The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-04-21


by courtesy Of the Southern Church
man Company, Publishers.)
The Fails church, so called after
/ one Of the falls Of the Potomac, was
hunt about 1884. enlarged in 1850.
and rebuilt as now In 176T~'J9. The
musty archives at Fairfax Courthouse
contain the deed to the church
grounds recorded in i145, many years
after The original church building had
been erected thereon. With this yard
uf. about one and "a half acres, con-
tanning magnificent old trees and an
otent graves, consecrated by burial
rites and tears and by the tread of
worshipplng feet for near 200 years
this tirne-hallowed sanctuary stands
as venerable, indeed, and most in
. spring memorial of our far back
colonial days.
AS II we'll known General George
Washington was Il member of thu Due
testry that served both the talis
church and Christ church, Alexan-
drla. Mir. John Lynch. now an old
man, who once served the Falls
+ church lis sexton for over forty years.
/ told the writer that IN his younger
Gays he learned from a number Of
aged persons that II was Washington $
/ custom, while giving his regular at
/ tendance to Christ chugch, also to visit
and worship at the Falls church at
! least four times year this being
/ part Of his parish. The particular
pew and place IN church he usually
occupied were said tn have been
marked and kept for him. THIS 10
I cation is still pointed out. though the
original floor and pews have been de-
stroyed.
Several residents also Of this VII
lage now living, whose mother, Mrs
Sarah Maria Sewell. died many years
since at the age of ~ still delight
TO repeat her descriptions of the great
/ hero. whom in her childhood she had
seen worshipping in this church. She
'emeln bered, also, his dining occaS-
ionallS at her home near tina church,
and his taking her up in his arms and
plaYfuiiy caressing her. Her father
MIR. John West was then "a member
Of the House of Burgesses and bis
| name appears Oh the church veatry
George Mason was also "A member
of this vestry, and at vestry meet
ing held the following year to com
plete plans for the rebuilding OF the
Falls church. his name Is recorded
as present. In Washington's diary
for 1854 is entered Il copy of an ad-
tyertjs@nem for tufidertakers 10 buiid
Falls church" showing him To have
been on its original building commit
tee.
Running back through It's Truro
days the Fails church parRh has
carried on It's vestry rolls the names
of Captain Augustine Washington, hi:
son. George Washington, GeorE.
Mason. George William Fairfax, cap
WsIs
In his yard portion of Bruddock'
sll-starred army Is said To have once
encamped, and the present building
also 10 have been used in the ReVo.
lutionary war as a company recruit.
ing headquarters OF Colonel Charles
Broadwater, one OF Fairfax county:
first patriots.
From It's precincts. too marched
Captain Henry Fairfax, the schoiarlS
West Pointer. with his Fairfax volun-
teers to the Mexican war, his body
destined TO be borne back and laie
TO rest by these sacred walls he lovet
so well. and which he himself. at his
own expense, had mrniiicently restor
ed as an Offering to his Lord.
The experience of the Falls church
In the Civil war Is well known i
stood throughout in the very forefron
OF that dreadful strife, In the constant
pathway Of the armies. while abou
1T ebbed and flowed the awful It'd,
of blood. Many suffering. dyint
soldier found merciful shelter anc
nursing within It's holy walls as a hos
! pital Later 1t was used, also, b,
the Federal troops as stable. one
thousand three hundred dollars wa!
expended by the United States gov
eminent in 1865 on its repairs Last
~, It was associated with the lat
I Spanish American war, "A large por
ton Of our American army being en
Carnped and trained nearby and many
attended its services.
About 1877 the Falls church wa.
deserted as a house of worship b,
EpiseopaIianS~, This was the time o1
popular hatred and general decadenc,
OF tfge church because Of its INA ineC
association with England and Eng
lish tyranny Since then" wrot,
Bishop Meade. iii has been used by
any who were disposed to occupy /
as a place of worship; and the door
and windows being opened. itscl
standing on the coInmon highway, /
has been entered at pleasure by travel
ers on the road and animals of every
kind
some years since the atLeu.tiG.n.. est
the professors of our Seminary ans
some o. the students was drawn. to-
ward it, and occasional services per,
formed there. This led 10 its par
tial repair (chieHy at the expense al
Captain Henry Fairfax. grandson al
the Rev. Bryan Fairfax, q formel
rector of this church,. The mos
successful effort in its behalf was
MADE by one OF those devouted youths
who has given himself 20 Africa
| Young Mr.. Minor. OF Fredericksburg
then student at the Seminary
undertook. the task Of lay-reader. anc
by his untiring zeal and most auec-
tlonate manners soon collected a larg,
Sunday-school. aided by some fellow
students of kindred spirit. In losing
Mr.. Minor when he went TO Africa
the children and parents thought they
had lost their all, bat Providence rails.
ed up others. and doubtless viii con.
tinue TO raise up as many as are need