Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-10-05
OI, D KING CARTER CHURCH

/ DID kllNu VAN
written for the Dispatch)
IRyINGTON, VA, October 4.-(Spe-
ciaI.)-As this seems to be an age OF
hunting antiques and old historical piaces'
it may be Of interest to D1spatcn sun.
scribers to read Of sold Christ cnurcn'
in Lancaster county, built by Old KING
Carter in 1900 and still standing IN Its
solemnity; the mecca OF all those WHO
love old historical places.
This church is sixty-eight feet long, SIX
feet Of which are walls; the walls are
three feet thick Width of the church
sixty-eignt feet; pitch three feet 1nslde'
top roof ten feet There are twenty-five
pews. twenty-five of which can seat;
three can seat twenty-five; thesep eWs nave
high backs; five or tsix feet hlgh. hlns
Carriers pew is in front of the pulpit, WIN
very high back, it is supposed to Keep
persons from gazing around In idle curio-
sity during service. One fourth OF this
church King Carter reserved for his lam
ily tenants and slaves, the gallery on
the right, Of the pulpit being for slaves.
The pulpit is high and lofty-stx feet
in height and in good order. Among the
early, or first preachers who preac eq
in this church were Andrew jackson ana
John Bell, preaching there from iliS 10
1743. and David Currie to 1892. Thus these
good old Episcopalians had only three
urea chers in one hundred years Chow DIFF
ferent from this age).
The proportions of the church are excel
lent. There still remains the old black,
walnut communion table and the railing
| around it.
The most striking feature of the place
| is the two old tombs inside OF the churcn.
! One in the middle Of the church IN
front Of the pulpit is the tomb or DAVID
Miles. workman who fell and broke MS
neck building the church; on sthe to1ilo
| is the inscriptions:
mine to-day; yours tomorrow.
| At the east end Of the church Qnside)
is the famous old tomb OF King Carter
with the epitaph In Latin, the. transla-
ton of which is:
"Here lies buried Robt. Carter, Esq,
an honourable man. who by noble endow-
ments and pure morals gave lustre to MS
| gentle birth.
"Reator of William and Mary, he sus-
| tanned that institution in its most try
| i1g tines. He was Speaker Of the House
| Of Rurgesses, and Treasurer under mos.
| serene Princes William, Anne, George l.
and George II.
..Elected Ey the House its Speaker SIX
! wears, and Governor of the Colony Tor
! more than q year, he upheld eQuanty,
the regal dignity and the public freedom
| 'Possessell of ample wealth, blameless-
Nv acquired: he built and endowed at his
| own expense this sacred edif1ce-a signal
monument of his piety towards God. He
furnished it rt bly,.
"Entertajning his friends kindly; he was
! neither a prodigal nor a parsim on1ous
host.
His wife (frst) was Judith. daughter OF
| John Arnistead, Esq, his second, Betty,
a descendant Of the noble family OF Law
dons (of I.Egland)., BY these two wives
he had many children. on whose edu-
cation he expended large sums of money.
4. eat length full Of honours and years,
1 when he had well performed all the
duties of an exemplary life, he departed
/ from this world on the 4th day Of August,
1892 in the Goth year OF his age.
.'The unhappy lament their lost COM
4 forter, the widows their lost protector,
and the orphans their lost father.
:. According to this long and compliment
& tary epitaph on his tomb, King Carter
must have been generous, kind, and
q pious man. His fathers tomb Is also IN
4 the church. Traditions tell US the tenants
q and slaves alwa.-s remained outside OF
3 church until old King Carter arriYed with
! his coach and four; then they all follow
Z cd him and his family In the church.
The doors Of this church are twelve
feet high five and half feet wide, and
three inches thick, made Of solid blach
walnut
The font, one of the handsomest In the
State, has been broken.
TIE church is situated not far from
4 the Rappahannock river, is surrounded
Ey oak and other trees, a beautiful green
! turf in the yard, and also many old
ard historical tombs; among them are the
1 tombs> of the famous Kelley" family
i Mr.. Kelley. the last one to die. requested
4 before his death, that when dead and
S buried he wished the iron gate OF his
section locked and the key thrown In the
q Rappahannock river. This was done Bul
old Father Time can crumble and waste
4 most ANYTHING made by hands. Time mas
4 scaused the walls around this section t.
d fall, the tombs are defaced. and turned
q bla ok: some OF them were placed neal
1 trees, now growing in them. as II hedget
4 in by human hands
An ole. colored man lives near the
church and keeps the key; to let in yisi'
:. tors and show them around.
It may be we'll to mention something
a about ling Carter. as records show.
q HIS old home site, Corotoman, still
alta nds on the banks Of the Rappahan
4 mock. Here lived one of the most famous
81 wealthy and oldest men or OLD Virginia
q He vas twice married and had tel
children, who; by their marriages ar.
4 connected with many prominent fami
q lilies Of Virginia, among some Of thes'
q family connections are the Landons. Bur
q wells, Nicholas, Pages. Harrtsons. 20
a Berkeley, Byrds. Cot Westever). Talia
& ferros, Fitzhughs, Moores, Lees, Berk
{ leys, Champs, Skipwiths. Braxtons, Mel
81 sons. Walters, Randolphs, Browns. Clay
q bornes, Taskers, Churchilis. chisWells
q