Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1885-09-17
sHAFTNER MEMORIAL CHURCH.

To the editor of the Alexandria Gazette:
WooDv1LLE, Rappahannock county, Va,
Sept. Is, 1SS5.-Our attention has been
called 10 correspondence in your paper
from Flint Hill describing the Shaftner
Memorial Church at Sandy Hook, which
makes the history of this most unfortunate
building bad enough at best, even worse
than it really is. The fact of its projection
by Mr. S, who left Sandy Hook youth of
fourteen, poor and friendless, in honor to
the memory of his mother, after he had &C.
cumulated large fortune, was extensively
published by the papers of the State. The
letter referred to says 900 was spent on
the church. This is not the fact; the real
| amount having been between nine and ten
thousand The truth is there is an unfor-
tunate mystery connected with the whole
affair that never has been pierced by the
| public, and now most probably never will
| be. The correspondent further says the
church is an immense building of pressed
bricks and brownstone, with tower 100
feet high. The bricks were burned on the
ground; there is no broWnstone about it.,
and there is no tower. Again, he speaks of
fine organ in the choir. This is the first
OF the organ known to US or to any with
whom we have spoken on the sub ect.
There was no organ; in fact no choir in
which 10 place it, as this part of the church
was never finished. The walls were put up
and the roof on, and at this point work was
practically abandoned. Part of the walls
were so badly built that one end fell out
shortly after. The general opinion was that
the workmanship of the walls was so
wretched, the character of materials used
so Indifferent, that it never could be made
safe building.
No doubt Mr.. Shaftner fully intended to act in
good faith in the matter, but after having ex-
pended over Sc, 900, and seeing how matters had
gone. abandoned the whole affair and refused to
furnish another cent. The Rev. Mr.. Bishop the
then minister resident at Flint Hill, of the Me-
thodi.t Church, had the personal charge and su
rervl5ion of the construction, received the money
of Mr.. Shaftner and paid the same out to the
workmcn. That Mr.. s. became dissatisfied with
the conduct Of affairs is evident from the fact of
his refusal to advance more money and by leaving
the church in its rude unfinished state, bare
walls exposed to the wasting effects of wind and
Of water.
The money given was enough to have made it
rs described in the correspondence one of finest
finish, and also to have provided it with an organ.
But it was left unfinished, one of those nexplica-
BILE things we may we'll wonder at and ask where
did all tho money go!
1t did 90, and all we have is roof and walls, and
go it will remain till they give way to the ele-
monts and tumble down.
1t was ono of those sad ventures which teach US
the folly of human dependence Far better had
it never been begun than to have come to so sad
termination. 1t stands a monument to tho gener-
osty that projected and the carelessness that de-.
feated it. 1t was an entire loss for use can be
made Of it save the few dollars the bricks may be
WORTH and even this disposition will hardly be
made, for there is no one authorized to act for
Mr.. Shaftner dead some years since) nor any ono
who will act unauthorized to save from decay the
few materials that could be put to other uses.
Such is the fate of the church at Sandy Hook-a
relic of misguided misplaced generosity on
the ono part on the other the evidence of
what careless inexperienced and mistaken con-
fdence will fail to accomplish. B.