Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-08-27
HISTORICAL SKETCH.
NEW PROVIDENCE CHURCH.
Its Successive Pastors-Only Three In One
Hundred Year-The First School. &c.
Correspondence ofthe Richmond Dispatch.
NEW PROVIDENCE CHURCH, !


RoCKBRIDGE COUNTY, VA,
August 81, 1885. }
A countryman from Eastern Vir-
ginia is astonished at the large congre-
cations that gather here and at the size
Of the edifice in which they assemble.
They are Of the proportions of city
church and a city congregation.
The organization is one Of the oldest
in this section Of the State, having
been effected by the Rev. John Blair,
of New Castle Presbytery, in l74G.
During the first one hundred years Of
its history the church had but three
pastors. Rev. John Brown was pastor
from 1853 to 1875. At his ordination
the Rev. Samuel Davies made the or
daining prayer. Timber-Ridge church
was also under his pastoral care during
the earlier years Of his ministry. OF
the family of this venerable minister
the Rev. DR.. f. D. JunkiD. late pas
tor Of the church, in a sketch Of
its history, says; " They reared
seven children Elizabeth, who mar
ried Rev. Thomas B. Craighead (;
John, who represented the district Of
Kentucky in the Virginia Legislature,
was member Of the old Congress Of
1857 and 'sS and Of the new Congress
Of 1859 and '9l, and married Marga-
retta Mason, sister Of the Rev. John
NJ. Mason, of New York William, a
physician. who died early in South
Carolina Mary. who married DR..
Alexander Humphreys; James, a law
yer, first Secretary Of State in Ken
lucky, member of the United States
Senate from Louisiana, and who was
American Minister to France for six
years-he married Ann Hart, sister Of
Henry Clay; Samuel, physician and
professor in the Medical School of
TIansylyania, and Preston, physi-
cian."
The first school in the congregation
was established near the site Of the
first log church, where Old Providence
church (Associate Reformed now
stands. DR.. Archibald Alexander, so
long a professor in Princeton Theo-
logical Seminary, and leader in the
Presbyterian Church, was among its
pupils. This school. it is claimed, was
the germ of Washington and Lee Uni
vcrsity, Of which the Dispatch recently
gave lis reader, an interesting illustrated
sketch. The Presbytery Of Hanover,
with which this church was connected.
determined to establish q public SEM
mary for the liberal education Of youth
in Staunton, Augusta county" But
before their purpose was effected the
Prcsbytery found it necessary TO change
its location, and placed 1t within the
bounds Of this congregation, under the
inspection of its pastor, Rev. john
Brown, to be taught by Nr. William
Graham. Tie reason assigned for the
change of location from Staunton was
D." because there is no person to take
the management Of it at the place first
agreed on. and it is uncertain whether
there ever Will be-" What do our no
bic educators of StauntOn think Of the
foresight Of Hanover Presbytery?
The Presbytery reserved 1.-The right
Of visitation forever, and as often as
they shall judge necessary, and Of
choosing the rector and his assistant.
1t is not probable that the Presbytery's
successors. East and West Hanover
Presbyteries. will ever assert this re-
served right.
The second pastor. Rev. Samuel
Brown, not relative Of his predecessor.
had charge of the church from 1876 til.
the time of his death, in ISIS. This
excellent and honored man left a large
family. Five of his sons became min
iSters. Two of these still survive
Rev. Samuel Brown, Of Bath county,
and Rev. William Brown. D. D.. late
editor Of the Central Presbyterian.
The third pastor, Rev. James Morri-
son, was son-in-law Of his predeces-
sor and father.in-law Of two ministers
now prominent in the Church-Rev. B.
NJ. Smith, D. D., and Rev. r. L. Dab
ney, d. ID. He held this charge from
1919 to 1857, and during this time
more than seven hundred members were
received on profession Of faith, and the
congregation had so grown in numbers
that the old church. the second on the
present site, was torn down and the
present substantial and commodious
brick building was erected.
Rev. A. d. Hepburn. the next pas
tor, held the Office only a little more
than a year.
He was succeeded in 1850 by the
Rev. +. d. Junkin, d. d.. now Of
Houston, Texas. lie continued in
charge about twenty years, and proved
himself an able minister Of the Word
and most diligent and useful pastor.
From a history Of the church which he
published in 1871 the most Of the above
facts are taken.
His successor, the present pastor,
Rev. c. K. Vaughan, ID. d.. ranks
among the ablest and most highly cul-
tiyated ministers of his Church.
The Synod Of Virginia held its first
meeting III this church in 1888. learn
that it is the purpose Of the Church
Session to invite the Synod to hold its
centennial meeting here in 1888. The
people are already looking forward with
pleasure to this interesting occasion.
A protracted meeting is in progress
here now, the preaching being done by
the Rev. W. A. Campbell. of Fred
ericksburg.
The Rev. Z. l.. Dabney. ID. d.. il
now at the Rockbridge Baths, in i'm
paired health, under the medical care
Of DR.. S. b. Morrison. His physician
thinks he will be so far restored as to
be able to resume his duties in Texas
University, at Austin, at the opening
of the session.
Near by. and within the former
limits Of this congregation, but now Of
the Mount Carmel church, originated
two noted inventiOns-the Mccormick
reaper and the Wilcox < Gibbs sewing
machine. Dir. Gibbs, the inventor of
the latter, still resides at Rsphine, the
railroad station nearest this place.
Mr.. Leander j. Mccormick, of Chi
cago, brother of the Hon. Cyrus ii.
Mccormick, was at the church yester-
daY. He is visiting friends in the