edward
DuliDg, Richard Sanliord, Daniel French,
Thomas Shaw, Townshcnd Dade, Chas. Broad
water, and Edward Blackburn were elected. 10
l766, JAS. Wren. ln 1867, Henry Gunnel. In
l716, Henry Dame, Richard Chichester, Thos.
InppIet; aud John Muir was elected, but de-
ojipaI Tn 1--T lhac Alny,nd ~ II .xIo, GOV