Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1916-02-18
Old Yeocomico Church.

and of the Civil war. Some of the
soldiers. according to tradition.
stabbed their horses in the building,
used the marble font as a horse
trough, and also as a punch bowl, and
the communion table as a butchers
block.
1t is described in detail by Bishop
Meade in his "Old Churches and Fam
lilies of Virginia" This quaint, peace
full country church is situated in
grove of fine old oak trees near Yeo-
comico creek. an estuary of the lower
Potomac river. While only a few
miles from the river, the church is
great many miles distant from rail-
road and is far from a town or viii
lage.
In the vicinity of "Old Yeocomico"
in the colonial period were situated
the estates of such influential families
as the Washingtons, Lees, Carriers and
others descended from the nobility of
England-families allied by ties of
blood to George Washingtons parents.
Among the manor houses in that Sec
ton of Westmoreland county was
Sandy Point, the home of Col George
Eskridge, the guardian of Mary Ball,
mother of Washington. Lee Hall, the
home of Col Richard Lee. was also
nearby.
In part of the wall of the church are
the initials "R. L." and figures "1706."
evidently referring to Richard Lee,
whose wealth contributed to the erec-
ton of the church. Other curious
symbols appear on the exterior of
this venerable place of worship. These
objects. together With the beautiful
marble font still used for christening
embryo Washingtons, the quaint win
dows and communion table, the sun
dial bearing date of 1717, the old iron
dipper in the nearby spring. and the
gallery for llaves and carriage driv-
ers are intensely interesting. All
three quaint and curious objects and
many others not mentioned, apart
from the tradition that George Wash
ington was ctristened within the walls
of "Old Yeocomico," make this one of
the most noteworthy of the old
churches of America
When visited a few years ago by
the writer service was generally con-
Quoted in the church in daylight and
rarely at night. owing to a lack of
lighting apparatus. When evening
service was held members of the con-
gregation brought oil lamps from their
homes, and these lamps, set on
shelves in each high-boxed pew, fur.
nished the necessary light to enable
the service, just as in the days before
the Revolutionary war.
Except for a period following the
disestablishment of the Church of Eng
land as the state church of Virginia
Yeocomico church has been in con
tinuous use since 1905 By the Episco
palians as a place of worship. Fol
several years after the Revolution the
church was used by other sects, dur
ing which time, it is said, the blind
Presbyterian preacher, Rev. Mr.. Wad
dell, made famous by the eloquent de
scription of William Writ, displayed
on one occasion his fervid oratory
Here also the great but little known
Scotch clergyman and educator. Rev
. Archibald Campbell. the man whC
taught Washington, Madison, Monroe
Joh1 Marshall and other Virgini;
youths, who were born in and lived il
, the northern neck" of Virginia, ant
/, wrote their names high on the scrol
[ OF fame, occasionally preached.
: NJ doubt the talented and worth,
scotch divine, Rev. William Douglas
IF that section, who tutored Monroe
. and Jefferson. also conducted worship
at Yeocomic