Los Angeles herald., 1905-05-21
Historical POhiCk Church

. oHIcK CHURCH landmark in
Virginia, is being repaired The
interior has been replastered and
new flooring is being laid. This old
house of worship is one of the historic
Washington worshipped there, as did
Lawrence Washington, who inherited
from his father the plantation at
Dogue Creek and the Potomac river.
He named the place Mount Vernon. in
honor of Admiral Vernon of the British
navy, and, dying, bequeathed it to his
half-brother, George. The Fairfax
family of Belvoir, a daughter of which
Washington, also prayed at Pohick.
George Mason of Gunston Hail. one of
the great men of Colonial Virginia and
the period of the Revolution, was a
vestryman at Pohick
Pohick church is about seven miles
I southwest of Mount Vernon. The con-
gregation is small and the church poor.
There We're two Pohick churches The
first was built about 1740, two miles
south of the present church. The
Washington, Fairfax and Mason fam
lilies attended there.
The Rev. Charles Green mentioned in
Jott ne
was the pastor and in 1851 he was
succeeded by the Rev. Lee Massey,
who remained Washington's pastor till
the general became a pewholder in
Christ church, Alexandria. probably in
17S5. Bishop Meade, in his history of
the Episcopal church in Virginia, says
of Massey: His sermons evince tai
ent and are sound in doctrine, but like
most of that day, want evangelical life
and spirit, and would never rouse lost
Changing the Site
Old Pohick, a wooden building, fall
ing into decay, the question of change
of site was considered by the congre-
cation. Washington. vestryman,
chose the site on which the Pohck
church now stands as most central for
the parish. Mason opposed, but Wash
ington prevailed. The date of the erec-
tion of the new" church is nowhere
to be seen about the building, but
Bishop Meade quotes this from an old
friend THE date of erection is in
scribed on or near the head of one of
the columns forming part of the orna-
mental work of the chancel in the fol-
lowing manner-'1773, w. b., sculptor
This date Is likely correct, for the first |
list of vestrymen of the new church is |
of 1774. The names of these vestrymen
follow George Washington, George
Mason, Daniel McCarty, Alexander |
Henderson, Thomas Ellzey Thomas |
Withers Golfer, Peter Waggener, |
Thomas Ford, Martin Cockham, Will
lam Triplett, William Payne, jr., John |
Barry, John Gunnell and Thomas
Triplett.
Some Famous PeWs
The pews of Washington and Mason
disappeared nearly a century ago, but
the pews of Massey and George William
Fairfax are preserved by the church.
In 1868 federal troops occupied the |
church and members of the congrega-
tion say cavalry stabbed horses in the |
building, The sandstone facing of the |
doors, windows and walls has been
mutilated by names crudely cut in 1t |
Most of this carving was done by
Union soldiers.
A few of these inscriptions are: M. Z. |
A., Co. X, So; IL. j. S., 13 VT. "; II. |
Hunt. 1862, Pa; r. X. Davis. SO Co. 1 |
2 Pa. Cav; j. A. Gramsby. Pa. c. Co |
l.; M. w. r. OF N. Y. 1S49; j. S. Ortmaa,
6 Iowa; j. T. r., c. S. A.
The church is bounded on three sides |
by the burying ground. the old section
of which is neglected, the graves
sunken and stones fallen or missing. |
One old stone at the rear OF the church |
bears this inscription: ITO the memory
of Mrs. susannah Mills. wife of Mr.. |