The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-08-25

III, bUILT IN 1900.
undergone but little repair since its
first erection, and indeed. has needed
little. 1t is not known or believed
that single new single has ever
been put upon the roof, and the pews
and whole interior are the same. Dur
ing the late war (1Sl2-lSlD, 1t was
shamefuliy abused by the soldiers. who
were CHARTERED in 1t while watching
the movements of the British on tho
Potomac. The communion table was
removed into the yard, where 1t
served as a butchers block, and was
entirely defaccd. Being of substantial
material. however, 1t admitted OF
new face and polish, and is now re-
stored 20 it's former place where II
VIII answer, We trust, for Ions time
TO come the holy purpose for which It
was originally designed. Nor was the
oaptismal font exempt from profana
lion. II was taken some miles from
the church and used as vessel IN
which to prepare the eXcitements to
unGodly mrth. This. however, was
not long permitted. For in the alb
sence of every member OF our COM
munion, a venerable old gentleman Of
ply, Of Ayrfeld), mortified at the dis
honor done to religion. took pains to
regain It and restore 1t to Its former
place. 1t is a large and beautiful
marble font. and by its side took my
station while I heard the renewal OF
baptisrnal vows from the lips of those
who We're confirmed. The canvas on
which the Ten Commandments the
Lords Prayer and the Creed we-c i'm
pressed WAS SO torn by the soldiers
that they could no longer be permitted
to retain their place. and the frag
mcnts age now lying in one of the dis
tant snd unoccupled pews.
ut deserves to be mentioned that
whatever repairs have been put upon
this house were at the expense of the
good man mentioned above, and OF
William l.. Rogers, of Princeton, n. j.,
n member OF our communion, whose
matrimonial connection in the family
often brought him into that part OF
Virginia"
Plans for Repair Work.
In an interesting letter from Mr.
Rogers to Bishop Meade. he tells how,
while on n visit to Ayrfield in 1920. he
suggested to Mr.. Murphy the propriety
Of undertaking the repair of the VEN
cradle edifice. and how willingly tho
men OF the vicinity joined them in
subscribing money and furnishing ma
terials for the work.
Other repairs and alterations have
been made from time to time. The
original pews and the pulpit, with it's
old-fashioned sounding board, have dis
appeared, and new furniture installed,
until nothing remains of the original
furniture but the baptismal font and
the massive communion table. The
brick wall surrounding the church,
that was falling to ruins when Bishop
Meade first visited the church in 1885,
has been rebuilt, and substantial iron
gates set up at the three entrances.
beautiful new cemetery has been
laid off on one side of the church, and
concrete walks are in course or con-
struction leading to the entrances of
memorial window has recently been
put in the rear OF the church by Mrs.
Wat Tyler, and costly brass altar
railing adds to the beauty OF the in
terror. In a few years the noble men
and women who are engaged in restor-
ing and ornamenting old Yeocomico
Church confidently hope to have
one OF the most beautiful. as well as
one Of the most interesting and his
torical, churches in America. Here be-
fore the Revolution, when Virginia was
q colony Of England, and when the
Episcopal or Established Church of
England was practically the only
Christian organization in the colony,
worshiped the Washingtons, the Lees,
the Carriers. the Coxes, the Newtons,
the McCartys, the Grifiiths. the Park
ers, the Thompsons, the Eskridges, the
Steptoes and other leading families OF
the Northern Neck of Virginia.
Rectors of Parish.