Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-09-21
IL Centennial Anniversary, September ],
1890. Celebrated by services-The
Grandson OF the Founder.
rror the Dispstch.l

n
Tradition as IL . mine OF buried ore.
ON sunday last. the 18th day OF Septem::
ber 1880. tho guidc-post along the road OK
Virginia Antiquities pointed to this spot,
and there bid heart and tone Of interest
halt and finger. while rs a memorial ami
versary divine services were there held.
for with the coming Of the harvest moon
of this summers month one hundreu
years had passed since the building Oh inc
Old Chapel
Services were conducted on this inter
estipC occasion by Rev. c. u. Bryan pres
ent rector Of the parish. after whlcn al
historical sketch Of the ancient Dulidlhg'
rompiled by william \. Nelson. tsq.' was
read bv Mr.. George Burwell, the great
grandfather of the latter having oeen the
donor Of the land upon when the cnaPeii
f. built. This evidence - iound IN an or
writing. In which "Rawleigh Colston ana
Tboms. Rvrd. ESQ. do signify to Nathaniel
Rurwell. ESQ, the grateful sense OF the
yestrv for his generosity. and request INN
10 erecuta n deed for the two acres OF
land which be has ohered them Tor ING
nnrnose of building a church thereon ana
for a burying-ground.' DR.. Robert =.
Randolph is among tho salnted ones
whose earthly mission lay arounu ms
benefits 20 the Old chapel, whlle bls.oP
Meade commenced his ministry IN tAe
bounds Of its stone walls. In body neither
The one nor the other of these faithful ser
wants remain IN the Masters vineyard, but
The influence of their labors hyeth ever
more. and on each side OF this OLD sshctu1,
ary al their devotion are placed memorial
tablets. bearing open testimony OF their
greatness and their goodness.
pEEPLY-TRACTD LOVE
Like a valued page Of sacred history Is
the Old Chanel in the Valley OF Virginia IN
The county OF Clarke Though. II IS frag-
mentAry with age. its lore deeply traced ~
the finger Of time and inscriptions wrou. NJ
bv the eyer-falling hammer OF iatH, the
80 Nsksr Who fashioned it, binding OF
enfoldiug meadows and nodded the strong
nlasp of mountains 10 chain II ABOUT IeIs
no, His norton Of the work suuer one
Iierisb Tor TO Him "one minute is As
thousand years. We see me uaY-
iirbt shadows OF distant blue upon
the peaks. wo mark their crown OF
chsneing purple and gold when Gay -
49, We watch the winding silver thread
~ wstsr which the Shenandoah weaves IN
and ont the ample widths of green growing
yelvet with which the fields are robed;
and then our eve rests upon the Old
Chanel. and as We ponder that thus 700 IL
All was a hundred years ago, II seems that
n must be that earthly things TOO are
from everlasting 20 everlasting ana
that such a. still remains 70 rs oil yes'er
and to-day is also forever.
The LEGALITY seemed made for the chapel
and The chapel FOR the locality, rs the mar
mon of each for the other time has a.
tupel into accompaniment. Inc r3au
LEADING thereto passes quickly througn a
VILLAGE with its Sunday look OF tlgntIy-
closed store doors. the Growing Cochs
mon the low whitc-washed pilnSS
fapping their wings, honey -suckIe9
porches and little brown uare-lesged
boys with faces shining from SUNDAY
morninr soap and water pGtterng
alone the ono plank wa.kway hug
zinc Their catechisms Beyond continues
the road. guarded on each side. toy
stone wall 50 massive in It's unDrokeh
lencthso of endurance. SO true IN us strength
TO save from invasion, and so staiWhit'
while the tenderest vines are close clihg-
ing to II for support, that we glve IL ever
lasting honor that 1t should typhy III E'ulo .
and character the lamented hero oil the
South,
QUAINT SURROUNDINGS.
.oIl cate. which even upon Sabbat h.
dav's tourney let's 10 passer-by 20 rec
briugs the mind from its patriotic heiGhts
Ia lower levels OF consideration Win an
uuceremonlous bump thai proves an eA1
cellont autidote TO q mood OF threatened
sentimept; for the next eucountered Is q
worthy dame in iurbeloWS too various 20
describe, perched upon roam mare aiohS
vending her way tosome meet n mouse.
In another direction al old darky or Two
masses and humblv bends and mum oies
hSarveut. MASTER Distant clumps OK
trees and up-curling threads Of smoke are
,icus ever and anon ~ some ancestral
homo. Meantime the road grows
.ouder with rumbing and thicker win
old-time family coaches, ught cafTlages.
bucgies, wagons. and smart El-s-au on
which stop, accumulate. and empty thelr
burdens in n dense clump OF giant trees,
where stands the "Old Chapel The men,
voupg and old. are all standing around Tor
services have not begun. With the trueSt
OF rural chivalry they help tho Iauies rom
their vehicles and escort them 10 the doofr;
whispering In animated conversation an
the while, for vet outside the sacred DuiId-
ing there "a a reverence the very atmos-
phere breathes and demands.
SUNDAY means the seventh cay, the Guy
and a fashionable church. This then was
not on SUNDAY. IL was the " holy Sannatn
dav." The sun shone SO softly II was hai-
lowed: the shade was pure and restiul 10
Us sombre plots; the rustic OF the wind
stirred trees was hushed 70 gentle slghine'
aud the good horses tied % tho racks
whisked of the flies ard stamped with a
far-away sound Of childhood memoues-
for there stood the Old Chapel, literally as
well as figuratively, the House OF God.
THE GREAT WORKSHOP.
Though it has tabernacle built by
bands. the materials still show that they
esme from tho workshop Of the Almighty
Maker. From the quarrles near ny uh'
GREAT stones were taken and the square
quaint, old house fashioned, IN size not
larger than an ordinary room. As no too
OF the mason has polished the exterior
no art of the decorator has touched WIFE
design or color the interior. The forest
under the shadow of the hills ana th'
primitive plauing-saws OF the colonial uay'
supplied the crude boX-lhe seats yclepl
pews. the steep lsdder-h Ike stairs leading Z
dark brief gallery above, and the read
ing-desk and high pulpit canOpied by, al
overhanging sounding-bOard. Alas! thai
such an edifice should ever become desc
Grated by being the fashion. because
having an interior Of native hard wood
Against the middle post of the ehape
hang two long sticks. Upon the enc OF
each Is black velvet bag which are takeI
down and used 10 take up the collection
LET your light so shine Is now more
suitable text for this ancient mode o
handing around the hat or passing the sll
yer plate, as the velvet bags held TO TN
Light show many holes and prove the fu
tllty Of laying up for yourselves trea
sures on earth, where moth ana rust uoli
corrupt"
AN ANCIENT CONTACT.
Some more adequate idea may be gleane'
OF the style of architecture of that perio
OF Colonial Virginia from an old documen
containing the written contract of
chapel: lit must be made Of logs squareC
aud dovetailcd, thirty feet long in th
clear and twenty-five feet WIDEN the clear
and eleven feet high from the sill 10 th
wail-plate. 70 underpin the whole
TO make four windows thereto-tw,
in the front and two in tho bacl
part over against those in front
each window 70 have eighteen pane
OF glass OF the size OF l0xs. TO max
shutters 20 the windows with bolt
within to keep them closed when shut
and catches without 10 keep them bac
when open. A good strong door in tn
middle OF the front with good lock,
floor Of good plank, grooyed and tongued
communicable. a suitable number q
benches for seats in the chapel,
pulpit with reading desk and clerk
desk. a sounding board over the pulpit,
good roof Of festher-edge shingles. and Z
furnish nails. plank, aud whatever els
shall be necessary for building the SAL
chapel, In manner aforesaid for forty-nin
pounds current money Of Virginia" Again