Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-08-24
THE OLD PoHIck CHURCH
DESIGNED ny GEORGE WASHINGTON
AND BUILT IN I772.
Stands I'm the Southern Part Of Fair
fax County, ya.-A His
torfc Edince.
From the New York Tribune.

From the New York Tribune.
Among the score of colonial churches in
the state of Virginia none is more interest
ing than Pohick or Mount Vernon Church.
1t is situated in Truro parish, Fairfax
county. This parish formerly covered
Fairfax. Alexandria and Loudoun counties.
Pohick Church has an interest for all lovers
of history because of its connection with
the great men of the colonial period
1t has passed through two wars and suf-
fered in each. Its vestry book, which is
also the record book of Truro parish. covers
| period of about fifty years-1732-'S5. This
book was lost for fifty years, and recov-
cred about twenty years ago by the his
Photographer Of the diocese Of Virginia. the
| late Rev. DR.. Philip Slaughter. 1t is now
kept. by order Of the vcstry, in the safe at
Mount Vernon. under the care Of the SUI
perintendent, H. H. Dodge.
The present church building was COM
pleted In 1772. 1t is built of brick burned
Ia the yard near By. with walls eighteen
inches thick. covered with ivy and sur
rounded by tall old trees. The original
building was wooden one. two miles
south of the present site, and on the other
side of Pohick run, from which the church
took its name. The former edifice fell into
decay about 1769, and the present location
was chosen.
History relates that when the change of
site was made George Mason used his elo-
quence in favor of the old one. and George
Washington answered him with carefully
drawn map, showing that the new place
was the center of population. This. argu-
| ment won, and the present location was
chosen. 1t Is just here, according to tradi-
ton. that Washington divided his army
on the way to Yorktown in 1871, Pohick
Church being at the forks of the road. He
took part of his army by way of Col
chester and part by Occoquan village, both
lying on Occoquan run. The building COM
mittee. appointed in 1863, included George
Washington, George Mason and George
William Fairfax.
Plans Drawn by Washington.
Washington drew the ground plan and
front elevation. the plans for the pews and
the placing Of the pulpit. When the
| church was finished. in 1772-73. the pews
were sold, George Mason buying two and
George Washington buying first one and
afterward another from Lund Washing
ton. The pews We're all marked in raised
letters with the names Of the owners.
One pew. that to the north of the pulpit.
was given by the vestry to the parson,
Lee Massey, then rector, and his success
ors forever. The high pulpit on the north
wall with it's sounding board overhead,
both firmly bolted to a beam let into the
WALL was a marked feature Of this church
1t also had a reredoS back of the COM
munion table on the east wall. on which
were inscribed in letters of gold the
Apostles Greed, the Lords Prayer and
the Ten Commandments. The font. cut
from the granite of the neighborhood, was
large enough to 'discreetly Dip the chill
dren, according to the rubric in the prayer
book.
Washington was a vestryman for twenty
years of Truro parish. active in the
building of four churches in Fairfax and
Alexandria counties and was also a war
den for several years He let nothing keep
| him from the house of God on the Lords
Ioxr TNv~,,r0 nc bod nNoy ,sStn
prior to the revolution. Of whom the Rev.
Charles Green and the Rev. Lee Massey
were the most prominent. Parson Massey
was rector at the time POhick Church was
built and continued with 1t up to 1885.
Attends Christ Church.
After the revolution the services at Po-
hick Church were held irregularly. and
Washington became an attendant at Christ
Church, Alexandria, which church he had
| also been instrumental in building, and in
which he had bought pew as soon it
was completed. During the period Parson
Weems, that queer genius who wrote the
first history Of Washington and the history
Of Marion preached occasionally. though
he was never settled as it's rector.
In 1887 the bishop reported to the Episco-
pal convention Of Virginia visitation made
to POhick Church. 1t was In bad plight,
he said. It's doors were found open. invit-
ing every wild beast Of the field to enter.
His appeal moved the Rev. Mr.. Johnson to
go out Of the state and raise money sufh-
| cient to put the church in good order again.
and students from the Episcopal Theologi-
cal Seminary and others ministered regu-
larly there.
In the civil war the situation Of the
church made it a prominent picket post
l. was then entirely dismantled and used
by the soldiers for horse stable. About
1870 Theodore r. Wetmore OF New York.
with the advice and assistance of Bishop
Johns Of Virginia and Cassius F. Lee
sob 80 alxa he build nc
comfortable for services. In 1881 the Rev.
s. A. Wallis became rector, and under his
ministry a good congregation and Sunday
school were gathered within its walls: inc
yestry book communion service (Which Is
large and massive, made in IT'D and the
fCnt were all found and restored to the
church. Mr.. Wetmore also added to the
church property by securing considerable
land and building rectory.
The Restoration Project.
Mr.. Wallis was succeeded by the Rev.
Mr.. Kloman, who was rector for two years.
The present rector, the Rev. Everard
Meade, came to Ponick about four years
ago. The church now shelters from Sum
day to Sunday a good congregation and
Sunday school, The eople are poor, being
chiefly engaged In agriculture. 1t is
church in which ito the poor the Gospel
Is preached" The church property Is
valuable one containing forty-three acres.
on which are situated the church, parish
hall, given by Mrs. Hearst Of California.
and large and comfortable rectory.
Now 1t Is proposed to restore Pohick
Church and to make it as near the church
of Washington's day as is compatible with
modern ideas of comfort and convenience.
The Daughters of the American Revolu-
ton have taken the matter in hand. and the
treasurer. Judge ]. X. M. Norton of Alex
andria, reports small fund on hand and
growing slowly. There is immediate need
Of work on the church, 1t Is in bad
condition
The rector says: MAY the time soon
come when this house of God, built by the
Washingtons Masons. Lewises. Fairfaxes.
Hendersons and all those whose names are
connected with it, shall be restored to its
former beauty. surely patriotism or rever-
ence for the greatest Of patriots. II not re
ligion. might be appealed to in behalf OF
this temple OF God"
To Crush Dutch Tongue.
From South Africa.
Mr.. Sydney Brooks is afraid that ''our
next blunder In South Africa" will be to al
low Dutch as well as English to be taught
in the schools and allowed in the courts Of
law. He writes in the National Review on