The Iola register., 1886-11-19
Pohlck CHURCH.
The venerated vlfginiA Structure In which
Washington W0rshipod.

The venofated Virginia Structure In Which
Warrington Worshipsd.
After . delightful drive through &
finely wooded and cultivated country
arrived at Pohick Church. regarded with
SD much reverence by Americans. as il
was here for many years that General
washington worshiped. The sexton
unlocked the large gate Of the inclosure.
The site of the church was selected BY
Washington on account of its central po-
Isition, and ita proximity to Mount Yer
non. The contractor was Mr.. Daniel
French. It was begun in 1869 and
finished in 1772. The bricks were made
in the county and the stone was brought
from the Isle of Wight. The building
is 664 feet in length BY IS in width, and
the walls are % feet in height. Yhe en-
tire cost was EST. The money for the
payment was raised by taxation The
walls appear to have been broken. as
the repairs have been made with newer
bricks. The church has an ancient ap-
pearance, and is very much larger than
is usually seen in the country. There are
two large door on the western side and
one on the south side and twenty-six
windows. The steps are eight in num-
ber, built of the same stone as the trim
mings and easements of the doors. The
church has been thoroughly renovated.
There are two aisles and four rows of
substantial pews and beautiful chancel
inclosed with semicircular railing.
During the civil war the regiments sta
toned at Alexandra quartered their
pickets in this church, and the Pennsyl-
vania and Iowa Union soldiers stab. ed
their horses in it. The stone tagging
of the aisles was torn up and thrown
out, the pulpit and pews broken up and
pieces sent as mementoes or relics to
different States to relatives and friends.
Washington's pew met with the same
treatment. The spot on which it stood,
on the north side, is pointed out to
visitors. The roof of the church was
pierced with bullets; all the plastering
fell down; holes were chiseled out in the
corners of the church. which had stone
facings, to find the money supposed to
be in the cornerstone, and some men,
bers of an Iowa regiment carved their
names in the west corner on the stone
facings near the door.
The list of the names of the original
vestrymen of Pohick Church was kindly
furnished me by q Virginia gentleman
of Accotink, who is quite an antiquar-
ian. and had copied them from the
vestry book of 1872. which has been
found during the last three months in
the State of New York, where it had
been treasured and hid away by Vir-
ginia family. The first vestryman's
name on the list was that of George
Washington and then followed the
names Of George Mason, of Gunston,
who wrote the bill of rights of the State
ofVirginia; George W.Fairfax. baronet,
collector of the Kings customs for the
Potomac; Alexander Henderson. Martin
COckborn. Colonel Daniel McCarty,
General William Payne, Thomas Wither
Golfer, and Mr.. Elizer.
Near the church is small grove.
There are also many graves. read the
following inscription on tombstone
over hundred years old:
.'To the memory of Mrs Susanna
Mills, wife of John Mills (merchant)
who departed this life June II, IVA,
aged SO years.
"Whater she was fOrbear to say.
Twill best be known on tn" great day,
When you and all and every one
Must give an account of what was done.
To say NO more. she lived approved.
Died lamented and below, d."
As turned away to return homeward
my mind was filled with thoughts of the
different scenes which had been enac' ed
4 Al.
peace and war, under the same, soft
blue sky, with its feathery clouds and
the same beautiful surroundings of
emerald green meadows, yellow tinted
grain-ficlds, and distant hills flooded
with waves of light catching CLEANS OF
the suns glory.-Cor. Washington Star.