Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1899-11-16
WASHINGTON'S CHURCH AT
ALEXANDRIA, VA.
From thu New York Tribune |

mestic personality and individuality as
man from youth up as this quaint
Virginia town on the Potomac. Iu ad
dition TO its association with the relig
ious life of Washington, the quaint
Episcopal church, in it's new dress, be-
comes one of the most attractive types
of exterior and interior design of Ameri
can colonial ecclesiastical architecture.
There is every reason, too, why il
should be 50. The architect, James
Wren, of London, was descendant o.
Sir Christopher Wren, the architect o.
st. Paul's, London one of the noblest eo
c!esiasticai structures of the world.
L. was an early habit of Anglo Saxor
dominion TO rule the rest of the world
under it's sway, especially during the
eighteenth century, by "Act of Parlia-
ment,n whether it related to the pro-
hibition in America of the manufacture
of iron or other staple articles OF com.
merce, interfering with the home pro-
duction, or building churches for the
colonies.
Iu Virginia, royal province in these
DAYS, Christ Church, OF Alexandria, &c
interwoven with the home life of Wash
iagton, and later cf tie Lees and the
COLONIAL and cont.ptglal aristocracy Of
the "Old Dompion" for nearly oen
tury, was one OF the Parliamentary
churches"
The old Pohick Church, also promi-
uent 10 Washington's plantation life.
was another. Washington drew the
plaps of this church. The ancient
chronicles say that during a persistent
drought, hen his tobacco grew limp and
his crops were parched, Washington,
with his entire household and large
retipue of slaves, resorled to old Po.
hick, seven miles distant, for "a spell
OF prayer for spell OF rain," and that
.neir invocations were so tempestuous
hat nature did not even give them
time to get back to the plantation, but
gave them such drenchiDg that kun.
uel," as he was then, got soaking, ano
Lady, Washington rained her best
church gown.
I,was tradition among the slaves
and is among their free descendants in
the neishborhood to this day, that
"Massa G'o'ge prayin' so hard fo' hii
'bacco made de Lord wetp for we pooa
okts of els world, dat He COULDN'T
wait till we'uns got back, but poad il
down wus than ever seed by de Oldest
nigga in de brakes"
The original Falls Church, 30 fami.
liar as strategic point in the first Bull
Run fAsco, in 1861, and in the defeDces
of Washington from the Richmond side
during the civil war, was still another
| of the colonial religious centres by "Ac
of Parliament" and was uoder the par
ticular pr,ronage of Lord Fairfax anc
his American family.
Among the ancient fanes of tht
Colonial period the South Church
Boston; Christ Church, Philadelphia
the Swedes' Church, Wilmington, Del.
the Breton, at Will msburg the Gov
ernors' Church, at the ancient capita
of Virginia ; St. Paul's, at Norfolk, ant
St. Johns, at Richmond, are the con
| temporary structures still preserved.
The numerous denominational type
of colonial church architeclure-th'
| Dutch Reformed, the Scotch Calvnist
che English Episcopal, the French
| Hupuenot and the German Lutheran
| in old New York have, unfortunately
for ancient landmarks, disappeared De
fore the commercial spirit OF the age.
1t was drowsy afternoon. A part.
of Grand Army veterans OF the civi
war. with their wives and daughters
| had come down to visit the ancient ourl
and wander among the shapeless breast
works and forts from which they hat
marched thirty years ago under drsn
nto the Wilderness, to the kappahan
mock and the James, fighting some Q
the heaviest battles OF the Worid an,
giving the death grapple to the rebel
lion of the South. =,
Itreuuires the swing of turnst;i
and 10 cent piece to pass the iron por
raj. From the small fee charged an
the libsrality of the congregation an
their friends abroad the chur ID has JUS
been completely renovated ana ma
now be considered good for many years
The interest OF American citizens Il
ever, .hing relating 70 General WASH
| iupton and General Lee seems 10 Do o
| tbs Increase, and especially since In
opening of the trolley from Washing ~
ton TO Arlington, Alexandria and M
Vernon has made it so easy and mex
oensive to get to those places.
The interior is now exactly as IL wa
| in Washington's day. The church
nuilt of the small blush brick impor1e
nv Lord Fairfax from Eugland. IN
nigh pulpit. with wooden canopy s >. h!a, Nn
| latter in part reproduo so}, ana .aoie' 81
on either side of the chancel contalnln I,
| The Lords Prayer, Apostles, creed an
Ten Commandments, are the orlgins
work. George Washington was on MeI !;
ber of the first vestry OF the chufcn,
| 1865, when he was provincial colone
large plantation owner and ieauin
figure in the province.
In the old days there were thirty.eW
high, square pews, which were reduce
in 1916, except the Washington pew
! to the regulation style OF sittings OF &c
The. !, sent structure was begun j