Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1922-12-21
"BERKELEY CHURCH."
OR "ST. GEORGES,
BY Susan B. Gibson.


pews and candlesticks, were removed
and placed in the new church-named
"Zion"-but called "The Grove
Church." for some time This new
church was burned to the ground-a
complete loss-as was the second one
in lS49, "Zion Church." built in 1852,
is the third one built on that site.
Berkeley Church" was built in ITO
and l77l. In 1879 an order was taken
for the division of the original parish
Cthen consisting of all that is now
Shenandoah, Page, Warren, Clarke,
Frederick, Berkeley, Hampshire, and
Jefferson counties) into three-to be
named Beckford, Berkeley and Nor
borne. The last included what is now
Berkeley and Jefferson. The Clergy
men Of the Parish from It'll to 1873
were: the Reverends Daniel Sturges,
Veasey, Wilson, Bernard Page, Heath,
Emanuel Wilmer and John Price.
Revs. Alexander Balmaine and Mynne
Thruston also held services here at
times.
From records, it appears that al
though Jefferson was separated from
Berkeley in lS0l-"St. Andrews
Parish" was not taken from Norborne
until 1815-when Rev. Ben Allen be-
gan his labor The journal of the
Diocese of Virginia, for the year 1917,
reports-"Rev. Ben Allen, rector of St.
Andrews"-"the new church nearly
finished" So we have good reason to
suppose that the "St. Georges congre-
cation moved into its new church in
1917.
The Rev. John S. Gibson wrote an
article for the "Parish Messenger" in
1908, after meeting Rev. M. B. Riddle,
of the Presbyterian Theological Semi
nary, of Allegheny, Pa. They were
speaking of this part of the county, and
of the old ruin on the pike. quote
from the article:
"Mr. Riddle told me what he had
learned from his father, Rev. d. H.
Riddle, of Martinsburg, w. Va, which
is as follows: James Nourse, the
father of my grandmother Riddle, was
instrumental in the building of the
old church, the land was part of his
plantation, "Piedmont"-the plantation
afterward sold to the Briscoe family.
Mr.. Nourse had the wood work and
pulpit brought from England, he had
a vista cut through the forest so he
could see the church from his bed
room. The vista was still in evidence
in 1889 when visited Piedmont"
then the home of the Briscoe's. The
date can be fixed in narrow limits,
James Nourse came to Virginia in 1869,
"Piedmont' was bought in ITO. In |
IT'S, MIR. Nourse on his way to Ken
lucky, writing to his wife, address,
ed his letter to Mrs. Nourse. "Berke-
ley Church." this implies that the
church was we'll known.
DanSke cambridge, in "Historic
Shepherdstown," says that DR.. John |
Rrscoe bought piedmont" in 1880.
from the Nourse family Just when
the Briscoe's bought the church and
graveyard, have not found out.
Robert Worthington, whose will was
prohated in Orange, Va, in November,
1875, seems to have been the original
owner of the land on which the old .
ruin stands. He obtained a tract of
three thousand acres by patent in 1884
y" eft large part to his son Robert.
Junior, part, says the will, living on
a branch of the Shenando River. called
EvatS Run. Robert worthington.
Irnor, built "PieImont" in 1886. on
Wat was then called "worthington's
Marsh" Robert, Jr., inheritance of
a thousand acres is called in his faith
er'S will quarry Bank, new stie."
formerly The Marsh" Nourse
bought from Worthirgton.
lanes Nourse, OF Washington. d.
c.. vino died some ten years ago. at
arlv 90 years of age, was a grand
son Of the founder of St. Georges
Church He came to see the ruins
some years before he died. He told
me of the cutting of the viSta-oF
many things of interest He said he
had in his possession many records.
b lis, receipts as to the building of
the church. The only authentic rec
ords appear TO be in his family. think.
because they really bore the burden of
erection. II was costly church.
The wood work of cedar was very
The pulpit was said to be