Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1892-07-22
The History Of a New Church in
WaynesbOro.

WHAT CAME FROM ONE OF THE sTAUNTOl
BAPTIsTs' MISSIONS.
At General Roll Calln meeting of tn
Baptist congregation at Waynesboro aSun
day or two ago, Capt. G. Julian Pratt
speaking in behalf of the older members O
it, gave an interesting history of the found
ing of the church, For years the only rep
rescntat1ve of the Baptist denomination
there was Deacon J. S. Ellis. 1t was or
his application that DR.. Charles Manly, the
still remembered and beloved pastor of the
Staunton church commenced Friday night
and Saturday morning preaching there
while still keeping up his pastoral work IN
Staunton. This with occasional assistance
from Rev. S. P. Huff continued till little
congregation was gathered. The meetings
were held in the Academy Building and the
first assembling consisted Of Deacon J. S.
Ellis, Mrs. S. H. Hunt, James Ellison and
wife, G. w. Sutler, A. Zeigler and wife
G.. Julian Pratt and wife and T. J. Harlow.
But it was not until July sth, 1874. that
the little gathering got house of worship.
At that time MIR. S. FL. Hunt, whose wife
but not himself was member, bought
from the trustees of the Methodist church
the building the Baptist congregation now
occupies, and had it decided to s. III. Hunt.
J. s. Ellis and G.. Julian Pratt, Trustees
for the Baptist church. 1t was an histor-
ic building, tor through it's walls and a
g1rder was hole made by cannon ball
fired during the civil war in September,
1864, during fight between Gen. Custer
Federal cavalry and Gen. w. g. Wick
hams Confederate cavalry. And it is a
coincidence that the congregation later
bought another piece of property, thinking
at the time to build there, the building on
which also had a cannon shot through it.
From 1873 to 1875 the Waynesboro
church bore the relation to the Staunton
church of mission church. DR.. Manly
had several of these mission churches-one
at Greenville and one at Hundley's mill.
He was the Baptist bishop of the Valley
and organized three churches in his diocese
while he was in Staunton. The Sabbath
school of the Waynesboro church did much
to keep the church together and active.
John S. Ellis was the first Superintendent
with Capt. Pratt as his assistant. On De
cember 10th, 1875, the WaynesborO church
was constituted with the following officers
Rev. s. P. Huff, Pastor; G.. w. Sutler,
Clerk; Jno. w. Ellison, Treasurer, and j.
s. Ellis and G. w. Sutler. Deacons. The
membership was IS, of whom 20 have since
died. II had letters granted them, and 4
were excluded. Of the last named, 2 males
requested their names to be dropped. and
two ladies were excluded having formed
other church relations. The church at
first joined the Albemarle Association, but
when the Augusta Association was formed,
joined that.
1t has had four pastors, Rev. s. P. Huff,
who resigned in 1877, and was succeeded
by Rev. W. A. Whitescarver, who resigned
in 1888, and was succeeded in 1884 by Rev.
John H. Taylor, who resigned in 1890 and
was succeeded by Rev. Henry Grady Fer
guson, of Greenville, S. G., the present pas
tor. In the nineteen years the little band
has grown into a congregation of 1855. The
Sabbath school, differed by W. A. Jones,
Supt.; R. G. Wright, Secretary, and J.. J.
Harlow, Treasurer, has 125 scholars and
IL teachers. The congregation has nearly
finished one Of the handsomest and most
spacious brick churches in the Valley,
built on plans furnished by Architect Ma
ron Dimmock of Richmond. It is Of mod
ern style located corner of 1st and Chest
nut streets, and when it is occupied the
Baptist of Waynesboro will have a church
home of both beauty and comfort.