Historical Sketches of African-American Churches in Augusta County (2025)

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Funds to support publication of a book on the histories of African-American churches in the Staunton/Augusta County area.

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HISTORICAL SKETCHES OF
AFRICAN-AMERICAN
CHURCHES
(Past & Present)
of
Augusta County, Staunton,
Waynesboro, & Vicinity
EDITED AND WITH PEN & JNK D RAWINGS BY JOE NUTT

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HISTORICAL SKETCHES OF
AFRICAN-AMERICAN
CHURCHES
(Past & Present)
of
Augusta County, Staunton,
Waynesboro, & Vicinity
This project was made possible by "The African-American History in Virginia" Grant Program
Funded by the Virginia General Assembly and Administered by the
vfh Virginia Foundation for the Humanities and Public Policy
The grant was awarded for the year 2000 to
Community Involvement Awareness, Inc.
of Staunton,
a non-profit corporation dedicated to service to the community
CIA, Inc., Officers for the year 2000 are
Irven Bryant, president; Tommy Crawford, vice president;
Tesi Lamb, secretary; Thomas Newman, treasurer; and Jim Lamb, financial secretary.
Design & layout by Gretchen L. Newman
This publication was conceived, edited and illustrated by Project Coordinator Joe Nutt, member of CIA, Inc.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thanks are extended to many people for their help with this project. Stories or
important information relating to specific churches were provided by ''.Augusta
Counry Monthly" and historian Nancy Sorrells (Hatton Pond Baptist Church);
the "Staunton Daily News Leader" and staff writer Heather Burkey
(Reid's/Reed's Chapel United Methodist Church); Greenville historian John W
Brake (Wayman Chapel A.M.E. and Mt. Ead Baptist Churches); Rev. Robert E.
Alley of Bridgewater (Pleasant Grove/Laurel Hill/Mt. Zion Methodist Church);
the Rev. Harry Gordon Coiner (story on the village of Oak Grove); Earl J. Meese
of the Waynesboro Historical Commission (story on the Union Male Chorus);
Patry Russell, archivist at the Virginia Conference, United Methodist Church
(for important historical facts on Methodism in the area); Alice Wood, historian
and member of the Waynesboro Historical Commission (for information on
several Waynesboro churches); and Ms. Mae Porter Tate of Communiry Baptist
Church in Mint Spring (for help in obtaining information on a number of
Staunton-area churches).
For the various church histories, great assistance was forthcoming from individual
church clerks, historians, pastors, deacons, trustees, elders, and members
with an interest in the project. While impossible to name all who have been
helpful, recognition is accorded in the editor's notes and elsewhere in the individual
histories.
Also of great assistance to this project are the members of an informal advisory
committee, which includes: Arthur R. Ware, Jr., retired educator and
noted historian; Dr. Patricia H. Menk, retired professor, Mary Baldwin
College; Nancy Sorrells, president of the Augusta County Historical
Society; Dr. Alton M. Washington, Staunton District Director, United
Methodist Church; Sergei Troubetzkoy, Tourism Director, City of Staunyon;
Jack Pettyjohn, retired pastor and community activist; Rita S. Wilson, member
of Staunton City Council and African-American historian; Thelma
Newman, president of the African-American Heritage Festival; Richard M.
Hamrick, Jr., longtime archivist for the Augusta County Historical Society
and documenter of Augusta County cemeteries; Dr. Andrea Cornett-Scott,
Director of the Office of African-American Affairs and Multicultural
Understanding at Mary Baldwin College; and Thomas H. Burress, founder
of the Staunton Coalition on Race Relations (SCORR) and self-proclaimed
"cantankerous curmudgeon," who suffered as a "sounding-board" for much
of this work.
3 HI S T O RI C AL SKET C HE S O F AFRI C AN - AM E RI C AN CH U RC H E S (Past & Present) of Augusta County, Staunton, Waynesboro, & Vi cinity I

INTRODUCTION
Project Design and Objective
This project is designed to bring together the histories of African-American
churches, past and present, in the Augusta County, Staunton and Waynesboro
area in a single publication, to include illustrations of the individual churches
and a record of interments in church-affiliated cemeteries.
The time-frame for this study extends from immediately after the Civil War
(1865), when African Americans in this area first established their own churches,
to the present. The churches included are both those active today and those
that have closed over the years.
When possible, we have included brief profiles of pastors and prominent members;
historical sketches of African-American communities; information on
church choirs and choruses; and recollections oflong-time church members.
Some of these histories are reprinted here, with permission, from published stories
by journalists and historians. Most of them reflect the transcribed history of
a church as provided by a pastor, clerk, historian, etc. These histories vary widely
in comprehensiveness, quality and accuracy, but provide a base for further
research. The scope and detail of each of these histories reflect the amount and
merit of the material provided, as well as information acquired from other
sources currently known to us.
Churches Included
The 54 churches in this survey comprise all of those that we could locate in
Augusta County (49) plus five churches just outside the county but having a
relationship to county churches (such as sharing pastors with Augusta County
churches).
The histories are divided into three categories: ACTIVE CHURCHES (35);
INACTIVE CHURCHES DOCUMENTED (10) for which at least some historical
material is available; and INACTIVE CHURCHES UNDOCUMENTED (9)
for which almost no information has been obtained.
Further research will undoubtedly uncover additional information on these
undocumented churches, and we hope to continue this project into the future.
Churches are listed alphabetically within each category. The addresses of the
churches reflect the post offices that serve them. Thus churches in small communities
such as Hermitage and Dooms, outside of the Waynesboro city limits,
are included in the Waynesboro listings and, similarly, churches in Mint Spring
and Cedar Green, outside the Staunton city limits, are included in the Staunton
listings, reflecting the post offices that serve these rural communities.
As the old village/community names are of historical interest, we include them
(in parentheses) after the church listings in the Table of Contents.
Pen and ink drawings are used to illustrate almost all of the active and documented
inactive churches, supplemented by a handful of photographs.
The breakdown of these 54 churches by denomination includes: 24 Baptist
churches; 16 M.E., Methodist, or United Methodist churches; four Churches of
God in Christ; two African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) churches; two
Seventh-Day Adventist churches; one African Methodist Episcopal Zion
church; one non-denominational church; and four churches of unknown
denomination.
The 35 active churches are organized alphabetically into four subdivisions:
Augusta Counry, Staunton, Waynesboro, and Other (out of county). They
include 20 Baptist churches, seven United Methodist churches, four Churches
of God in Christ, two Seventh-Day Adventist churches; one African Methodist
Episcopal (A.M.E.) church, and one non-denominational church.
Cemeteries
Almost all of the rural (county) churches have cemeteries adjacent to or relatively
near the church. Almost all of these cemeteries have been inventoried, and
burial records, insofar as they exist, compiled for this publication. While most of
these churches have a designated cemetery custodian or committee to maintain
their burial grounds, almost none of them have secured records of burials. Many
graves are unmarked or poorly marked, and undoubtedly many interments are
lost to the record. We believe that the lists we have provided will serve as an
H I s T o R I C A L S K ET c 1-1 Es o F A F R I c AN - AM E R I c A N C H u R c H Es (Past & Present) of Augusta County, Staunton, Wavneshoro. /tr Viriniru

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incentive to church members to search family Bibles, old records and memory
to correct and update these lists and to extend them into the future.
Two of the largest African-American cemeteries in the area: Staunton's Fairview
Cemetery on Lambert St. and Waynesboro's Fair View Cemetery on Fairview
Ave., have not been documented here. Each serves multiple churches and is
open to the entire African-American community, and each would require an
entire book to adequately record them.
A third cemetery, the African-American Cemetery in Greenville, used by the
now-inactive Wayman Chapel A.M.E. and Mt. Ead Baptist Churches, as well as
other county churches, was inventoried by historian John W Brake, and a
record of 106 burials (plus many obituaries cut from newspapers) appears in his
book "The History of Greenville, Va. - 1732-1994," (privately printed).
There are known slave cemeteries in the county, such as a large one at Folly
Farm near Mint Spring, and some near white church cemeteries, such as at
Tinkling Spring Presbyterian Church in Fishersville. Unfortunately, almost all
of the gravesites at these cemeteries remain unmarked and lost to posterity.
We are also aware of several small African-American family cemeteries located
around the county, but apparently not associated with any church. We hope to
record these and others to add to the record.
A number of cemeteries documented here are located at or near church sites
where the church no longer stands or has been closed. A few of these remain in
active use today, as evident by the tombstone dates.
Some cemetery sites are in deplorable condition, with many missing markers,
broken or overturned (some vandalized) stones, metal markers (provided by
funeral homes) uprooted and/or washed out by the elements, old and illegible
wooden markers, fieldstones and even plow-teeth. We believe all readable markers
and stones have been recorded, subject to human error.
The Jed. Hotchkiss Mops
An important resource for this project has been the Jedediah Hotchkiss maps,
dated 1884, of the Magisterial Districts, towns and villages of Augusta County,
published in the volume "Historical Atlas of Augusta County, Virginia"
(Waterman, Watkins & Co., Chicago, Ill., 1886) and reprinted by the Augusta
County Historical Society in 1980.
Hotchkiss was Stonewall Jackson's famous cartographer during the Civil War,
and a prominent Staunton business promoter and developer after the war. The
maps, almost entirely the work of this energetic topographical engineer, depict
individual churches, mills, tanyards and other businesses, and individual residences
of home and landowners throughout the county.
African-American churches, schools and homeowners are designated by (Col)
after the names.
As many of the churches included here were established in that time period,
1865-1884, the names of buildings and individuals on these maps have been relevant
to this project and often appear in the individual church histories herein.
From the names on the Hotchkiss maps, to the names in the church records
and on the tombstones, to the names of African-American families in the county
today, we see a frequent continuity. Concentrations, or communities of
African Americans in the county are also highlighted in these maps.
Some of these communities (Jonesboro, Fishersville, etc.), have faded away, and
there has been a steady decline in the number and percentage of African
Americans in the county as they have gravitated to larger population centers.
This phenomenon and other factors that have resulted in the decline in membership
and number of churches in the rural county areas await a more intensive
demographic study, now underway.
H I ST O R I C A L S K ET C H ES O f A F R I C A N - A M E R I C A N C H U R C H E S ( Pa st & Present) of Augusta County, Staunto n, Waynesbo ro, & Vi cinity

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CONTENTS
Acknowledgments ......... . ..... . ..... . .. .. ...... . ... . ................. . Pleasant View United Methodist Church . . ... .... . .... .......... .......... .
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . St. James Baptist Church ...................... . ..... .. ................... .
Shiloh Baptist Church ........... ... . .. . . .... .... .......... .............. .
ACTIVE CHURCHES Union Baptist Church . ..... ................... ................ ... . . . .. . . .
Waynesboro-Northeast Seventh-Day Adventist Church ............. ... .. .. . .
Augusto Count4
Aenon-Union Baptist Church (Town of Craigsville) ........................ .
Beulah Baptist Church (Stuarts Draft) ..... . ............. .. ....... ......... .
Hatton Pond Baptist Church (Stuarts Draft) . ..................... .. ........ .
Morning Star Baptist Church (Crimora) ........ ... .. ........... . . .... . .. .. .
Mt. Bethel Baptist Church (New Hope) ......... . .... ... .. .... ..... ...... . .
Other
Asbury United Methodist Church (Rockbridge Co. - Brownsburg) ........... .
Lawson Chapel United Methodist Church (Rockbridge Co.-Fairfield) .. .. .. . . .
Mt. Moriah United Methodist Church (Rockingham Co. Grottoes) ....... . . . .
Mt. Woodland Baptist Church (Nelson Co. - Greenfield) .................. . . .
Mt. Marine Baptist Church (Fishersville) ........ ..... .................. . .. .
Mt. Tabor United Methodist Church (New Hope) .. .. . ......... . ... . .... .. . .
Oak Hill Baptist Church (Middlebrook/Newport) ......... ....... .. ..... ... . INACTIVE CHURCHES - Documented
Steadfast Church of God in Christ (Stuarts Draft/ Lyndhurst) . .. ... .. ........ .
Ebenezer United Methodist Church (Fishersville) . ..... ..... . ..... . . . . ... . . .
Staunton Mt. Airy Baptist Church (Middlebrook) ...................... . . . .......... .
Allen Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church ................. . ....... .
Augusta Street United Methodist Church . . .... .... ...... .. ............... .
Bethel Seventh-Day Adventist Church ............ .... ...... .. .......... . . .
Beverly Manor Baptist Church (Brands Flat) .. ...... .... . .................. .
Communiry Baptist Church (Mint Spring) ..... . . ... ... . . . ........... . .. . . .
Community United Methodist Church (Cedar Green) ....... . .............. .
Ebenezer Baptist Church ..... . .. ..... ......... .. . .... ...... . . . . . ...... .. . .
First Church of God in Christ ............................. ......... .......
Mt. Ead Baptist Church (Greenville) ...... .. ...... . ................ . ... . .. .
Mt. Sidney Methodist Church (Mt. Sidney) .... ....... .. . .. . ... . . ..... .. ... .
Mt. Zion Baptist Church (Swoope) ................ . .. ......... . .... ....... .
Paynes Chapel United Methodist Church (Mt. Solon) ....... ........... .. . . .
Pleasant Grove/Laurel Hill/Mt. Zion United Methodist Church (Verona) .... .
Reid's/Reed's Chapel (Stuarts Draft) ... ...... .. .. . . .................... . ... .
St. Paul United Methodist Church (Hermitage/Oak Grove) ......... .... .... .
Wayman Chapel, African Methodist Episcopal Church (Greenville) .......... .
Friendship Church - Non-Denominational ......... .. ................ . .... .
Mt. Salem Baptist Church ..... ... .. ..... . .. . . . .... ..... .................. . INACTIVE CHURCHES - Undocumented
Mt. Zion Baptist Church ... ... . . ........... ...... ........................ .
Promiseland Baptist Church .... ... . . ............ .. .... ... . .. ............. . Bright Hope Baptist Church (Staunton/Mint Spring) ...... . .... . ... . ....... .
Smokey Row Baptist Church (Hebron/Snyder) .... ... .... . ... . ........... . . John Wesley Methodist Church (Churchville) .... .. ........ ... ............ .
John Wesley United Methodist Church (Harriston) ..... . ... . ............ .. .
Wo4nesboro
Christ Tabernacle Church of God in Christ . ... ....................... .. ... .
Monumental African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church (Waynesboro) .. . ... .
"Old Log Church" - Name Unknown (Mt. Solon) ... . ........ . . . ............ .
Massie Memorial Church of God in Christ .... .. ..... ... .... .. .... . ....... . Methodist Church - Name Unknown (Swoope/Jonesboro) ........ .... .. . . . . .
Mt. Lebanon Baptist Church (Dooms) ... ...... ............................ .
Oak Grove Baptist Church (Hermitage/Oak Grove) ...... .. ................ .
Church-Unknown Denomination/Name (Swoope/Jonesboro) .............. .
Methodist Church - Name Unknown (Middlebrook) .............. ... .. .... .
St. Paul - Unknown Denomination (Rockingham Co - Raphine) .. ........... .
H I ST O R I CA L S K ETC H E S O F A F R I C AN - A M E R I C AN C H U R C H ES (Pas! & Present) of Augusta County, Stau nton, Waynesboro, & Vicinity 6

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Town of Craigsville
Aenon ... Union Baptist Church
50 East Fourth St. Craigsville. Va. 24430
Historlf
Aenon-Union Baptist Church, the stone church
pictured here, represents the merger of two
churches that were founded much earlier in or
near the Town of Craigsville: Aenon Baptist Church and
Central Union Free-Will Baptist Church.
While the dates of the founding of these two predecessor
churches are not precisely known, we can offer
some of their history here. We are indebted to Mrs.
David (Virginia Palmer) Walker for most of this information.
She was a longtime member of Central Union
(one of only two surviving members of this church) and
is a current member of Aenon Union.
Aenon Baptist Church
Aenon Baptist Church began as what was called the
Marble Valley Church, organized at Fordwick just south
of the C&O Railroad tracks in the mid-187os. This location
was just west of the now-long-defunct Coral
Marble Co. holdings, hence the name Marble Valley.
The Marble Valley Church (Col) and School House No.
24 (Col) appear on the Jed. Hotchkiss map of Craigsville
Village in 1884.
According to Mrs. Walker, quite a few African American
families lived along the road by the church, which was
ca lled "Rat Row." The Coral Marble Co., which existed
AENON-UNION BAPTIST CHURCH in Craigsville, representing the union of two earlier churche s, was built in
1935, as Central Union Free-Will Baptist Church. This church merged in 1980 with Craigsville 's other AfricanAmerican
church, Aenon Baptist, to become Aenon-Union.
H I S T 0 R I C A L S K E TC H E S Of A f R I C AN - A M E R I C A N C H U RC H ES (Past & Present) of Augusta County, Staunton, Way nesboro, & Vi cinity 8

approximately between 1873 and 1895, and Lehigh
Portland Cement Co., which bought the Coral
Marble property in 1895. probably provided jobs
for a number of these families.
"Back in those days," Mrs. Walker says, "people really
had services! There were prayer meetings,
revivals, Sunday School, and circles, and a lot of
good Gospel singing and preaching." This she was
told from the old timers who had attended the
Marble Valley Church.
"A Rev. John Washington was one of the ministers
at the Marble Valley Church I
"In 1914, the congregation needed a larger church,
so they built a new building on the north side of
the railroad bridge on the (present) road to the
Correctional Center, on Railroad Avenue. It is said
that Central Union donated the land for this new
church."
The pastor at the time was Rev. Albert Jacob
Simms, who had been pastor of Shiloh Baptist
Church in Waynesboro from (c) 1897-1907.
It is not known when the name Marble Valley
Church was changed to Aenon, but it may have
occured around the time of the move, as Shiloh
church records indicate that Pastor Simms "founded"
Aenon Baptist Church.
"Aenon had many ministers," says Mrs. Walker,
"including the Reverends A.L. Brent, Goodall, Earl
Johnson, Giles, R.A. Wilson, Charles Moore,
Dennis Rose, and Dr. James P. Moore."
Central Union Free.Will Baptist
Church
Central Union Baptist Church was also established
in the 1870s, shortly after the founding of the
Marble Valley Church, according to oral tradition.
The history of Cochran's Chapel Free-Will Baptist
Church (now Community Baptist Church in Mint
Spring, south of Staunton); founded in 1875, notes
that their founding pastor, Rev. Benjamin Downey,
also founded Central Union, presumably around
the same time, as he pastored both churches simultaneously.
The first Central Union Church was located on
donated land at the western end of present
Railroad Avenue at the town limits.
The congregation worshipped there for many
years, with some members walking miles to the
services, which were held on the second and
fourth Sundays. As with Marble Valley/Aenon
Church, activities included long prayer services
and revivals, Sunday School, and active church circles.
In 1935, Central Union members built a new
church, the stone one pictured, at 50 E. Fourth St.
at the corner of Hancock St. The church was built
by Mr. James Kenny, with assistance from Julius
Edwin Childress and others. This information was
given to the editor by Mrs. Sylvia Bernice
Childress Jefferson, sister of Julius E. Childress,
who now resides in Washington, D.C. Central
Union was her home church.
Pastors serving Central Union over the years
included the Reverends Newman, Jenkins, Butler,
John Scott, and Spriggs, according to Mrs. Walker.
One of the deacons was Jim Thomas.
Merger
As the years passed and the African American population
of the Craigsville-Fordwick area diminished,
both the Aenon and Central Union congregations
declined in members.
In around 1978, Dr. James P. Moore, pastor at
Aenon, discussed the situation with the oldest
member there, Mrs. Irene Frye. She told him "Both
churches are going down, and we must combine to
keep going."
On November 30, 1980, at a meeting at Aenon, Dr.
Moore presiding (he was then in poor health and
retired as Pastor Emeritus), the two churches
agreed to merge. The motion was made by Deacon
Wright and seconded by Deacon Banks.
Present at the meeting were Deacon Zirkle Wright,
Pastor C. Moore, Mary F. Carpenter, David J.
Walker, II, Linda Carpenter, Rosella Grimes,
Virginia Walker, Shirley Wright, Rev. Dennis Rose,
and others.
Before the merger, Central Union officers included:
Deacons P. Thomas, Jim Bell, Jim Kenny, and -
Woodrow; Deaconnesses Annie Grimes, Alto
Jordan, and Susie Minor; and Trustees Miss
Carpenter, Mrs. Susie Minor, Mr. John Jordan, and
Mrs. Irene Frye.
Aenon officers in 1980 included: Deacons Zirkle
Wright, Addie Crawford, Jim Beard, A.B. Grimes, E.
Toles, and Bill Toles; Deaconesses Rosa Johnson,
Fannie Beard, and Gladys Moats White; Trustees
9 H I S T O R I C A L S K E T C H E S O F A F R I C A N - A M E R I C A N C H U R C H E S (Past & Present) of Augusta County, Staunton, Waynesboro, & Vicinity

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AENON,UNION BAPTIST CHURCH
CEMETERY BURIAL RECORDS
BATES, MARY
Compiled by Joe Nutt - Sept. 24 , 2000
b. d.
(Wife of Oliver Bates) (Broken stone - parts missing)
BEARD, MARK
BEARD, KEMPER
BEARD, MORGAN
BEARD, RACHEL
BEARD, JAMES A.
BEARD, FANNIE
BELL, HENRY
BELL, RACHEL
(Wife of Henry Bell )
BELL, JOHN
BELL, JAMES H.
BELL, HATTIE
(Wife of J. H. Bell)
BLACK, WESLEY A.
BLACK, EMMA T.
b. (c) 1835
b. (c ) 1878
b. 1870
b. 1879 (?)
b.
b. Feb. 16 , 1887
b. 1849
b. 1852
b Jan . 28, 1874
b.Oct. 28 . 1876 (?)
b. Dec. 15 , 1885
b. 1862
b. 186 7
BLACK, - (Several stones incised "Black " with no Given Names or Dates)
CARPENTER, BENNY F. b. 1900
CARPENTER, PEARL L. b. 1903
(Stone reading : "In Memory of the Carpenter Family" )
CARPENTER, CLEVELAND D. b. Dec. 11 , 1926
CARPENTER, MARY b. Nov. 26, 1930
CARPENTER, JAMES FRANKLIN b. Mar . 17, 1935
A3C-US Air Force
CARPENTER, LINDA ELOISE b. 1950
(Metal Marker)
CARPENTER, LOIS DIANA b. 1963
(Metal Marker )
CRAWFORD, GILBERT P. b. Dec. 11 , 1 914
d. Mar. 20 , 1895 (Age 60 )
d. Nov. 23, 1904 (Age 26 )
d. Feb . 25, 1915
d. May 9, 1917
d. Jan . 25, 1956
d. Ma y 22 , 1984
d. Mar. 21 , 1899
d. 1892
d. Jan. 15 , 1905
d.
d. Apr. 4, 1920
d . 1915
d. 1923
d. 1975
d. 1937
d. Jun . 25 , 1989
d.
d . Jul. 30, 1995-Age 60
d. 1997
d . 1990
d. Jan. (?), 1915

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DAVIS, --(Name hand-cut on concrete slab; no Given Name(s)or Dates)
ESSEX, ANNIE E.
(Metal Marker)
GRIMES, ROSELLA MAY
GRIMES, (TWINS)
b. 1920
b. 1923
b. 1935
d. 1972
d. 1993
d. 1935
o GRIMES - FAMILY (Carved Stone, No Given Names or Dates) ..,
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HAMILTON, HENRY G.
HAMILTON, GEORGIANA
(Wife of Henry Hamilton)
HAMILTON, (ABRENA?)
HAMILTON, LOTTIE
HAMILTON, JULIE
(Wife of Robert Hamilton)
HOE (?), MARY AGNES
JACKSON, SARAH
(Wife of (?) W. Jackson)
JORDAN, ALTA L.
JORDAN, JOHN A.
JORDAN, LAWRENCE A.
(Metal Marker)
KENNY, JAMES E.
KENNY, LILLIE M.
b. 1860 d. 1942
b. Mar. 7, 1865 (?) d. Apr. 21, 1912
b. d. Mar. 10, 1891 (?)
b. May. 4, 1901 (Broken Stone)
b. (c) 1870
(Broken Stone)
b. Sep. 18, 1843 (?)
d. Dec. 14, 1909 (Age 39)
d. Aug. 10, 188(?)
(Ha nd-Carved Stone - Can't Read)
b. Mar. 29, 1897
b. 1905
b. 1916
b. 1868
b.
d. Jul. 3, 1972
d. 1979
d. 1958
d. 1938
d. Jun. 25, 1949
MINOR, - (Several Stones incised "Minor," with no Given Names or Dates)
MOORE, CORNELIUS SPENCER
PFC-US Army-WWII
RUCKERS - FAMILY - 1943 (No Given Names or Dates)
THOMAS, REV. T. JAMES, SR.
TOMPKINS, CHARLES
TOMPKINS, ROBERTA
b. Jul. 7, 1913
b. Sep. 17, 1892
b. 1870
b. 1878
d. Sep. 21, 1990
d. Dec. 29, 1959
d. 1939
d. 1948

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AENON.UNION BAPTIST CHURCH CEMETERY BURIAL RECORDS (cont.)
TOMPKINS, ETHEL b. May 24, 1910 d. Dec. 1 6, 1942
WARD, EUGENE H. b. Jul. 9, 1893 d. Oct. 11 , 1904
(Son of R. B. & L. S. Ward)
WRIGHT, GEORGE L. b. 1880 d. 1945
YOUNG, LILLIE T. b. Oct. 30, 1905 d. Feb. 15, 1998
YOUNG, HOBERT N. b. Nov. 15, 1899 d. Mar. 5, 1983
YOUNG, ROSA K. b. 1922 d. 1984
(Metal Marker)
NOTE: There are a number of illegible stones and metal markers and unmarked sunken graves in this large cemetery.

Stuarts Draft
Beulah Baptist Church
Chino Clolf Rd. Stuarts Draft. Vo. 24477
H I ST OR I CA L S K ETC H ES O F A FR I CAN - A M E R I CAN C H U RC H E S (Past & Present) of Augusta County, Staunton, Waynesboro, & Vicinity 14

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BEULAH BAPTIST CHURCH
CEMETERY BURIAL RECORDS
Recorded July 10, 2000 by Joe Nutt
BARK-(?) MRS. ODESSA WELLS b. (c) 1910
BELL, FRANK J., SR. b. Mar. 20, 1905
BLACKMON, JOHNNIE b. May 17, 1904
BLACKMON, LOLA G. b. Apr. 13, 1893
BROOKS, MRS. BESSIE BELL
BROOKS, JAMES R. b. July 18, 1903
BROOKS, MARY S. b.
BROOKS, JOHN J. b. Dec. 23, 1913
VA -TECH 4 - 993 AAA SLT BN CAC - WWII
BROOKS, WILLIAM D. b. Mar. 19, 1914
BROOKS, JULIAN L. b. Sep. 14, 1917
VA - PVT - 3378 QM TRUCK CO - WWII
BROOKS, JERRY W. b. 1952
(Metal Marker )
BROOKS, MICHELLE RENEE b. May 10, 1991
BROWN, CLYDE, SR. b. Oct. 11, 1916
BROWN, FRANK WILLIAM b.Mayl,1939
(Metal Marker )
COUSINS, LOUISE B. b. Jan . 30, 1900
Wife ofThomas J. Cousins
COUSINS, THOMAS J. b. Dec. 26, 1900
CRAWFORD-WELLS
CRAWFORD, CLEAVE b. 1878
WELLS, RESSIE b. 1888
WELLS, ANDERSON b. 1866
DIGGS, GEORGE WASHINGTON b. Sep . 21, 1884
DIGGS, CLARENCE S. b. Mar. 28, 1891
VA - PVT - US ARMY - WWI
DIGGS, DONALD GEORGE b. 1963
DIGGS, SANDRA CRAWFORD b . 1962
d. May 25 , 1984 (Age 74)
d. Apr. 14, 1969
d. May 22, 1983
d. Jan . 14, 1979
d.Aug. 18, 1946
d. Dec. 14 , 1978
d.
d. Apr. 30 , 1950
d. Nov. 23 , 1981
d. May 20 , 1968
d. 1999
d. Aug . 3, 1991
d. Jan . 20, 1962
d. Dec. 3, 1996
d. Jan. 27, 1949
d. Jun . 1, 1969
d. 1958
d. 1958
d.
d. Jan . 5, 1956
d. Nov. 28, 1971
d. 1985

::r: -V, EAVES, PAULINE B. b. Aug. 26, 1918 d . ....
0 EAVES, HENRY T. b. Jun. 5, 1914 d. Jul. 31, 1996 ,, -(l PVT - US ARMY - WWII :,. ... EAVES, CATHERINE HOGE b. Jan . 1, 1926 d. Jan. 18, 1991 (Age 65 )
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(l HAMILTON, YVONNE S. b. Sep. 8, 1920 d. Mar. 8, 1979 :,:
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JACKSON , MARY B. b. Dec. 10, 1910 d. Ma y 16, 1955
JACKSON, LAVANA S. b.Jul.16, 1916
JACKSON, RICHARD C. b. Aug. 26 , 1914 d. Nov. 12 , 1992
CPL - US ARMY AIR CORPS - WWII
JOHNSON, CHARLES ALFRED b. Oct. 7, 1944 d. Jul . 1, 1995
JOHNSON, BETTY MARY b. Oct. 24, 1948
JONES, ROY THOMAS b. May 12, 1914 d. Mar. 11 , 1998
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BEULAH BAPTIST CHURCH CEMETERY BURIAL RECORDS (cont.)
MARTIN, M. L.
MASSIE, IRENE
MASSIE, LILLIE
MASSIE, NANCY
MICKENS, LELIA EMMA
MICKENS, JOHN D.
MINOR, JAMES H.
MORRIS, ALICE MARY
NAPIER, WALLACE F.
PFC - CO B 510 ENGINEERS - WWI
PAGE, JAMES
PEARL, SARAH C.
PENN, ADELINE
PENN, EVELYN C. (S ister )
PENN, H. FRANKLIN
REED, GERTRUDE CAREY
REED, CHAUNCEY ALEXANDER
VA - SA - US NAVY - WWII
RHODES, MARY E. BROOKS
RHODES, JAMES ELIJAH
US ARMY - WWII
RHODES, JAMES EDWARD
RICHARDSON, CHARLES A.
RICHARDSON, MINNIE L.
ROSE, ANNA MARGARET
ROSE, JAMES PATTERSON WADE
SALISBURY, ELLA
SHEFFEY, EUNICE
SHEFFEY, ABEL C.
b. May 21, 19 (?)
b. 1879
b. 1895
b. 1914
b. Feb . 14, 1898
b. Jul. 15, 1899 (?)
b. Jan. 30, 1923
b. Mar. 31, 1938
b. Apr. 29 , 1893
b. Aug ., 1845
b.Feb.5,1916
b. May 7, 1889
b. Sep.20, 1907
b. Jan. 31, 1911
b. Jun. 10, 1910
b. Jan. 10, 1929
b.Jan. 14, 1925
b. May 18. 1922
b.May 21, 1954
b. Apr. 24, 1907
b. Jun. 25, 1910
b. Jul. 7, 1921
b. Jan . 3, 1949
b. Mar. 2, 1875
b. 1911
b. Dec. 14, 1919
d. Aug. 9, 19 (?)
d. 195 7
d. 1932
d. 1958
d. Feb. 16, 1951
d. Jul. 15, 1907 (?)
d. May 7, 1993
d. Oct. 24, 1995
d. Nov. 8, 1968
d. Mar. 17 , 1919
d. Aug. 4, 1961
d. Nov. 30, 1972
d. May 7, 1996
d. Sep . 9, 1960
d. Oct. 11, 1971
d. Jan. 31, 1966
d. Nov. 4, 1998
d. Feb. 14, 1995
d. Dec. 30, 1989
d. Feb. 29, 1996
d. May. 30, 1988
d. Nov. 27, 1955
d. 1940
d. Nov. 29, 1957

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WILLIAMS, HOMER EDWARD 0
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Stuarts Draft
Hotton Pond Baptist Church
Cold Springs Rood Stuarts Draft. Vo. 244 77
Historlf
Editor's Note: The following feature story on Hatton
Pond Baptist Church was written by Augusta County
resident and historian Nancy Sorrells, and appeared in
the monthly publication ''Augusta Country" in the
November, 1994 lssue, under the title "Hatton Pond
Church survives test of time through spirit of its members."
More than a century ago, in a rural AfricanAmerican
community between Stuarts Draft
and Greenville, it was felt a church was needed.
Today, I I 2 years later, the small farming community of
Hatton Pond has all but disappeared, but Hatton Pond
Baptist Church is still going strong, a symbol of the
strength of the spirit of its members .
The church, situated on a hillside on the western side of
Va. 608, is one of the oldest African-American churches
in Augusta County.
According to the oral tradition of the church, it was in
1882 that Brother Braxton Sellers and Brother David
Stuart (or Stuard) founded the church. They were soon
joined by other members of the community, including
Brother John Bell. The three became the first deacons of
the church.
''As long as anyone can remember there has always been
a community here," said Linda Darcus, the current choir
HATTON POND BAPTIST CHURCH, located on Cold Springs Rd. between Greenville and Stuarts Draft, was
founded in 1882.
H I S T O R I C A L S K ET C H E S O f A f R I C AN - A M E R I CA N C H U RC H E S (Pa st & Present) of Augusta County, S1aunton, Way nesboro, & Vicinity 20

leader and wife of the church's deacon. "They felt
the need for God's word and they got together,
gave the land and built the ohurch."
The spirit quickly swept through the community
and in the church's first revival there were nine
professions of faith. Today, though only one family
remains in the community and the membership of
the church has dipped to 18, the white weatherboarded
structure with its red trim swells with the
sounds of worship.
Although most of the members have to drive from
Staunton out to the church, a typical Sunday finds
most members early for the u:15 a.m. service. For
the next hour to hour and a half the church fills to
the rafters with the skillful singing of the choir
and congregation and is then revived by the spirited
sermon delivered by the church's youthful
preacher, the Rev. Clarence Edward Harris.
"I love being here," the 32-year-old man of God
said. "We are looking for growth, and I am expecting
God to do good things." Harris is joined at the
church each Sunday by his wife, Deneen, and their
15-month-old daughter, Ashleigh.
Harris is only the eighth pastor to lead the church
since 1882, an incredible accomplishment that says
much about the spirit of the church.
The church's first minister was the Rev. Carr, while
the second was James lee. He was followed by the
Rev. Pamp Greene, who preceded the Revs.
Washington and Essey.
The sixth pastor, the Rev. James M. Jones, remains
dear to the hearts of many of the older members.
After serving for 39 years, Jones passed away in
1959.
"Rev. Jones was truly a man of God, recalled
Tommy Darcus, the church's only deacon. "Ifl
needed a dollar and he had a dollar, then that dollar
was for me."
Jones was followed by the Rev. Albert Walker who
served the church for 21 years.
Probably nobody remembers more about the
church in its earlier days than Clara Woodson, who
at 78, is the Mother of the Church, and Leroy
Parrish, who at 77 is the oldest male member of the
church.
Clara married George Woodson who grew up in
the Hatton Pond community.
"Oh it used to be a full church. Yes indeedy. There
were homecomings, women's days, men's days,
Christmas programs. there was always something
going on here," she remembered.
Despite their years at the church, though, neither
can remember the reason behind the church's
name. There were no people, white or black, living
in the area by that name, so it remains a bit of a
mystery. However, Linda Darcus may have discovered
the answer when she was trying to pry the
church's history from some of the older members
who have since passed on.
"There is a pond back beyond the church called
Hatton Pond, and these people told me that in the
older days when the men and women would go
courting that the men would toss their hats on the
pond and the women would select the hat floating
by of the man they were interested in! According
to them, that's how 'Hat on Pond' got its name,"
Linda said.
According to current church members, the congregation
has always been filled with the families who
lived in the area. That would have been Sellers,
Stuarts, Darcuses, Bells and Woodsons. According
to the church deed, which was not recorded until
quite a few years after the church had been founded
and built, the 3/ 4-acre lot was given to the
trustees of the church, Johnson Bell and Braxton
Sellers, by John Darcus and his wife Carrie (Stuart)
Darcus. The land was simply carved out of the
edges of tracts owned by the people of Hatton
Pond.
Within a few years of the church's founding,
Brother Charlie Stuart and Brother Archie Darcus
also became deacons of the church, while Sister
Carrie Darcus and Sister Julie Sellers became the
first deaconesses.
The Darcus family tradition has carried on to this
day in the form of 54-year-old Tommy, the current
church deacon. He was born and raised in this
community and, although he now lives in
Staunton, he returns here every Sunday. As deacon
he and his wife and children take their duties at
the church very seriously. Painting the building,
taking care of the cemetery and doing the church's
paperwork all fall on their shoulders.
"This is my stomping ground," Tommy said of the
church and the surrounding countryside. "I
remember when there was a pot-bellied stove in
this church and 30 some children who would go to
Sunday School at 10 o'clock. Roy Darcus, Elizabeth
Parrish and Clara Woodson were the teachers.
"We just packed this church. There was old-timey
gospel singing. The singing was by lining. One person
would start a song and then the people in the
church would sing it. They didn't believe in instruments.
They believed in the instruments God had
21 H I S TO R I C A L S K E T C H E S O f A f R I C A N - A M E R I C A N C H U R C H E S (Pa st & Present) of Augusta County, Staunton, Waynesboro, & Vicinity

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given them and that was their voices," Tommy
explained.
"In this community everybody was kissing brothers
and you just hollered out the back door to the
others," he said with a deep-throated chuckle. "You
were always invited on Sunday to someone's house
to eat and there was plenty. They also made their
own apple ciders and had that."
Tommy's wife, Linda, has been coming to Hatton
Pond since the rwo of them started dating. "I used
to attend the big churches and I felt lost. I met
Tommy and came here to one service and everyone
greeted me as if they had known me a lifetime. I
never felt so good walking into a church." As the
current choir director, she has inherited a job
founded by Leroy Parrish's wife, Elizabeth, who was
the church's first choir director and also director of
the children's programs. The first organist in the
church was Lucille Darcus, while the second
was Caspar Miller.
Linda has been going to the church for many years
now and her children were all baptized here. She
remembers many of the crowd-drawing special
events and has picked the brains of the older members
to learn more about the church's history.
"There were lawn parties and homecoming rallies
and the harvest sale service. I remember coming to
the harvest sale and thinking that the churches in
town just didn't do these things. There were baskets
of tomatoes, corn, homemade cakes and craft
items. Aprons were one of the favorite items. And
there were all kinds of aprons. The lawn parties
were a way of getting people together, too. All the
community churches could come together. At the
gatherings there was plenty of food: chicken and
ham sandwiches were a favorite," Linda said in
describing those days when the church lot was
filled with the young and old.
Over the years, the church has also sent five of its
children on to become ministers of the gospel,
including Eicky and James Woodson and Archie,
Henry and Phillip Darcus. Eicky, who now preaches
at Oak Hill Baptist Church in Newport, was the
youngest deacon ever at Hatton Pond. Although
the Rev. Harris was not a member of Hatton Pond
as a child, he did visit on several occasions. "I liked
him as a child," noted Tommy. "As he grew he
turned into a godly man."
Just as the congregation and community have
changed over the years, so too has the church. The
main structure of the building has remained, but a
small extension has been added to the back and the
vestibule has been enclosed. A side entrance has
been added, although the earlier stairs leading
straight down the hill to the road still remain. "In
the old days most of the people walked to the
church," Tommy recalled of the time when the
road was just a small country road. "But those who
drove just parked right on the road. We very seldom
closed for the weather, not even when we had
to keep feeding the pot-bellied stove."
Although some of the church's interior has been
rearranged, the pulpit, pulpit chairs and central
bannister remain as they were in 1882. "We used to
have plain benches and plain floors," Clara recalls
of the interior. Tommy agrees, pointing to some of
the original plank benches which are still brought
out and used for special occasions.
"There were 24 benches in the middle and the
aisles were on the side. On big days we would take
the benches outside and clean them and then
bring them back inside," he said .
Today the church has a center aisle and tiled floors
and the potbellied stove has been replaced by a furnace.
The original church also had plain glass windows
which were replaced with large amber panes
about 50 or 60 years ago by a local carpenter named
Cecil Miller.
A few years back as the younger people in the comm
unity grew up and moved away, the church
appeared to falter a bit as membership dropped,
but in the last few years there has been an upswing
of spirit and activity. The youthful Rev. Harris has
even started the church's first male chorus which,
along with the choir, often performs at area community
functions.
"We're very active and that's what I've always liked,"
Linda explained. "We're still strong and still working
for the church. We would like anybody to
come to worship with us. We don't care who they
are as long as they are working for Christ."
"We were all families here," Tommy explained.
"We've been determined to keep it going one way
or another and so we smile and keep going, but in
the last few years people have started coming
back." As the Mother of the Church, Sister
Woodson likes what she sees going on in the congregation.
Every week, as long as she can get a ride
from her home in Cedar Green, she keeps coming
back.
"I love it, that's why I'm still here. I think that Rev.
Harris is going to bring it back out. I enjoy watching
'em do and I'm sure that they're gonna make
this church stand out in history 'cause they got the
drive. There's a lot of memories here. Outside of
my home church (near Buffalo Gap) this is the
only church I ever belonged to. As long as I can get
here, I'll be here until the Lord calls me." -
H 1 S T O R 1 C A L S K ET C H ES OF A F R I C A N - A M E R I C A N C H U R C H E S (Past & Present) of Augusta County, Staunton, Waynesboro, & Vicinity 22

EDITOR'S ADDENDUM: The Rev. Clarence
Edward Harris resigned in 1998 as pastor, and the
church's approximately 15 members invite guest
pastors for their regular u :15 a.m. Sunday services
while they search for a fulltime pastor.
Remodeling of the building over the years has
included the addition of a vestibule, a pastor's
study, new pews and carpeting, cement porch;
steps and sidewalk, step railings, and carpeting for
the porch and steps. Funds are being raised (1999)
for bathrooms and a kitchen. The landscaping is
also undergoing gradual improvement.
23 H l S T O R l CAL S KET C H E S O F A F R l C AN - AME RIC AN C H U R C H E S (Pa st & Present) of Augusta County, Staunton, Waynesboro, & Vicinity

- - - - II II
HATTON POND BAPTIST CHURCH
CEMETERY BURIAL RECORDS
BELL, MARY JANE
DARCUS, JOHN R.
DARCUS, ROY JAMES
(Meta l Marker)
DARCUS, REV. ARCHIE L.
DORSEY, MRS. MAGGIE PARRISH
(Meta l Marker)
LEECH, CARRIE DARCUS
PARRISH, LEE ROY
PARRISH, ELIZABETH DARCUS
PARRISH, LEE ROY, JR.
US Navy
SELLERS, BRAXTON
SELLERS, BETTIE
SELLERS, WATSON L.
SELLERS, MARY J.
SHEPHERD, CHARLES E.
SHEPHERD, LAURA B.
STUARD, DAVID
STUART, ROBERT D.
STUART, MAGGIE V.
WILLIAMS, MARY WOODSON
WOODSON, WILSON
Sgt. - US Army - WW 11 , Korea
Compile::l by Joe Nutt, July 10, 2000
b. Mar. 11, 1862
b. 1873
b. May 6, 1910
b. Apr. 5, 1924
b. (c) 1901
b. Jan. 20, 1881
b. Apr. 17 , 1917
b. Dec. 3, 1917
b. Mar. 13, 1942
b. 1846
b. Dec. 3, 1849
b. Jun . 26, 1887
b. Jul. 23, 1891
b. Jan. 19, 1897
b. Mar. 3, 1903
(No dates)
b. 1903
b. 1911
b. Mar. 7, 1900
b. Oct. 9, 1916
d. Apr. 5, 1918
d. 1932
d. Jun. 12, 1990 (age 80)
d. Mar. 24, 1998
d. Feb. 12, 1953 (age 52)
d. Oct. 10, 1953
d. Feb. 23 , 1995
d. Sep. 1, 1958
d . Jul. 24, 1992
d. Feb. 12, 1917
d.Jan.1, 1947
d.
d. Feb. 18, 197 4
d. Dec.11 , 1979
d.
d. (Age 74)
d. 1977
d.
d. Mar . 13, 1968
d. Jan. 15, 1973

II
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Crimoro
Morningstar Baptist Church
375 Mine Branch Rd. Crimoro, Vo. 24431
H I ST O R I C A L S K ET C H E S O f A f RI C A N A M E R I C A N C H U R C H ES (Past & Present) of Augusta County, Staunton, Waynesboro, & Vicinity 26

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MORNING STAR BAPTIST CHURCH
CEMETERY BURIAL RECORDS
ANDERSON, GEORGE
VA-PVT-407 Res. Labor 8tn-WWI
ANDERSON, WILLIAM
ANDERSON, LUE
ANDERSON, DARK
PFC-US ARMY-WWII
BALDWIN, MRS. AGNES ANDERSON
(Metal Marker)
BARBER, UDY WADE
BROWN, HATTIE E.
BROWN, EDNA JULIA
ABC
BROWN'S BABY
CLARK, HENRY
FULLER, IRENE WADE
(Metal Marker)
HART, PONDOLA ANDERSON
HENDERSON, DAISY V.
HENDERSON, ELIZABETH MAY
JOHNSON, WILLIAM
JOHNSON, MAGGIE M.
JOHNSON, SAMUAL L.
(Metal Marker)
JOHNSON-BOOKER
JOHNSON, OLLIE 0.
BOOKER, AGNES L.
JOHNSON, RUDOLPH
JOHNSON, BETTY MAE
JOHNSON, NED WILLIS
VA-Tec4-US ARMY-WWII
Compiled by Joe Nutt, July 10, 2000
b.
b.
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b. 1920
b. (c) 1904
b. Nov. 15, 1885
b. Jun. 5, 1885
b. 1941
b.
b.1926
b. Jul. 23, 1899
b. Jul. 2, 1890
b. May8,1914
b. 1872
b. May 4, 1880
b. 1880
b. Apr. 30, 1904
b.Apr. 14 , 1911
b. Jun. 8, 1910
b. Jan. 6, 1910
b. Mar. 28, 1922
d. Jul. 16 , 1931
d.
d. Jan. 20, 1941
d. 1981
d. Apr. 14, 1983 (Age 79)
d. May 23, 1955
d. Jul. 17, 1951
d. 2000
d. (?) May 21, 1984 (only date)
d. Jul. 5, 1908 (? ) Age58
d. 1979
d. Jul. 26, 1973
d. Nov. 28, 1968
d. Feb.22, 1947
d. Feb . 2, 1943
d. May 10, 1945
d. 1957
d. Oct. 3, 1963
d Jan. 28, 1996
d. Jan . 1, 1967
d. Dec. 27, 1986
d . Feb. 1, 1958

- -- -
::c -V> JOHNSON, WILLIE AUGUSTA b. Sep. 15, 1925 d. Jan. 29 , 1973 ..,
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i TAYLOR, SIDNEY W. b. Nov. 1, 1905 d.Jan.11, 1982
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*WADE, LOTTIE HILDA b. May 30, 1930 d. Aug. 1, 2000*
WOODS, NELSON b. Jan. 28, 1904 d. Nov. 23, 1968
WOODS, HANNAH b. Aug. 20, 1904 d.
YANCEY, CLARENCE E. b. Aug. 10, 1854 d . Jan. 22, 1909
YANSY, LAURA L b. Ape. 14, 1893 d. Apr. 27, 1909
Added after survey, from newspaper obituary.
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New Hope
Mt. Bethel Baptist Church
503 Round Hill School Rd.
MT. BETHEL BAPTIST CHURCH in New Hope was founded in 1868.
New Hope. Vo. 24469
Histor4
(EDITOR'S NOTE: The following history of Mt. Bethel
Baptist Church appeared in a publication commemorat
ing the 100th anniversary of the church (1868 - 1968)
on Sunday, September 8, 1968. The Rev. Thomas C.
Allen was minister at that time. This publication was
provided by Mrs. Owen (Margaret) Crawford, present
(2000) church secretary.)
We build upon the achievements of those who
lived before us. For years, 20 members of the
Mount Bethel Baptist Church have sacrificed
to give us the comforts we now enjoy. It is not possible
to discuss all of the heritage left by the pioneers of this
church .
The Mount Bethel had its origin in the year of 1868
with a few Christians who were interested in renewing
their strength in Christ. With their prayers and sacrifices
of the members, they met in a very small building
where they could w~rship God.
Prior to our (available) records they had called Rev. N. P.
Hawkins, who pastored for 30 years. In 1900 he
resigned and Rev. Carr was called to the church. He
resigned in 1909, after which Rev. Wesley Jones pastored
for rwo years (1909-1911), Rev. F. W. Pennick for
four years (1911-1914), Rev. A. L. Brent for nine years
(1915-1923), and Rev. Mayo for two years (1924-1925) .
H I S T O R I C A L S K ET C H ES O F A F R I C AN - A M E R I CAN C H U R C H E S (Pa st & Prese nt) of Augusta County, Staunton, Waynesboro, & Viciniry 30

During the pastorate of Rev. A. L. Brent the church
received a new addition.
Rev. T. M . Johnson was pastor 1925-1928; Rev. J. H.
Taylor from 1929-1931; Rev. George W Stewart of
Waynesboro from 1932-1939; and Rev. C.H. Harris
from 1940- 1952. These men will be remembered
for their meek and humble beginnings which
paved the way for later progress.
On August 20, 1952 Rev. Thomas Cary Allen of
Lynchburg, Va., became our pastor. New interest
was aroused through his leadership. When he
came to us, we had $2.oo in the treasury and one
deacon, Dally Gray. Rev. Allen has served as the
eleventh pastor of this church for 16 years.
In the last 16 years we have made great progress.
We have had four deacons, namely: Dally Gray,
chairman; Richard Crawford; Wally Barrett
(deceased); and Calvin Gray, who has since moved
his membership to Shiloh Baptist Church in
Waynesboro.
At present we have two deacons: Deacon Dally
Gray and Deacon Richard Crawford.
During the first year of Rev. Allen's administration
the church was redecorated, ten new members
came in, plans were drawn up to put an addition on
the church which (completed) includes a kitchen,
dining room, choir room, pastor's study, and new
church steps and stained glass windows. A furnace
has also been installed in the church and a new
piano purchased.
Ihe Ladies Auxiliary of the church was organized,
and with their help the church fixed the lawn,
erected outside toilets, seeded and graded the
graveyard, put down new carpeting, repainted the
walls, and purchased a communion set, choir
robes, and new furnishings for the dining room.
Tile flooring was laid in the new building, a patio
was added for church suppers, a baptizing pool was
purchased, and the kitchen has been remodeled to
meet the requirements of the County Health
Department.
The above has totalled about $25,000 worth of
work, and the church remains free of debt aside
from saving souls.
Rev. Allen has laid the foundation for our church.
He baptized 12 candidates in July, 1967. However,
his attainments and accomplishments can hardly
be measured without reference to the untiring
efforts of the deacons and trustees.
We have three trustees: Mr. Edward Frye, Mr. John
Wilson, Jr., and Mr. Sterling Gray. To these we
pause to pay tribute and respect for their inspiration
and enthusiasm. We further pay tribute to the
women of the church who have worked side by
side with these brethren in always sharing the
load. The pastor, officers and members have taken
the knowledge and experience of our forefathers
and continue to improve and build upon their
Christian faith.
This publication marking the 100th Anniversary of
the church in 1968 recognized a number of church
members, including long-time clerk and treasurer
Mrs. Florence Williams, Albert and Hannah
Williams in memoriam, Blanch Gray, the current
treasurer, and patrons of the event Rev. and Mrs.
Allen, Mrs. Florence G. Harper, Mr. and Mrs.
Richard Crawford, Mr. and Mrs. Dally Gray, Mr.
and Mrs. John Wilson, Mr. and Mrs. Tilford
Harper, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Payor, Miss Mary Frye,
Mr. Elward Frye, and Mr. Mervin Miller.
Deacons at the time were Dally Gray and Richard
Crawford, and past deacons recognized included
Wally D. Barrett, Albert Williams, Gilbert Frye,
Nathan 0 . Williams, Samuel Branson, Walter
Williams, Jerry Morton, and John Thompson.
Trustees in 1968 included Edward Frye, John
Wilson, Jr., and Sterling Gray, with past trustees
listed as Albert Williams, Nathan 0. Williams and
Walter Williams.
To update this history from 1968: Rev. Thomas
Allen, who had pastored Mt. Bethel from August
20, 1952, departed in 1980 after 28 years. Rev. Fred
Bagley served as pastor from 1981 to 1986, succeeded
by Rev. Minor Diamond, who served from
December 13, 1988 to January 21, 1994.
In 1991, a new addition was built onto the church,
which included a Fellowship Hall, pastor's study
and bathroom.
On February 17, 1993, the Rev. Milton Dandridge
was employed as assistant pastor, and he was elevated
to accepted pastor on January 23, 1994. Rev.
Dandridge resigned on October ro, 1999.
Rev. Willie S. Washington was designated as assistant
pastor on February 22, 1998, and she accepted
the pastorship on February 6, 2000.
The Rev. Willie S. Washington was formally
installed as pastor in a formal ceremony on May 20
at Mt. Bethel Baptist Church.
Rev. Washington had formerly served as associate
pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Staunton,
and was co-founder and co-chairwoman of the
Christian Women's Fellowship of Staunton,
Waynesboro, Lexington and Augusta County. She
serves as chaplain for Staunton Chapter No. 1650
31 H I ST OR I CAL S KET C H ES OF A F R I C A N - AM E R I CAN C H U RC H E S (Past & Present) of Augusta County, Staunton, Waynesboro, & Vicinity

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of the American Association of Retired Persons, as
well as for the Northwest Council District of the
AARP.
The current (2000) treasurer for the Ministers
Alliance of Waynesboro, Staunton and Augusta
County, she is the former president of the Virginia
Western District Church School Convention of the
Berean Valley Baptist Association.
Washington earned her theological training from
Liberty University, Evans Smith Institute of
Leadership Education, Virginia Union University,
and the Shenandoah Bible Institute.
The former owner and operator of Willie's
Beautyrette for 37 years, Washington is the wife of
the late Elmo Washington, Jr. She and her daughter,
Sandra, live in Fishersville.
H I S T O R I C A L S K ET C H ES O F A F R I C AN - A M E R I C A N C H U R C H E S (Pa st & Present) of Augusta County, Staunton, Way nesboro, & Vi ciniry 32

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MT, BETHEL BAPTIST CHURCH
CEMETERY BURIAL RECORDS
BARBER, ETTA E. (Mother )
BARRETT(?), LUCY J.
Daughter of W. J. and Bettie
CRAWFORD, RUTH A.B.
CRAWFORD, RICHARD C.
CRAWFORD, WILHELMINIA H .
Wed May 3, 1950
FLEMING, VALLEY V.
Daughter of R. E. and S. J. Fleming
FRYE, ALBERTA B. (Mother)
GRAY, DALLY
GRAY, BLANCH WHITE
GRAY, FRED OWEN
Compiled by Joe Nutt, July 8, 2000
b.Mar.17, 1882
b. Sep. 13, 1888(?)
b. Nov. 18, 1914
b. Mar. 24, 1900
b. May 18, 1935
b. Feb . 13, 1909
b. Jun . 28 , 1905
b. Mar. 31 , 1897
b. Jul. 1 o, 1895
b. Mar. 30, 1921
North Carolina - Tees - 3526 QM TRK CO . -WWII
GRAY, EDWARD DALLY
US Army - WWII
WADE, SILVIA C. "MAE"
WADE, ROYAL "ROY"
WASHINGTON, GEORGE
WILLIAMS, ALBERT N.
Son of A.(?) and H. F. Williams
WOODSON, CHERYL VANESSA
Daughter of Alvin and Shirley Woodson
b. Nov. 25 , 1924
b. Jun. 5, 1950
b. Aug. 5, 1919
b. (cl 1881
b. Jun . 22 (?), 1897
b. Oct. 27 , 1959
d . Sep. 29 , 1950
d . Jul y 28, 1909 (?)
d. Jul. 6, 19 79
d. Ma y 21 , 1976
d. Sep . 13 , 1986
d. Jul. 14, 1909
d. Nov. 23, 199 7
d.
d. Feb. 12 , 19 7 4
d . Ma y 7, 1972
d. Sep. 29 , 1986
d.
d. Jan . 12 , 1994
d. Aug. 19 , 191 7 (Age 36 )
d. Ma y 31 (?), 1918
d. Apr. 8, 1966

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Mt.. Marine Baptist Church
Mt. Morine Rd .
Mt. Marine Baptist Church perches proudly on a
hill, accessible by Mt. Marine Rd., a short, private
lane running north off of Kiddsville Rd., a
little over a mile east of the junction of Kiddsville and
Long Meadow Roads, and about a mile and a half north
o[Jefferson Highway (U.S. 250), in Fishersville.
Historical information on this church was provided by
deacon Crawford Randolph. He notes that many of the
church records were lost when the home oflongtime
church clerk, Frank Williams, located on Kiddsville Rd.
at the foot of the hill, burned down .
The African-American community of Kiddsville apparently
dates back to the 1870s, when eight families purchased
an eleven-acre "valley" from a man named Kidd.
The families were soon able to support a school, located
on Kiddsville Rd. below the present church, and held
worship services in what they called a "Brush Harbor,"
apparently a clearing in a wooded area furnished with
wooden benches. It is possible that services were also
held in the schoolhouse, as in many such communities,
but the dates of construction of the school are unclear.
Fishersville, Vo 22939
Fishersville
Records show that at some point in the 1870s, also at
the foot of the hill, construction had begun on a church
building, and the framework completed, when a strong
windstorm blew it down.
MT. MARINE BAPTIST CHURCH was built in the old African-American community of Kiddsville, now Fishersville
P.O., (c) 1880-1881. The drawing pictures the church in 1999.
H I ST OR I C A L S K ETC H E S O F AF R I C AN - A M E RI C A N C H U RC H E S (Pa st & Present) of Augusta County, Staunton, Waynesboro, & Vicinity 34
11
111
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THE MT. MARINE BAPTIST CHURCH
Educational Building, completed in 1986, provides much
needed space for Sunday School, the pastor's study, and a
kitchen and room for special church events.
Moving up the hill, the members started construction
on a new church, the present one, in the year
1880, probably completing it soon afterwards. It is
not known when the name "Mt. Marine Baptist
Church" was applied to the congregation, or the
source of the name, but the name probably dates to
this early period.
The Rev. Will Frye was the first pastor. The church
initially had no basement, but one was added later
under the pastorate of Rev. John H. Ware. In the
absence of electricity for many years, the church
was lighted with oil lamps, and heated with a wood
stove.
After the death of Rev. Ware, the Rev. C.R. Wicks,
of Charlottesville, became pastor and, under his
vigorous leadership, the congregation organized
the Juniur Builders Club and an Usher Board.
Over ensuing years, families dedicated the church
windows to deceased members, and improvements
to the church included new floors and pew benches,
a choir room, and a paved entrance road. The
congregation acquired a new church Bible, choir
robes, a pastor's robe, and a new piano.
In 1986, a major project, the educational building,
across the road from the church, was completed
and dedicated. This building provided classrooms,
a pastor's study, kitchen, and a baptism pool.
Current church organizations, according to Mr.
Randolph, include the deacon board, trustees, a
Men's Builders Club, a Willing Workers Club,
Sunday School, Junior and Senior Choirs, missionaries,
deaconesses, and other groups from time to
time.
The church's historical notes list the names of a
number of prominent former deacons, enacted
deacons and trustees, including: Brothers Nick
Coles, Stadford Randolph, Turner, Peyton Green,
Robert Patterson, Frank Williams (who served as
church clerk for nearly 30 years), Garnett Baldwin,
Charles Randolph, Houston Randolph (Deacon
Randolph served as church treasurer for a number
of years), Alfred Diggs, Aaron Jones, and William
Kincaide.
Until his death, Brother Nathan Jones served as
church custodian and clerk for many years.
List of Pastors
Pastors of Mt. Marine Baptist Church include the
following:
Rev. Will Frye
Rev. Matt Robinson
Rev. Robert Daniel
Rev. -Nizer
Rev. Joshua Green
Rev. - Johnson
Rev. Randal Carr
Rev. Mack Addney
Rev. James M. Moses
Rev. -- Harvey
Rev. - Hunter
Rev.-Horne
Rev. - Wilson
Rev. Harvey Stevenson
Rev. C.C. Harris
Rev. John H. Ware
Rev. C.R. Wicks
Rev. Dr. J. Henry Scott (pastored five years)
Rev. Michael A. Turner (July, 1985 - 1995?)
Rev. Ralph Williams (June, 1996 - Present)
Hotchkiss Mop
The Jed. Hotchkiss Map of the South River
Magisterial District in 1884 clearly depicts the
African -American community ofKiddsville, with
the Kiddsville School House #21 located at the foot
cif the hill and the church at its present site on the
hill.
Freeholders of properties in the immediate vicinity
of the school and church include J. Taylor, E.
Calvreys, W Calvreys, W Fry (this would be Rev.
Will Frye, First Pastor of Mt. Marine), Wm.
Washington, A. Jackson, and C. Green. less than a
mile to the east are Rob't Goodwin and E. Trimble.
To the west of the Kiddsville community, less than
a mile, are P. Bowles, Henry Mclain and T. Ayers.
Another community of African-American freeholders
is depicted south o[Jefferson Hwy (U.S.
250) and north of and along the C&O Railroad
tracks, in the vicinity of another depicted church,
on Mule Academy Rd., which would have been the
now-inactive and burned down Ebenezer
35 H I S TO R I C A L S K E T C H E S O F A F R I C A N - A M E R I C A N C H U R C H E S (Past & Present) of Augusta County, Staunton, Waynesboro, & Vicinity

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Methodist Church. Individuals and families located
in this area include Alex Gay, A. Thompson, J.
Davenport, W Baldroll, R. Flipping, and S.
Flipping. Further east, and just south of Jefferson
Hwy on the way to Waynesboro, are found the
property owners Paul Wood, Sam Miller, A. Witt, T.
Tinley, and R. Bolden.
The community around Mt. Marine Baptist
Church appears to have much in common with the
Oak Grove community (q.v.) only a few miles to
the northeast. Both communities were closely settled
by African American settlers in the late 19th
century, with the Kiddsville community probably
pre-dating the Oak Grove settlement. According to
Mr. Randolph, Mt. Marine members assisted in the
founding of Oak Grove Baptist Church.
Also, both churches were proximate to an AfricanAmerican
Methodist church that is no longer
active. The prevailing pattern of cross-attendance at
two nearby churches probably existed in both communities.
The Church Todo4
Under the leadership of Pastor Ralph J. Williams,
Sr., the 65 to 70 current members of Mt. Marine
Baptist Church remain an active force in the community.
The church clerk is Marie Jackson .
The Deacons in the year 2000 are Crawford
Randolph, chairman, Willard Braxton, James
Jackson, Sr., and Glennwood Diggs.
Trustees include Leon David Howard, Chairman,
Willard Braxton, George Spencer, Dennis White,
and Helen Wack.
Church officers include Carol Bady, Usher
President; Helen Jones, head of the Willing
Workers; Patricia Williams, acting president of the .
Helping Hands; Jerry Williams, Men's Club president;
Loretta Henderson, director of the Senior
Choir; Merel Spencer, director of the Gospel
Choir; Sandra White, in charge of the Youth
Department; Mildred Williams, pianist; and
Glennwood Diggs, Sunday School superintendent.
Rev. Rolph J. Williams. Sr.
Pastor Ralph J. Williams, Sr., is currently a resident
of Strasburg, and employed by C.W Wright
Construction Co. in Richmond.
He graduated from Fauquier High School in
Warrenton, Va., in 1967, and served in the U.S.
Navy from July, 1967 to August, 1970.
In May, 1974, he was called to the ministry, and he
preached his trial sermon at Mt. Morris Baptist
Church in Hume, Va., on June 7, 1974 .
On june 22, 1974, Mt. Morris Baptist Church
licensed him into the ministry, and he was
ordained by the Second National Baptist
Association on August 24, 1975. He attended the
Washington Baptist Seminary and Northern
Virginia Community College during the years
1975-1977.
Between 1974 and 1994, he pastored three churches:
St. Paul Baptist Church in Happy Creek, Va.,
twice; Poplar Forks Baptist Church in Warrenton,
Va.; and served as assistant pastor of Mt. Morris
Baptist Church in Hume, Va., where he remains a
member.
In June, 1996, he was called to pastor at Mt. Marine
Baptist Church in Fishersville, where he serves at
present.
Rev. Williams and his wife, Patricia, have two children,
Patrice and Ralph, Jr.
H I S T O R I C A 1 S K ET C H E S O f A F R I C AN - A M E RI C A N C H U R C H E S (Past & Present) of Augusta County, Staunton, Waynesboro, & Vicinity 36
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CEMETERY BURIAL RECORDS
Compiled by Joe Nutt , July 5, 2000
BALDWIN, WALKER (Father) b. (c) 1858 d. Apr. 6, 1912 (Age 54)
BALDWIN, MATTIE (Mother ) b. (c) 1868 d. Oct. 5, 1921 (Age 53 )
BALDWIN, E. G. b. Apr. 4, 1905 d. Dec. 9, 1929
BALDWIN, JOHN J. b. d. Jul. 22 , 1924
BALDWIN, NEWTON b. d.Aug. 10, 1924
BALDWIN, ELSIE b. d. Mar. 19, 1927
BALDWIN, WILLIAM G. b. Jan. 14, 1895 d. May 9, 1970
BALDWIN, MARTHA MABEL b. Apr. 18, 1916 d.
BARBOR, PAULINE BRAXTON b. Apr. 13, 1909 d. Aug. 4, 1989
BOLDEN, KENNETH E . b. Nov. 5, 1938 d. Jun. 7, 1986
BRAXTON, JAMES S. b. Dec. 18, 1905 d. Jan . 2, 1973
BRAXTON, JOHN F. "PETE" b. Nov. 26 , 1920 d. Nov. 13, 1986
BRAXTON, MABEL L. b. Jan. 23, 1931 d. Apr. 12 , 1997
BRECKINRIDGE, JOHN b. d. Aug . 21 , 1944
VA - PVT 349 Field Arty - 92 Div -WWII
BROOKS, L. CAROL b. Jan . 31 , 1951 d. May 23, 1990
BUTLER, HANNAH b. Feb. 28, 1890 d. Sep. 19, 1967
DARCUS, MILDRED F. b.Aug. 30, 1908 d. Jul. 2, 1982
DIGGS, ALFRED OSWALD b. Jun. 8, 1892 d. Jan . 8, 1989
DIGGS, VIRGINIA MARTIN b. May 31, 1898 d. Mar. 2, 1997
FOUNTAIN, JANNIE BROOKS b. Sep . 22, 1884 d . Feb . 20, 1959
HENDERSON, EMMITT LEE b. May 27, 1928 d . Dec. 15, 1997
JACKSON, ALICE I. b. Sep. 30, 1904 d. Dec. 17, 1968
JACKSON, MARJORIE J. b. Oct. 23 , 1924 d. Mar. 14 , 1973
JONES, PEARL V. (Mot her ) b. May 16, 1891 d. Jul. 3, 1970
JONES, NATHAN M. b. Aug. 21, 1928 d. Nov. 22, 1992
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.., MARTIN, BETTIE WATSON b. Feb . 18, 1849 d. Aug 16 , 1892
" - MARTIN, SARA PRICE b. Oct. 8, 1866 d. May 20, 1890 r,
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RANDOLPH, MARGARET D. b. Apr. 13, 1897 d. Jun. 12, 1973 :i:
C: RANDOLPH, M. B. HOUSTON b. Oct. 18, 1890 d. Aug. 15 , 1965 "' r, Married , Sep. 2 , 1937 :i:
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RANDOLPH, LOUISE P. b. Jun. 21, 1907 d. Apr. 17 , 1993 0 ....,
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RANDOLPH, JACQUES KAYAL b. Jun . 12, 1965 d . Dec. 9, 1996
ROBERTSON, WILLIAM E. b. Sept. 11 , 1919 d.Aug . 7, 1979
ROBINSON, GRACE WILLIAMS "BUZZY" b. Feb . 4, 1907 d. Mar. 19 , 1999
ROGERS, LOUISE BRAXTON b. Apr. 24, 1916 d. Jul. 2, 1993
ROSE, CHRISTINE E. b . Nov. 25, 1908 d. Oct. 22 , 1984
ROSE, JOHN BLAND b. Jun. 27, 1910 d. Sep. 16, 1977
STM3 - US NAVY - WWII
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MT. MARINE BAPTIST CHURCH CEMETERY BURIAL RECORDS (cont.)
SHEFFEY, HARRIETT LEE
"Gone So Soon"
STEWART, FLORENCE E.
TAYLOR, CHARLES W.
TAYLOR, CLARA
TAYLOR, DOROTHY R.
TAYLOR (JOHN?)
TAYLOR, T.G. (?)
TAYLOR(?)
WHITE, CARL WILSON
WHITE, WILBUR WHITESELL
(Metal Marker)
WILLIAMS, FLORENCE M.
WILLIAMS, ROBERT F.
WILLIAMS, MARY LELIA
WILLIAMS, ARTHUR T.
WILLIAMS, ALBERTA G.
WILLIAMS, MARY E.
WILLIAMS, KENOVA
WILLIAMS, WILBERT E.
US ARMY - KOREA
WILLIAMS, LEONARD TAYLOR
VA - PFC - US MARINE CORPS -VIETNAM
WILLIAMS, MICHELLE E.
YANCEY, ELSIE BRAXTON (Mother)
b. Apr. 29, 1927
b. Apr. 17, 1921
b. Mar. 13 , 1867
(No dates)
b. Jun. 30, 1917
b. (1820?)
d. May 9, 1927
d. Mar. 11, 1979
d. Feb. 17 , 1956
d. Dec. 9, 1995
These three old stones in a row are
hand-carved and hard to read.
b. Feb . 26, 1927 d. Feb. 16, 1991
b. May 3, 1938 d. Jan. 8, 1999
b. Jul. 4, 1879 d. Nov. 18, 1953
b. Dec . 24, 1889 d. Nov. 29, 1964
b.Aug. 5, 1889 d. Dec. 25, 1967
b. May 1, 1897 d . Dec. 24, 1968
b. Jan . 18, 1908 d . Dec. 31, 1968
b. Sep. 13, 1903 d. Nov. 2, 1990
b. Aug. 16, 1933 d. Mar. 13, 1979
b. Jan. 18, 1932 d. Apr. 23, 1994
b. Sep. 1, 1947 d. Jul. 25, 1967
b. Nov. 22, 1967 d. Dec. 18, 1995
b. Feb. 22, 1914 d. Mar. 30, 1996

I

New Hope
Mt.. Tabor Methodist Church
460 Round Hill School Rd. New Hope. Vo. 24469
Mt. Tabor United Methodist Church is a congregation
with a long but scantilly-recorded history .
Historical facts about the church are few, perhaps,
because it has been served by numerous pastors
representing different circuits, or charges, over the
years, and records have been scattered.
Today, the church is part of the Staunton-Grottoes
Charge, which includes Augusta Street United
Methodist Church in Staunton and Mt. Moriah United
Methodist Church in Grottoes, Rockingham County.
Worship services are conducted at Mt. Tabor on the first
and third Sundays of each month at 9 a.m. under the
charge pastor, Rev. Ralph Harris .
The African-American community in the vicinity of
Round Hill in New Hope extends well back into the
19th century .
An article in the Richmond Times-Dispatch on Sunday,
Oct. 27, 1991, by staff writer Susan Winiecki devotes
some space to Mt. Tabor history, as well as that of other
small, rural Virginia churches imperiled in our modern
times.
Mrs. Winiecki writes: "The doors of Mt. Tabor United
Methodist Church have been Mrs. Julia Miller's turning
point for 84 years, as well as her mother's and grandmother's.
MT. TABOR UNITED METHODIST CHURCH in New Hope in 1998. The log cabin pictured on the left was
reportedly built by slaves prior to 1850, and has served over the years as a meeting house, church, probably a school, and a
hospital for wounded soldiers during the Civil War. Presently, it is used as a fellowship-social adjunct to the church .
H I ST O R I C A l S K ETC H E S O F A F R I C AN - A M E R I C A N C H U R C H E S (Pa st & Present) of Augusta County, Staunton, Way nesboro, & Vicinity 40

"Outside what is now the main church, Mrs. Miller
points to a 12-by-12-foot log cabin church she says
was built and used by slaves before 1850.
''That's where Mama used to go. She'd tell me about
how they used to shout in there, jump on the
benches and turn them over.
"Now, with only 14 people sitting in the pews on
Sundays, Mrs. Miller's legacy is threatened.
'"We always talk about the church closing,' said
Juanita, one of Mrs. Miller's daughters. Tm always
telling my sisters to bring someone with them.'
"'They're scared all the time,' said the Rev. Jack
Pettyjohn, who is the pastor at Mt. Tabor and two
other churches, one in Grottoes, the other in
Staunton. 'In the past 25 years, seven predominantly
black Methodist churches between Fishersville
and Bridgewater have closed,' Petryjohn said."
Mrs. Julia Miller, born in 1907, died in 1995 at age
87, and is buried in the Mt. Tabor cemetery.
The cabin referred to is pictured in the drawing to
the left of the church. Oral history indicates that it
also served as a hospital for wounded soldiers, as
did many of the area's homes and other structures,
after the Civil War Battle of Piedmont on June 5,
1864. The Piedmont battlefield was just to the
north of the heavily-wooded Round Hill, and the
Confederate defense lines were drawn up in this
area, partially enwrapping the hill to the east. Mt.
Tabor is located on the southeast flank of the hill,
along one of the lines of Confederate withdrawal
after the battle.
On the 1884 Jed. Hotchkiss map of the Middle
River Magisterial District, Mt. Tabor is depicted, as
well as Round Hill School House No. 26 (Col.),
which appears to be located just south of the
church. It is probable that the log cabin served, historically,
as church, school, or both.
The Hotchkiss map reveals only two AfricanAmerican
landowners in the Round Hill area: S.
Tompson to the east of the church, and G.
Tompson to the west. In New Hope Village, the
only African-American home identified is that of
Sallie White.
These few landowners could not be indicative of
what must have been a significant AfricanAmerican
communiry in the New Hope-Round
Hill neighborhood, which supported a school and
two churches, after 1868, with the founding of the
nearby Mt. Bethel Baptist Church in that year.
The log cabin is used today as a fellowship hall for
special occasions. Over 150 years old, it must stand
as one of Augusta County's oldest exposed-log
structures.
In the Mt. Tabor cemetery, next to the church, only
three graves have been located with death dates
recorded prior to 1900: those of the infants Viola
White (1884-1886) and Venton M. White (1897),
and that of Dianna Harris(? - 1889). It is hazardous
to date a church by the oldest gravesites, because
the older sites are the ones most likely to be lost to
posterity. It could be reasonably assumed from the
known, marked graves, and numerous unmarked
sites, that there were burials at Mt. Tabor dating to
before 1880.
As can be seen by the existing tombstones, the
cemetery remains in very active use over recent
decades.
The fears of church members in 1991 that the
church might face imminent closing must have
been allayed by the fact that the congregation has
more than doubled since then, and remains active
and loyal.
Mt. Tabor in the Year 2000
Under the leadership of charge pastor Rev. Ralph
Harris, Mt. Tabor continues to function as a small
but successful house of worship. Church officers in
2000 include: Herbert Casey, lay leader; George
Howard, chairman of the administrative council;
Hattie Casey as secretary and financial secretary;
Peggy Kelly, membership chair; Lewis Casey, treasurer;
and Charles Darcus, assistant treasurer.
The trustees for 2000 include Charles Darcus,
chairman, and members Herbert Casey, George
Howard, Peggy Kelly, Clarence Casey (Honorary),
Lewis Casey, Juanita Curry, Sadie Graves, Juanita
Miller, and Hattie Casey.
Members of the Pastor-Parish Relations Board
include Herbert Casey, Charles Darcus and Hattie
Casey.
The membership roll for the years 2000 includes:
Clarence Casey, Herbert Casey, Hattie Casey,
Samuel Casey, Lewis Casey, Charles Darcus, Violet
Darcus, Melody Wilson, James Darcus, Jr., Eddie
Darcus, Ronnie Darcus, Debbie Henderson, Fanne
McCauley Johnson, Hazel Brown, Sadie Graves,
Clairrine Veney, Larry Veney, Ralph Veney, Jean
Strother, Loretta Jenkins, Russell Jenkins, Iva
Brown, Juanita Miller, Ruth Wheeler, Peggy Kelly,
Mary Miller, George Howard, Juanita Curry,
Robert Miller, Theadore Miller, Rhonda Smith, and
Haroldene McCauley Baldwin.
41 H I ST O R I C A L S K ET C H E S O f A F RI C AN - AM E R I C AN C H U RC H ES (Past & Present) of Augusta County, Staunton, Waynesboro, & Vicinity

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MT .. TABOR UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
CEMETERY BURIAL RECORDS
BROOK, B. (?)
BROWN, MORGAN
BROWN, MARY
Erected by (?) GWN Son - Feb . 6, 1936
CASEY, DEREK T. (Son)
CASEY, WINFRED C. (Father)
CRAWFORD, LEE A. (Father)
CRAWFORD, LUCY P. (Mother)
CRAWFORD, EMMA B.
CRAWFORD, ALSESTAR L.
DARCUS, MARTHA E.
DARCUS, JAMES STEPHEN
Tee 5, US Army - WWII
DARCUS, HILTON V.
FEQUA, SADIE W.
HOWARD, VIRGINIA L.
FIELDS, ODELLA M.
MILLER, HARRY B.
FULLER (?), M.
GOENS, ZEAK
GOOD, JAMES
GOOD, ELIZA
HALL, MARY
(Metal Marker )
HALL, ALDEN RAY
STM 1 - USNR - WWII
HALL, PAUL SYLVESTOR
(Metal Marker)
HARRIS, MERRITT
HARRIS, DIANNA
Compiled by Joe Nutt July 8, 2000
b.
(No dates)
(No dates )
b. Aug . 12, 1969
b. Jan . 4, 1946
b.Aug. 10, 1870
b. Mar. 27, 1880
b. July 1, 1895
b. Nov. 28 , 1902
b. Jun . 1, 1862
b. Feb . 10, 1917
b. May 18 , 1917
b. Feb . 17, 1912
b. Apr. 2, 1922
b. Jul. 8, 1923
b. Jun . 6, 1919
b.
b. (c) 1833
b. 1842
b. 1846 (?)
b. Aug. 15, 1886
b. Sep . 19, 1917
b. Feb. 26 , 1940
b. (c) 1848
b.
d.-1956
d. Aug . 29, 1986
d. May 3, 1986
d . Dec. 20 , 1933
d. Ma y 27 , 1945
d. Ma y 2, 1978
d. Oct. 4, 1922
d. Mar. 12 , 1912
d. Jan. 20 , 198 7
d. (?) 1996
d. Jan. 11, 1959
d. Sep. 16, 1964
d. Sep. 20, 1992
d. Apr. 20, 1969
d. 1945
d. Feb. 27, 1923 (Age 90 )
d. 19 (35 ?)
d. 1927
d. Jul. 11, 1953
d. Feb . 14 , 1966
d. Feb. 8, 1990
d. Feb . 9, 1911 (Age 63)
d. Jun . 5, 1889 (Age 56? )
_/

MT. TABOR UNITED METHODIST CHURCH CEMETERY BURIAL RECORDS (cont.)
HEART, C. b. d. 1956
HOLLAND, REV. JAMES H. b. Jun. 16 , 1889 d.
HOLLAND, BERNICE E. b. Dec. 25 , 1929 d. Jan. 8, 1963
HOLLAND, LAURA B. b. Mar. 4, 1888 d. Feb . 13 , 1966
HOLLAND, ELIZABETH B. SALISBURY b. Jan. 16, 1931 d. Jul y 11 , 1998 (Age 67)
(Metal Marker)
:i:: LANCE, LUCILLE V. b. Oct. 8, 1906 d. Apr. 25 , 1983 -en ...
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MILLER, THEODORE R. b. Jan. 31, 1906 d.Jul.2 7, 19 74 (")
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R:' McCAULEY, MARIE V . b.Aug. 30, 1924 d. Jun . 13 , 1975 .,,,
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b. Sep. 22 , 1923 d. Sep . 27 , 1993 ~ McCAULEY, AUSTON G. 0 ...,
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VENEY, CLAIRRINE P. (His Wife) b.Apr.9,1915 d. "' " m ., VENEY, CONSTANCE L. b. Feb . 14, 1935 d. Nov. 8, 1950 <"l
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:i: WHITE, LOTTIE B. b. 1892 d. 1924 C
b. 1902 d. 1913 "' WHITE, ANNA L.
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R' WHITE, VIRGINIA b. Mar. 23, 1894 d. Nov. 2, 1944 .,,, a ,,,
b. Mar. 31 (?), 1897 d. Apr. 6, 1897 E, WHITE, VENTON M.
0 WHITE, VIOLA b. Nov. 23 , 1884 d. Dec . (12 ?), 1886
....,
> C: WHITE, JAMES W. b. Nov. 23, 1909 d . Jul. 26 , 1971 ""' ~ Son of James L. and Bettie E. White n
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II
II

Middlebrook
Oak I-till Baptist Church
Cedar Green Rd. Staunton, VA 24401
H I S T O R I C A L S K ET C H E S O f A f R I C AN - A M E R I C AN C H U R C H ES (Pas! & Present) of Augusta County, Staunton, Waynesboro, & Vic inity 46

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OAK HILL
CEMETERY
BAPTIST
BURIAL
CHURCH
RECORDS
Compiled by Joe Nutt, July 4, 2000
The Oak Hill Baptist Church cemetery is located about a mile northeast of the church near the crest of a steep, rocky hill in a
pasture east of Middlebrook Rd . (Va 252),
The wire fence around the burial ground has been broken down and cattle range through the area . Many tombstones have been
overturned and some broken , and man y obvious gravesites are unmarked. Some uncarved stones and indecipherable wooden
markers are also found.
By their location, it is evident that a number of BROWN , JOHNSON and WARE stones are unreadable, or graves entirely
unmarked . Those of other families are undoubtedly also lost.
In Jed. Hotchkiss' 1884 map of the Riverheads Magisterial District, with an inset of the "Plan of Newport Village," the residence
of the following African Americans are specified: In Newport : Adam Weir and John Ross; to the west of Newport: J. Ware and W.
Wilson; to the north : G. Rose, J.H . Jackson and William Jefferson; and to the east: H. Johnson and W. Brown .
Some of these names appear with regularity in the burial records that follow:
ANDERSON, JORDAN b. (c) 1823 d. Dec. 17, 1917 (Age 94)
ANDERSON, SALLIE b. d. Nov. 5, 192? (Age 36 )
BROWN, LUVINIA b. 1854 d. 1886 (Age 32)
BROWN, ARIZONA T (Father) b. Jun. 26, 1913 d. Sep. 21, 1982
BROWN, CORNELIA P. (Mother) b. Feb. 12, 1917 d. Oct 10, 1994
BROWN (?) LINDA b. Dec. 8, 1930 d. Apr . 22, 1968 (Age 38)
(Meta l Marker)
BROWN, JEFFREY L. b. 1886 d. 1937
BROWN, ROSELLA B. b. 1897 d . 1969
BROWN, ANTHA A. b. Sep . 20, 1903 d. Apr. 1, 1920
Daughter of W. and M.A . Brown
BROWN, SAMUEL R. b. Mar. 10, 1891 d. Nov. 23, 1975
BROWN, GRETTA BLY b. Jul. 18, 1894 d. Nov. 9, 1976
BROWN, MAZIE b. 1893 d. 1964
BROWN, PAUL MARSHALL (Brother) b. Jul. 17, 1944 d. Nov. 11, 1972
HUDGINS, MARY ANN BROWN (Sister) b. Sep. 7, 1939 d. Sep. 15, 1966
CARTER, MARY b. July (?), 1858 d. Aug. 20?), 1882
Daughter of G.W. and L. Carter
HENRY, ELIZABETH JOHNSON b. Aug. 1, 1904 d. Apr. 7, 1991
JOHNSON, EVA b. Nov., 1897 d. Dec. 1957
Erected by Robert C. Johnson, Son

II II -
:i:: -V, JOHNSON, ROBERT COLUMBUS b. Jan . 16, 1916 d . .,
0 JOHNSON, ZENOBIA BROWN b. July 26, 1915 d. Mar. 11, 1995 " -r, ,..
.... JOHNSON, "TED" THEODORE b. Jan . 10 , 1921 d. Dec. 27, 1979
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NELSON, ELLA STEELE (Wife of Tobie Nelson ) d. Jul. 6, 1908 z
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Wife of George W. Scott
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R" WARE, STELLA J. b . 1878 d. 1928
.,,, WARE, EARLS . b. 1894 d. 1906
~ WARE, LAWRENCE G. b. 1892 d. 1925 " 5,
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b. Dec. 10, 1906 d. Jan. 20, 1998 > WARE, MARTHA G. C "" ~
;:; WARE, HAZEL C. b. Jan . 29, 1932 d. Jun . 30 , 1986 n
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II

Steodf ost Church of God Christ
Chino CIOlf Rood
Editor's Note: The following history of Steadfast Church
of God in Christ was told by Mrs. Clara (Brooks)
Howard, daughter of the church's founder, to Mrs. Ruby
(Woodson) Miller, daughter of the present pastor, and
passed on to the editor, who is responsible for its final
version.
Sometimes a church is founded by a single person
of spirit, energy and vision .
Phoebe Jane Crockett Brooks (1878-1959), a native of
Austinville in Wythe County in southwest Virginia,
moved to Augusta County at an early age .
She married Samuel Lester Brooks of Sherando, and the
couple had eight children. They moved to Lyndhurst
(present Stuarts Draft P.O.) and first attended Beulah
Baptist Church in that area.
There, we are told, Phoebe (later to be called Mother
Brooks) had a vision in which she "saw muddy sheep,
lying on the hillside, and the Spirit of God said 'You go
and pastor my sheep."'
She acquired a following of devout believers, in her
words "saved and filled with the Holy Ghost."
Stuarts Draft, Vo. 244 77
H I ST O R I C A L S KET C H E S O f A f RI C A N - A M E R I C A N C H U RC H ES (Past & Present) of Augusta County, Sraunron, Waynesboro, & Vicinity
Stuarts Draft
50

Doctrinal differences that arose between them and
some of the deacons and members at Beulah resulted
in the ouster of Mother Brooks and her band of
believers from the church.
Nineteen people left Beulah at that time, including
Mother Phoebe and Samuel Brooks, Brothers
Winston Harris, Willis Blair, Luther Jones, and
George Hamilton and their families, Brother
Wesley Hepburn and his wife, and Sisters~ Frazier,
Betty Harris, Lula Brooks, and others.
With no place to go, the group looked to Mother
Brooks for answers. "The Lord God says '.And I will
give you pastors according to Mine Heart, which
shall feed you with knowledge and understanding,"'
she told them, and she became the first pastor
of the little flock.
They gathered and started meeting from house to
house, with Sunday School services held in
Mother Brooks' home. The congregation increased,
and it became evident that they needed a larger
facility for worship.
About that time, Mother Brooks traveled to
Elizabeth, N.J., to visit her sister-in-law Mary
Brown, and Mary told her of an Elder Brown, who
might be willing to come to Virginia and help with
building a church.
Upon arriving in Lyndhurst, Elder Brown baptized
all the members in the river. As he was known as "a
builder," the congregation agreed that he should
build their church.
Land was purchased from Brother Wesley
Hepburn, and ground was broken for the building
on July 4, 1927, for what became known as 'The
Holiness Church." The day of the groundbreaking
was one of memorable rejoicing and praise.
Mother Brooks continued as pastor, but not without
some difficulties.
A group of young white men from the area, full of
prejudice and hate, threatened to kill Mother
Brooks if she deviated from her path to the church,
which she was in the habit of attending day and
night.
Undaunted, she continued in her churchgoing,
with the encouragement of Elder Winston Harris
and Brother Willis Blair.
One moonlit night, while returning on the road
from church, Mother Brown, her daughter Clare
(the teller of this story) and a young man were
accosted by two white men who said they were
going to kill the young man. Mother Brooks
grabbed each of the assailants by the arm, called on
God for protection, and asked that He "forgive
them, for they know not what they do."
Miraculously, these words turned the hearts of the
white men, and the three proceeded in peace.
About three weeks later, one of the assailants was
killed in an automobile accident on Afton
Mountain.
Mother Brooks pastored the church for several
more years, during which time "many were saved
and came to God."
The second pastor was Elder Winston Harris, and
during his pastorship the church underwent two
remodelings and was renamed "The Steadfast
Church of God in Christ."
Mother Brooks passed away on September 7, 1950.
She is remembered today for her "humility, prayerfulness,
wisdom, temperance, and determination
that nothing should separate her from the love of
God."
Her daughter Clara Howard says of her: "In her
decision to follow Jesus, she counted up the cost.
She knew that on this Highway of Holiness she
would encounter persecutions, envy, strife and criticism."
In 1984, Rev. James C. Woodson, Sr., became the
third and present pastor at Steadfast. Church officers
today (2000) include Elder Glenwood Jones,
Deacon Philip Harris and Elder Cecil Miller, who
serve with the pastor as church trustees.
Elder Glenwood Jones is assistant pastor; Ruby
Miller serves as Secretary-Evangelist; Susan Walker
is assistant secretary; and Elder Cecil Miller is
treasurer.
There are approximately 67 members of Steadfa st
Church of God in Christ.
51 H I ST O RI C A L S KET C H ES O F A F R I C AN - A M E RI C AN C H U R C H E S (Past & Present) of Augusta County, Staunton, Waynesboro, & Vici nity

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STEADFAST CHURCH OF GOD IN CHRIST
CEMETERY BURIAL RECORDS
BELL, MRS. GURDUDA SWANHILL
BELL, ELDER LELAND H.
BELL, LARRY LEO
BROOKS, SAMUEL L.
BROOKS, PHEBE J.
BROOKS, LOUISE L.
BROOKS, WILLIAM A.
DIGGS, VIRGIL R.
DIGGS, MARY E.
DIGGS, PATRICIA VERONICA
EAVES, ANN MARIA
HARRIS, ELD. WINSTON W.
HARRIS, CORA BROOKS
HARRIS, FELIX
HARRIS, ELIZABETH K.
HARRIS, BESSIE BELL
JOHNSON, PHILLIP L.
New Jersey - BKR2 - USNR - WWII
JOHNSON, ETTA MALETHA
JONES, LUTHER
VA-PVT-CO A-804 PIONEER INF-WWI
Compiled by Joe Nutt July 10 , 2000
b Mar .. 18 , 1904
b. Aug. 16, 1956
b. Ma y 1, 1959
b. Mar. 3, 1883
b. Feb . 11 , 1878
b. Nov . 25, 1889
b. Dec. 25, 1904
b. Jul. 25 , 1929
b. Jul. 3, 1931
b. Mar. 20 , 1950
b. May 4, 1924
b. Ma y 6, 1897
b. Aug. 27, 1900
b. Ma y 30, 1900
b. Feb. 8, 1911
b. Dec. 14, 1925
b. Jun . 30 , 1925
b. Jul. 8, 1933
b. May 8, 1894
(Same as Luther Jones , below, with different dates?)
JONES, LUTHER R.
JONES, ARCHIE M.
JONES, WILLIAM A.
VA-PVT-802 PIONEER INF-WWI
MASSIE, REV. EDWARD M.
MASSIE, MARION E.
b. Dec. 15 , 1895
b. Ma y 14, 1905
b. Jan. 20 , 1896
b. Oct. 3, 1908
b.Aug . 24, 1909
d . Nov . 14 , 1995 (Age 91)
d. Aug . 15 , 1986
d. Mar. 2, 198 7
d. Jun . 8, 1961
d. Sep . 7, 1950
d . Ma y 17, 1962
d. Dec. 30 , 1968
d. Mar. 15, 1983
d. Jul.11 , 1964
d. Jun . 10, 19 75
d. Dec. 13 , 1980
d. Oct. 2 6, 1984
d. May 14 , 197 1
d. Nov. 14, 19 72
d. Oct. 13 , 19 74
d.
d. Sep . 25, 196 5
d. Feb . 5, 19 72
d. Jan. 21, 1960
d. Ja n. 22 , 1960
d. Sep . 24, 198 2
d. Oct. 8, 19 58
d. Fe b. 10, 1961
d. Sep . 27, 199 8

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b. Jun. 1, 1920 d .
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b. Jul. 16, 192 7 d. Jan. 15 , 1986

I
I
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II

Staunton
Allen Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church
936 Sudburq Street Staunton. Vo .
The present ALLEN CHAPEL AME CHURCH at 936 Sudbury St., in Staunton. The first service was held at this new
location on August 3, 1997.
Historq
Allen Chapel African American Episcopal (AME)
Church, which marked its 135th Anniversary
this year (2000) has the distinction of being
Staunton's and the area's oldest African-American
church .
In addition, it is the oldest AME church west of the
Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia and can claim the
honor of having the first African-American choir
(organized in 1866) in the city, and founding
Staunton's first African-American school for adults.
Richard Allen (1760-1831) was the organizer of the
African Methodist Episcopal denomination in
Philadelphia in 1816.
In the book "Climbing Jacob's Ladder," by Edward D.
Smith, we learn that "of the four black denominations
that emerged in the Northeast prior to the Civil
War, the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) grew
the fastest. Under the leadership of Richard Allen
and a host of able bishops who followed him, the
AME created churches throughout the northern and
border states. A beachhead was temporarily established
at Charleston, South Carolina, in 1818, and a
more permanent church appeared in the south at
New Orleans in the 1850s."
But because of persecution and the "Black Codes"
(laws) enacted after slave uprisings, churches could
H I ST O R I C A L S K E T C H E S O F A FR I C A N - A M E R I C A N C H U R C H ES (Pase & Present) of Augusta County, Stauncon, Waynesboro, & Viciniry 54

not, prior to the Civil War, be legally constituted
in most of the southern states.
Nat Turner's Rebellion occured in Southhampton
County, Virginia, in August, 1831. A recent article
(December 13, 1999) by Tony Horwitz in "The
New Yorker" magazine sums up the reaction to this
revolt:
"Virginia blacks, both slave and free, lost some of
their few liberties in the aftermath of the (Nat
Turner's) revolt. The state legislature quickly
banned preaching by blacks, unsupervised religious
instruction, and assembly. He adds: "In many
southern localities," ... slaves could be whipped or
worse for having a paper or a book;" and "Black culture,
itself- its music, language, and folk traditions
- came to be seen as a form of resistance."
It is clear that in the inhumane and hostile climate
in the south prior to and during the Civil War,
African Americans could congregate for worship
only in clandestine assemblies, or attend white
churches.
Hence, according to Allen Chapel's written history,
most of the African Americans who founded the
church first attended services at white churches,
primarily the Lutheran Church that then stood on
the northeast corner of West Beverley Street and
Central Avenue, where the Clock Tower Building
now stands.
Also, it bears noting, it the year 1850 the 350 members
of the present Central United Methodist
Church included approximately 200 African
Americans.
It was in 1865, immediately after the Civil War and
the elimination of the "Black Codes" that Allen
Chapel AME Church was founded, according to
the church history.
This history, written from memory by the late Mrs.
Letitia Jackson in 1963, the 98th anniversary of the
church, records that "the spirit of African
Methodism was brought here through the efforts
of Sarah Rodney, a capable, consecrated worker
who set about to spread the AME message. The
church was officially organized in November, 1865,
under the leadership of Rev. Jacqueline Strange.
Later, 20 members purchased the site at 921 W
Beverley St. from two white sisters, the Misses
Fisher.
Mrs. Jackson adds that "some of the builders of the
first church were Thomas Tunley, the great grandfather
of Kenneth L. and Oscar B. Jones; Henry
Jones, the great grandfather of Margaret
Poindexter; Beverly Jones, Brisco Washington,
Louise Jackson, the Bowles family, and Spencer
Miles.
The present owner of the building at 921 W
Beverley St., Mr. Ed Kramer, who purchased the
property in 1998, has a copy of the contract for the
building of the church that appears in handwritten
form in the records of the Court of Hustings for
the Town of Staunton, that reads:
"MEMORANDUM of a contract made and entered
into this nth day of April, 1867, between R.H.
Fisher of the first part and Gordon Grandison,
John Ockward, Cato Boyd, Benjamin Bragg,
Castelo Keeling, Henry Gordon and Howard
Alexander, a building committee of the African
M.E. Church of the second part. Witnesseth: That
the said R.H. Fisher ... agrees and binds himself to
build them a church 42 feet long, 32 feet wide, and
17 feet high from floor to ceiling with 10 windows
(18 lights each, glass 10" X 10"; door in front 5 1/2
feet wide and 8 feet high, double hung with 4" X 4"
hinges fastened with good lock and bolts. The
frame to be put up and weatherboarded with plank
5/8 of an inch thick, and 6" wide cornice put on to
be shielded with inch plank on a substantial roof
and covered with good white pine shingles, the
windows finished and the floor laid, with pews finished
in the same (state?) of the pews in the basement
story of the Methodist Church in Staunton,
with two aisles 3 1/2 feet wide and (put a?) gallery
on both sides and one end with necessary number
of seats, the Church to be plastered inside with two
brown coats of marl or skimmed and whitewashed.
The party of the first part binds himself to furnish
all materials and do all the work by the 12th day of
September, 1967 in a neat, plain, substantial and
workmanlike manner.
The said party of the second part (named), a building
committee of the African M.E. Church, agrees
and binds themselves jointly and severally, to pay
R.H. Fisher, party of the first part, ... the sum of
$1600 in the following payments: $313 on the
signing of the contract; $127 when the frame is up;
$200 when the church is enclosed; $300 when the
windows and front door are finished and the floor
laid; $360 within 30 days of the time the church is
finished; and $300 on or before the 12th day of
March, 1868.
"Signed and Witnessed by WD. Harris and Emely
A Rodney on the nth day of April, 1867. James F.
Patterson, Clerk of Court."
This document is interesting in that it pinpoints,
within reasonable limits, the time of completion of
the first church building; lists names of some of
the founding or earliest members; gives insights
into building practices and costs in the mid-19th
55 H I ST O R I C A L S K ET C H ES O F A F R I C AN - A M E R I C AN C H U R C H E S (Pa st & Present) of Augusta County, Staunton, Waynesboro, & Vicinity

century; and raises some intriguing
questions.
Was the church builder, R.H.
Fisher related to the "Misses
Fisher" from whom the church
property was purchased? Was
"Emely A. Rodney" related to the
church founder, Sister Sarah
Rodney? Does the reference to the
pews "in the basement story" of
Central Methodist Church give an
indication of where the church
founders worshipped prior to the
erection of their own church?
Mrs. Jackson wrote that "the first
colored choir was organized in
this city and AME Church in
1866: Marie Nelson, Amanda
Sellers and Mrs. Parago as organist
and Brother Aaron Jackson, Sr., as
leader .
years later.
Mr. Kramer, a carpenter by trade
who has studied the structure,
believes that between the years
1904 and 1909 the height of the
sanctuary was increased from 1 7
to 20 feet. Undoubtedly, modifications
and improvements were
made to the building over the
years subsequent to 1867.
Mrs. Jackson writes that ''The
church building that now stands
at 921 West Beverley St. was started
in 1924 under the leadership of
Rev. J.J. Benjamin and completed
under the leadership of Rev. J.H.A.
Martin."
''The first colored school for adults
was organized with Bishop
Derrittas as teacher. The first
superintendent of our Sunday
School was Mrs. Charles Sellers.
Local ministers were Brothers
Broch, Parago, Davenport and
James Smith, father of Sister Jones
and Sister Goines."
The former ALLEN CHAPEL AME CHURCH building on West Beverley Street. The first church was
Indeed, it appears that the building
underwent a major remodeling,
if not complete reconstruction,
in 1924, Architects T.J. Collins
& Son were probably involved in
the church design, which featured
the addition of the towers (battlements)
and a new choir loft,
among other additions. The work
must have taken a number of
years, as the Rev. Martin was pastor
from 1927 to 1930.
built on this site in 1.867-681 and the church was rebuilt or extensively remodeled in the period 1.914-30 .
The building after 1924 was called
the "New Allen Chapel." Mrs. Jackson wrote that "our first
church met with financial difficulties
and Lincoln Jackson, though not a member at
the time, paid off the debt in honor of his mother.
Mr Ed Kramer has a document that a lien was
placed against the church in May, 1873, due to be
repaid in five installments by 1878 and totalling
$868.17. Whether or not this lien, placed by Philip
H. Trout, resulted in jeopardy to the church ownership
is unknown, but a handwritten notation in the
margin indicates that it was paid off by 1904, 30
Recognition was given in 1924 to
"the following officers, who labored with the Pastor,
Rev. J.J. Benjamin, in the creation of this Church:
Stewards:J.W Washington, Cyrus Brown, Edward
Douglas,J.WH. Jackson, and Edward Brown;
Trustees: E.S. Moore, Edward Courtney, Nannie
H I S T O R I C A L S K ET C H ES O F A F R I C AN - A M E R I C AN C H U R C H ES (Past & Present) of Augusta County, Staunton, Waynesboro, & Vicinity 56

Jackson, J.WH. Jackson, and Edward Brown, and
Stewardesses Hallie T. Benjamin, Lizzie Ochord,
Mary Anderson, Nannie Jackson, Florine Smith, ora
S. Causby, Kittie Brown, Virginia Scott, Delilah
Murmon, and Sarah Kemper.
Mrs. Jackson's history continues: Again the church
met adverse financial circumstances and fell into
the hands of a white congregation (a Church of
the Nazarene). But the Second Episcopal
Conference, under the leadership of Bishop
Gaines, purchased the church. Through the years
the members worked hard and faithfully and during
the pastorate of Rev. Melvin Law (1942-1949)
the conference received the final payment on the
indebtedness."
Mrs. Pauline Bundy, who holds the current (2000)
positions of membership on the Steward board,
superintendent of the Sunday School, and church
clerk, updated the church history for the 135th
anniversary in 2000. She writes:
"The limitations of on-street parking and no accessibility
for the handicapped were two disadvantages
of the church's location on West Beverley St.
"In 1997 the 75 member congregation under the
leadership of Rev. Edward A. Scott, feeling the need
for additional space to grow, stepped out in faith
and purchased the former Emmanuel Wesleyan
Church building at 936 Sudbury St. The new
church offers a parking lot and plenty of room.
On July 27, 1997 the last service at Allen Chapel on
West Beverley St. washeldand on August 3, 1997
the first formal worship service was held at the
new location on Sudbury St.
"In the intervening years, materially, we've had our
high and low points, but spiritually we've had
many Emmaus Road and mountain top experiences."
The church has had 53 pastors, two of whom
served during two separate terms. A list of these
pastors follows this narrative.
The motto of Allen Chapel AME Church is "God
our Father, Christ our Redeemer, Man our
Brother."
The staff and officers of the church for the 2000-
2001 Conference Year includes:
Pastor, Rev. Edward A. Scott; First Lady, Rev.
Andrea Cornett-Scott.
Stewards: Helen Becks, Jean Bre~er, Deborah
Bundy-Carpenter, Pauline Bundy, Audrey
Fitzpatrick, Margery Williams, and Glendye
Williams.
Trustees: Lewis V. Bolen, Ernest Darcus, Jr., and
Clarence Williams, Jr.
Trustees Emeriti: Linwood Bundy, Sr., and Rosie
Kincaid.
Stewardesses: Dorothy Becks, president; Brenda
Bolen and Theresa Davenport.
Stewardesses Emeriti: Addie Bolen and Margaret
Poindexter.
Master Musicians: Casaundra Banks, piano, and
Ellington Scott, percussion.
Voices of Victory Choir: Audrey Banks, president/
director and Jeri Fitzpatrick, vice president.
Pastor's Aides: Margery Williams, president, and
Colbert Ferguson, vice president.
Public Relations Commission: Audrey Banks,
chair, Casuandra Banks and Diana Williams.
Sons of Allen: Linwood Bundy, Jr., leader.
Stewardship & Finance: Helen Becks, Lewis Bolen,
Linwood Bundy, Sr., Ernest Darcus, Sr., and
Glendye Williams.
Sunday School: Pauline Bundy, superintendent,
Brenda Bolen, assistant superintendent.
Church Clerk: Pauline Bundy; Assistant Clerk,
Diana Williams.
Church Treasurer: Glendye Williams; Assistant
Helen Becks.
Usher Board: Lewis Bolen, president, Loleata
Darcus, vice president.
Lay Organization: Ernest Darcus, Sr., president,
Brenda Bolen, vice president.
Ella Florine Smith Missionary Society: Jean
Brewer, president, Loleata Darcus, 1st vice president,
Audrey Fitzpatrick, 2nd vice president.
Young People's Department: Fontella BrownBundy,
director, Loleata Darcus, assistant director.
Hospitality Committee: Jeri Fitzpatrick and Brenda
Bolen.
Man of the Year: Lewis V. Bolen
57 H I S T O R I C A L S K E T C H E S O F A F R I C A N - A M E R I C A N C H U R C H E S (Past & Present) of Augusta County, Staunton, Waynesboro, & Vicinity

ALLEN CHAPEL AME
CHURCH ROLL OF PASTORS
1865 - 2000
REV. JACQUELINE STRANGE 1865 - 1867 REV. J. H. ROSS 1910-1916
REV. DERRITT 1867 - 1869 REV. ODIS BUMGARNER (PASTOR & P. E.) 1916 - 1918
REV. A. PINDLER 1869 - 1871 REV. E. W. HOLLAND 1918 - 1920
REV. ROBERT DAVIS 1871 - 1873 REV. J. J. BENJAMIN 1920 - 1925
REV. GEORGE WILLIAMS 1873 - 1875 REV. AEE SCRUGGS 1925-1927
REV. WILLIAMS BROWN 1875 - 1877 REV. J. H. A. MARTE?; 1927- 1930
II REV. JOHN COOKE 1877 - 1878 REV. GLASS 1930- 1931
REV. J. H. SCOTT 1878 - 1880 REV. L. T. WATSON (2 TERM) 1931 - 1933
REV. JACQUELINE STRANGE (SECOND TERM)l 880 - 1882 REV. I. M. GRAY 1933- 1934 - REV. M. C. YOUNG (1/2 YEAR) 1883 REV. J. D. SINCLAIR 1934-1939
REV. JESSIE ASBURY (1/2 YEAR) 1883 REV. W. H. STEWARD 1939 - 1941
REV. HORACE BOLDEN (1 /2 YEAR) 1884 REV. R. I. WATKINS 1941 - 1942
REV. J. L. BUTT (1/2 YEAR) 1884 REV. MELVIN LAW 1942 - 1949
REV. D. J. BECKETT 1885 - 1886 REV. D. F. GEADNEY 1949-1954 REV. J. H. GARNER 1886 - 1888 REV. SAMUEL BEARD 1954 - 1955
REV. A. J. NIXON 1888 - 1889 REV. SIDNEY WILLIAMS 1955 - 1957
REV. GEORGE J. MUSSINGYON 1889 - 1890 REV. IRVIN GORDON 1957 - 1958 REV. ISAAC EWER 1890 - 1892 REV. J. E. RICHARDS 1958 - 1956
REV. JESSE YOUNG 1892 - 1894 REV. E. N. ANDERSON 1966 - 1968 REV. J.R.DAVIS 1894-1895 REV. LEWIS SCOTT AUG. 1968 - DEC. 1968
REV. R. JEFFERSON 1895 - 1900 REV. SAMUEL H. FINNEY DEC. 1968 - MAY 1971
REV. WILLIAM MADDISON 1900 - 1902 REV. GORDON JONES MAY 1971-OCT.1982
I REV. GEORGE W. ADAMS (1 /2 YEAR) 1903 REV. GARY CURTIS OCT. 1982 - JUNE 1988
REV. R. BAILEY (1 /2 YEAR) 1903 REV. KEITH GROOMS JUNE 1988 -APRIL 1990
I REV. L. T. WATSON 1904 - 1906 REV. JAi S. HAITHCO APRIL 1990 - JULY 1991
REV. D.W. BAKER 1906 - 1908 REV. JEANETTE PHELPS AUG. 1991 - MAY 1996
REV. J. W. SANDERS 1908 - 1909 REV. EDWARD A. SCOTT MAY 1996 - PRESENT
I REV. B. J. HARGRAVES 1909 - 1910
I H I ST O R I C A L S K ET C H ES O F A F R l CA N - AM E R I CA N C H U R C H ES (Past & Present) of Augusta County, Staunton, Waynesboro, & Vicinity 58 I.:

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Staunton
Augusto Street United Methodist Church
325 N. Augusta St . Staunton, VA 24401
AUGUSTA STREET UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, founded in 1865-66, is Staunton's second oldest AfricanAmerican
church.
f-tiston4
Editor's Note: This history of the church appeared in a
publication prepared for the 125th Anniversary commemoration
of the church, dated September 29, 1991. It
was compiled by noted African-American historian
Arthur R. Ware, Jr., and Mrs. Brenda Bolen, and based
on facts given by Mrs. Mary E. Dorsey, Miss Ella Frame,
Mrs. Esther Stephens, and Mrs. Lelia J. Taylor. Before the founding of the Augusta Street United
Methodist Church, two events occured, one in
Southampton County, Virginia, and the other in
Staunton which had an impact on our founders. The
first was the 1831 Nat Turner slave insurrection wnich
resulted in the enactment of the "Black Codes." One of
these laws forbade blacks the Right of Assembly unless
one or more whites were present. This law effectively
prevented the slaves from holding religious services. In
this area, to bypass the law, whites invited blacks to join
their churches. One of these was the Central M.E.
Church at the corner of Lewis and Beverley Streets. By
1861, Central had a total membership of 350, which
included 200 blacks. While attending Central, many of
our future members became well grounded in
Methodism.
The second event occured in 1861 when a turbulent session
of the Baltimore Annual Conference of the
Methodist Episcopal Church met at Central M.E.
Church in Staunton. The question before the confer-
H I S T O R I C Al S K ET C H E S O F A FR I C AN - A M E R I C AN C H U R C H E S (Past & Present) of Augusta County, Staunton, Waynesboro, & Vicinity 60
11

ence that caused all the fireworks was whether or
not the Baltimore Annual Conference should withdraw
from the Methodist Church which had taken
a stand against slavery and join the Methodist
Episcopal Church, South, which had no such
stand. The conference ended with some churches
staying and others withdrawing. Central was one
of those who joined the Methodist Episcopal
Church, South. This must have been a "bitter pill"
for the blacks associated with Central, but they had
no choice since the Black Codes were still law.
By 1865 the Civil War was over and the Black
Codes were no longer in force. It was this year that
a small group of faithful Christian men and
women began meeting at Hardy's Carriage Shop,
then located at New and Frederick Streets to worship.
From these meetings, John Wesley Chapel
was organized.
Later, plans were made to raise money to purchase
land upon which to erect a church. This fund was
raised through the weekly class meetings. The
offering of ten cents per member was put into the
building fund, causing the church to sometimes be
called ''The Ten Cent Church."
Land was purchased on September 15, 1886 from
Mrs. Rachel Philips for $2,200. This lot was on the
south side of Prospect Street, between New and
Augusta Streets. The trustees at the time were
Aaron Shoveler, Francis Overton, Philip Russell,
William Denny, James Scott, Philip Ransom, and
Addison King, and the pastor was Rev. E. P.
Lawson.
The church was built at the corner of Prospect and
New Streets. This was a one-story building in the
"board and batten" style (vertical boards with narrow
strips covering the grooves where the boards
meet). There was a brick basement which was used
as a classroom by the Staunton Public Schools from
1872 to 1876. The building was completed around
1869.
Sometime during this period the church became
affiliated with the Washington Annual Conference
of the Methodist Episcopal Church and its name
was changed from the John Wesley Chapel to the
John Wesley M.E. Church.
Those who served as pastors were the Revs.
E.P.Lawson, Joseph Bowser, James D.R. Kenny,
Warner Cook, and Robert Steele.
The congregation soon outgrew this building and
plans were made to erect the present brick structure.
To raise part of the funds needed, the "little
brown church" and the eastern half of the lot was
sold for$ 5000:The Rev. Steele moved out of the
parsonage at Prospect and Augusta Streets temporarily
to the basement of the original church so
that the parsonage could be moved east on the lot
and the church could be erected at its present location.
In August, 1876, ground was broken for the new
church. It was interesting to hear the late Miss Ella
Frame talk about the occasion. She was a young
woman singing in the choir when the cornerstone
was laid. The choir sang from a position across the
road. The new John Wesley M.E. Church was erected,
a monument to the sacrifice of the church-loving
people.
The present parsonage was built during the pastorate
of the late Rev. WH. Draper. A pipe organ
was installed about 1895 during the administration
of the last Bishop M.W Clair. (The original reed
organ is still at the church.)
The Rev. R.WS. Thomas was the pastor when the
church was remodeled in 1911. The remodeling
consisted of a new facade with a steeple. The rear
of the building was extended to the parsonage and
changes were made in the sanctuary. T.J. Collins
and Son were the architects. The Re-Opening
Program was held August 13 through 21, 1911.
The church has entertained the Washington
Annual Conference four times: March 10, 1878,
Bishop Andrews presiding, Robert Steele, pastor;
March 8, 1893, Bishop Andrews presiding, John A.
Holmes, pastor; April 3, 1903, Bishop McCabs, presiding,
C.J. Withrow, pastor; and March 25, 1919,
Bishop Thikield, presiding, E.M. Mitchell, pastor.
The John Wesley M.E. Church was frequently
called the Augusta Street M.E. Church after the
building was erected on Augusta Street, but it was
not until 1918 during the pastorate of the late E.M.
Mitchell that the name was officially changed in
the Washington Annual Conference records.
In 1923 the present pipe organ was installed with
the chimes donated by the choir. In 1936 a mortgage
was placed on the church to make some necessary
repairs. This mortgage was paid in full in
1943 during the pastorate of Rev. Julius S. Carroll.
Bishop A.P. Shaw was present at the mortgage
burning and Miss Ella Frame struck the match and
set fire to the papers.
It was in 1951 that the Woman's Society of
Christian Service renovated the church kitchen. A
second renovation of the kitchen was completed in
August of 1985 with funds from the Ethnic
Minority Task Force of the Virginia Annual
Conference.
In 1964 the Augusta Street M.E. Church, with all
other black churches in Virginia, joined the North
61 H IS TOR I C AL S K ETC H ES O F A F R I CAN - AM E R I C AN C H U R C H E S (Past & Present) of Augusta County, Staunton, Waynesboro, & Vicinity

Carolina Conference in the Nashville-North
Carolina Area. In special session at Bennett
College, Greensboro, N.C. on August 12, 1964, the
new conference was organized to be known as the
North Carolina-Virginia Conference under the
administration of Bishop Charles F. Golden.
By 1969 all Black Annual Conferences were phased
out and Augusta Street M.E. Church joined the
Virginia Annual Conference. This was when (1968)
The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United
Brethren merged to form the United Methodist
Church.
This marked the fourth time Augusta Street's official
name was changed, this time to Augusta Street
United Methodist Church .
The church has met the challenge: "Give of Thy
Sons to Bear the Message Glorious - by Giving to
Serve." The late Godfrey Tate, Sr., and his two sons,
George and Godfrey, Jr., as well as Mrs. Myrtle
Frances Cooper Hatcher have been ordained into
the ministry.
Additional changes to the church and membership
over the years include: 1924- Choir purchased
brass rail and maroon velvet curtains for choir
stand, and choir vested in black robes; 1927- stone
wall built; 1928 - kitchen remodeled; 1929 - Duplex
Financial System installed; 1930 - stage erected in
lecture room; 1932 - first Church School Vacation
Bible School; 1935 - Usher Board organized,
Brotherhood organized on September 30, 1935;
1936 - furnace installed in church and parsonage;
1940 - Woman's Society of Christian Service was
organized with 57 charter members; 1947- the
name Brotherhood was changed to Methodist
Men's Club. Methodist Men's room renovated; 1950
- Wesleyan Service Guild organized; 1951 - on
September 30, record stone placed in front of
church; 1984 - on July 29, Ben Johnson and Choir
of Best Grove Baptist Church of Goldsboro, N.C. in
concert; 198 5 - May 5, UMW of Marquis Memoriai
presented a portrait of Harry Hosier; 1985 -
kitchen renovated; 1987 - dedication of renewed
pews; 1989 - dedication of new hymnals; 1990 -
new outside front steps; 1991 - lecture room renovated.
Former Pastors of Augusto
Street United Methodist Church
1. Rev. E.P. Lawson
2 . Rev. Joseph Bowser
3. Rev. James H. Ockermy
4. Rev. Robert Steele
5. Rev. Warner Cook
6. Rev. Benjamin Brown
7. Rev. R.A. Reed
8. Rev. J.H. Riddick
9. Rev. J.W Waters, Sr .
10. Rev. R. H. Robinson
11. Rev. John A Holmes
12. Rev. W H. Draper
13. Rev. M.W Clair
14. Rev. R.R. Riggs
15. Rev. WP. Ryder
16. Rev. CJ Withrow
17. Rev.C.C. Young
18. Rev. Moses lake
19. Rev. Joseph P. Gibson
20. Rev. TB. Showden
21. Rev. R.WS. Thomas
22. Rev. John W Jackson
23. Rev. G.WW Jenkins
24. Rev. C.S. Briggs
25. Rev. E.M. Mitchell
26. Rev. WN. Holt
27. Rev. R.W Stennett
28. Rev. George E. Curry
29. Rev. J.H. Peters
30. Rev. A.H. Whitfield
31. Rev. C.E. Queen
32. Rev. J.E. Dutson
33. Rev. D.M. Pleasants
34. Rev. WP. Minor
35. Rev. Julius Carroll
36. Rev. E.W Johnson
37. Rev. Oliver M. Beason
38. Rev. Herbert A. Green
39. Rev. Booker T. Madfore
40. Rev. Terry Burley
41 . Rev. Robert C. Sharp
42. Rev. Calvin B. Jenkins
43. Rev. Joseph B. Bethea
(Interim Pastor)
44. Rev. Rawle Porte
45. Rev. Richard Bell
46. Rev. Isaac S. Paul-Coker
47. Rev. D.D. Felder
48. Rev. Jack H. PettyJohn
Augusto Street United
Methodist Todolf
The pastor, Rev. Ralph Harris, oversees the
Staunton-Grottoes Charge, which includes
Augusta Street, Mt. Tabor and Mt. Moriah United
Methodist Churches.
Lay Speakers for Augusta Street are Paige Kier, II,
and William Matthews. Geneveve Artis is chairperson
of the church council, and Dorthea Fields is
council secretary.
Elizabeth Leech is president of the Methodist
Women; Michael Howard is president of the
Methodist Men; Roscoe Williams heads the financial
committee, Joseph Taylor the Sunday School,
Diane Taylor the Children's Choir, Ophelia Kier
the Senior Choir, and Margaret Mosby the kitchen
committee.
Elizabeth Fisher is president of the Usher Board
and Margaret Morgan heads up the Sick-and-ShutIns
committee.
The oldest members of the approximately 100-
member church are Brother Kenneth Jones and
Sister Hattie Anderson, along with Sisters Juanita
Jones, Helen Nelson and Mozela Strother, and
Brothers Oliver Tate, Roscoe Williams and Arthur
Ware.
H I s TOR I CA L
I S K ETC H E S Of A f R I C AN - AM E R I CAN C H U RC H E S (Past & Present) of Augusta County, Staunton, Waynesboro, & Vicinity 62
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The Cobell Log House
Three generations of the Cabell family, and the
present owners of this unique log house in
Staunton at 654 East Beverley St., have
been members of the Augusta Street
United Methodist Church.
Historic Staunton Foundation has
designated the house, which lies in
the city's Gospel Hill Historic
District, as "the only remaining
exposed-log structure in the City of
Staunton." There are older log homes
in the city, but they are enclosed in
other materials, wood or masonry.
The Museum of American Frontier
Culture in Staunton says of the house:
"Standing like a page out of history, the Cabell
House stands as an excellent example of 19th
century African-American architecture."
Edmond Cabell, described as "a freeman of colour,"
purchased the property in 1866 and built the home
soon after, probably completing it by 1869. He purchased
the property from Alexander and Sarah
Taylor for $ 50, with a down payment of$ 10 in
gold coins.
Cabell built the original two-room dwelling using
traditional log techniques and with a large fireplace
serving as the focal point. The original wood
shake roof has been replaced with tin.
Three generations of Cabells lived in the cabin for
a time period of nearly 120 years.
Cabell later added two additional rooms to the
cabin. His son Washington, known as "Wash," continued
to live in the house. He was known in his
day by Stauntonians as the faithful and friendly
custodian of the Augusta County Courthouse.
Washington died in 1932, leaving his two daughters,
Mary and Emma, as the third generation of
Ca bells to live in the house.
In 1920, a fire damaged the two-room addition to
the house. However, the heavy log construction of
the main structure remains largely intact.
Mary Cabell and Emma (Cabell) Smith were twins.
Ms. Cabell died in 1972 and Mrs. Smith continued
to live in the house until 1987, when she entered a
nursing home. Both ladies were known for their
cheerful dispositions, skills in cooking, catering
and domestic work, and humble service to their
church and community.
In 1987 the house was purchased by Historic
Staunton Foundation, which soon resold it, with
restrictive covenants to preserve its historic merit,
to Oliver J. and Emigene Tate. Emigene (Jones)
Tate is the godchild of Ms. Mary Cabell, and her
sister Margaret (Jones) Lee is the godchild of Mrs.
Emma (Cabell) Smith.
The Tates have renovated and maintained this
unique home as an excellent example of 19th century
log architecture.
H I ST O R I C A L S KET C H ES O F A F R I C AN - AME R IC A N C H U I\ C H E S (Past & Present) of Augusta County, Staunton, Waynesboro, & Vicinity

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Bethel Seventh-D04 Adventist Church
1203 Windsor Lone
Bethel Seventh-Day Adventist Church was,
according to its few historical records, founded
by Mr. Charles Morgan in the 1940s, and held its
first meetings in the Elks Hall at Augusta and Points
Streets. Meetings were also held at the homes of members,
including the late Nannie Leech and Charles
Morgan. The latter owned a large stuccoed building on
East Main Street in Waynesboro, near the Lewis Funeral
Home, and members traveled there for services.
The church also held tent meetings, and joined with the
(white) Staunton Seventh-Day Adventist Church for
services at the stone building pictured, then owned by
the white congregation .
Only two members of Bethel from the 1950s survive
today: Mrs. Annie Thoms of Pennsylvanie and Mrs.
Lucille Lang of Staunton.
Mrs. Lang and her late husband, Will Arthur Lang, were
baptized into the church in 1956. She recalls traveling
to Waynesboro for services in "Charlie" Morgans house,
and some meetings in private homes.
Staunton, Vo. 24401
Staunton
The Staunton church built a new facility at 1000 N.
Coalter St., moving . in April, 1968. Bethel purchased
the stone church from them, holding their meetings at
the C. F. Richards, Jr., Academy on Sterling St. in late
1967 until they could occupy the building in the spring
of 1968.
BETHEL SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH of Staunton, founded in the 1940s, purchased this stone building
from the Staunton Seventh -Day Adventist Church in 1968.
H I S T O R I C A L $ K ET C H E S O F A F R I C AN - A M E R I C AN CH U R C H ES (Pa st & Present) of Augusta County, Staunton, Waynesboro, & Vicinity 64
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The stone building has an interesting history. A letter
from Dr. Paul A. Woods dated March 15, 1995,
to the present Bethel pastor, Rev. Jeffrey Baskin,
reveals this information:
"Elder Robert F. Woods, my father who died at the
age of 95 in 1987, came to Staunton, Va., in January,
1936, and organized the Staunton SDA church for
the Potomac Conference of SDA. Land was purchased,
plans obtained, and construction begun in
depression times with much faith but little money.
The small congregation and friends donated much
of the materials and labor.
"A Mr. Orr came and lived in the partly finished
church building and did all the stone work beginning
in 1937 and finally completing the masonry
in 1938. He was given room and board and a small
sum of money for the job when completed. It
seemed that he would never finish the work as he
seemed to enjoy the meals the church ladies supplied.
"My father seemed to enjoy in later years recounting
this experience of his ministry. He noted that
the entire cash outlay for lot, permits, and materials
was just a few dollars over $8000. The Potomac
Conference provided some $5,000 of the cost."
Mrs. Lang says that the Bethel congregation purchased
the church from the (present) Coalter
Street church when Elmer Pine was pastor of
Coalter.
Other pastors she recalls were a Rev. Coleman and
a Rev. Edward Brown. Some of the early members
of Bethel, Mrs. Lang says, were the late Nannie
Leech, Mr. and Mrs. John Peyton, Caroline
Thomas, Gleason Thoms, and John Menifield.
Charlie Morgan would play piano for services, as
well as Cora Barron. Morgan's wife Mamie was also
very active in church affairs.
Elder Jeffrey Baskin became pastor at Bethel in
April, 1999, and continues today (2000) to serve as
pastor of both Bethel and the Waynesboro North
East Seventh-Day Adventist Church.
65 H I S T O R I C A L S K ET C H E S O F A F R l C AN A M E RI C A N C H U R C H E S (Past & Present) of Augusta County, Staunton, Waynesboro, & Vicinity

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Beverl4 Manor Baptist Church
436 Jefferson Hw4. Staunton. Vo. 24401
Histortf
The Beverly Manor Baptist Church was organized
in 1874 by the Rev. Abraham Bolen, Sr. to serve
members from the Brands Flat vicinity just east
of the City of Staunton. Members at the time of founding
included the Rev. Abraham Bolen, Sr. and his wife
Mary (Cauls) Bolen, Mr. and Mrs. John Wesley Tyler,
Mr. and Mrs. Chester Porterfield, Albert Williams,
Garrett W Richardson, Rachael Woods, and Abraham
Bolen, Jr., and his wife Bettie.
Rev. Bolen served as the first pastor and many new
members joined the church during his tenure, including
Mr. and Mrs. Abraham Sims and Mr. and Mrs.
Michael Christian .
In the late 1870s, Rev. Milton Howard became the
church's second pastor, and he was succeeded in 1881
by the Rev. Alexandria Elias, who served approximately
seven years.
While the church records are not specific, oral tradition
locates the first church building, a small stuccoed structure,
a short distance along the road from the present
site, adjacent to an earlier graveyard.
The second building was erected on the present site in
1881 , under the pastorship of Rev. Elias. BEVERLY MANOR BAPTIST CHURCH celebrated its 126th Anniversary on September 24, 2000.
H I S T O R I C A 1 S K E T C H E S O f A f R I C A N - A M E R I C A N C H U R C H E S (Pa st & Present) of Augusta County, Staunton, Waynesboro, & Vicinity
Staunton
66

Rev. Elias also started the Berean Valley Association
while he served as pastor of Beverly Manor.
Among the new members joining the church
under Rev Elias were Mr. and Mrs. Hirman
Thomas and Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Taylor.
Rev. R. Banks was the fourth pastor of the
church, serving for seven or eight years. He was
succeeded by Rev. H. W Williams, during whose
tenure (in 1896) an addition was made to the second
church building to accommodate the
growth in membership.
Under the sixth pastor, Rev. Milton Robinson,
the church overcame some financial adversities,
working their way out of indebtedness.
Rev. R. Daniels and Rev. W C. Brown served as
the church's seventh and eighth pastors, and
plans for a new church and cemetery lot were
developed during the latter's term, which terminated
in 1915.
The Rev. R. A. Arthurs served for four or five
years and Rev. Nowling, the tenth pastor, for a
brief period.
During the pastorate of the II th pastor, Rev.
Isaiah Volley, the cornerstone for the new (present)
church was laid, in 1921, by brickmason Mr.
Hiram Thomas and his apprentice, Virgie Fields.
The completion of the new church building was
attributed to the tireless efforts of a few dedicated
members.
Subsequent pastors included Reverends Steven,
Wilson and C.H. Harris, the 12th, 13th and 14th
pastors.
During the pastorship of Rev. R. L. Stuart (1940s
to early 1950s) new pews were purchased that
continue in use to the present. Other pastors
during the 1950s included Rev. Given, Rev.
Calvin Chew, and Rev. Daniel Johnson.
Rev. Johnson, the 18th pastor, served from 1958
to 1979. The church continued to grow under his
leadership and many young people joined. The
Young Adult Choir was formed, and additions
were made to the rear of the church, water and
electricity provided, and inside bathrooms
installed.
In 1980, after the death of Rev. Johnson, Rev. E.
C. Watts became pastor. The Men's Club and
Usher Board were established during his tenure.
Rev. N. T. Perkins, Sr., became pastor in 1981, and
he organized the Pastor's Aide program and a
weekly Bible Study class. His pastorship extended
to 1985.
On April 19, 1987, Rev. Ronald 0 . Baker accepted
the call as pastor. The Rev. Darren Ward
Phelps was installed as pastor in January, 1995.
Beverly Manor's 23rd pastor, Rev. James
McIntosh, was installed on March 21, 1998, and
is serving the church at the present time (2000).
Rev. McIntosh was born in Washington, D.C. and
was raised in Orange County. He attended public
schools in Orange County and after high school
served in the Army and Navy Reserves.
He is a graduate of the Capitol Radio
Engineering Institute with a major in
Communications Engineering.
Before coming to Beverly Manor Baptist Church
he pastored churches at Culpeper and orange
Counties. He is married, with four children, and
lives in Crozet, Va. He is retired from the
Department of Electrical Engineering at the
University of Virginia.
Rev. Connie Crawford was elected to serve as
assistant pastor at Beverly Manor in October,
1999. Raised in Louisa County, Va., Rev.
Crawford is married to Tommy Crawford, is the
mother of one son, and lives in Staunton, Va.
Beverl4 Manor Baptist Church
in the Year 2000
A major new addition to the rear of the church has
been completed in April of this year. Totaling 3,470
square feet, it includes a fellowship hall that can be
partitioned off to allow for four or five Sunday
School classrooms. It also serves as a fellowship
hall that can seat 200 persons, or 125 persons as a
banquet facility with tables and chairs. A small
office/meeting area adjoins the hall, along with a
full kitchen.
The new addition also has a pastor's study, storage
closets and two additional bathrooms.
During work on the addition, renovations were
also made to the sanctuary that added a baptismal
pool behind the pulpit. The pulpit area and choir
stand were enlarged and moved back to allow for
more pews to be installed in the church.
67 H I S T O R I C A L $ K E T C H E S O F A F R I C A N - A M E R I C A N C H U R C H E S (Pa st & Present) of Augusta County, Staunton, Waynesboro, & Vicinity

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The new 3470-square-foot addition to Beverly Manor Baptist Church in pictured here behind the sanctuary.
It was completed in April, 2000. (Photo by Joe Nutt, 2000)
The Beverly Manor Deacon/Deaconess Board
includes Robert Parrish, Chairman, Tommy
Crawford, Vice-Chair, and Roger Jenkins, Sr., and
Carl Smith.
Trustees include Brothers Clinton Jones
(Chairman), Roger Howard,-Marcellus Dent
Sterling Durrett and Sisters Addie Wright and
Sarah Ann Veney.
Other church officers include Vivian Obie, corresponding
secretary; Michelle Veney, church clerk;
Emily Johnson, church treasurer; Gloria Alexander,
building fund treasurer; Therese Anderson, financial
secretary; Rita Jones, Sunday School superintendent;
Ann Wright, director of music; Bessie
Smith, senior choir president; and Deacon Roger
Jenkins, Sr., male chorus director.
The church family suffered a loss on September 25,
2000 with the death of Gilbert Emmanuel Veney,
who had served as vice chairman of the Trustee
Board, and was well known for his skill on the
electric guitar, contributing his talents to the
church.
The current church membership numbers around
100.
Reflections and Addenda
(Editor's Note: We are indebted to Mrs. Vivian
Obie and Mrs. Rita Jones for providing a great deal
of this historic material. Mrs. Jones, in addition,
devoted much time to interviewing long-time
members of the church and recording their memories
and anecdotes. The following is, almost verbatim,
the results of her efforts.)
In talking with members Mrs. Virginia Richardson
and Mrs. James Becks, it was ascertained that the
Rev. Abraham Bolen, Sr., organized the church. His
wife was Mary (Cauls) Bolen. His son, Abraham
Bolen, Jr., and wife Bettie were members. There are
graves marked Abraham Bolen, Jr., and Bettie in
the cemetery. It is believed that Abraham Bolen,
Sr., and his wife Mary were also buried there, but
their graves are no longer marked or legible. Both
Mrs. Richardson and Mrs. Becks are great-granddaugh
ters of the church's founder.
The oldest member of our congregation is Mother
Nettie Bray. She will turn 91 on October 25, 2000.
Deacon James and Deaconess Nettie Bray moved to
the Staunton area in 1987. They joined Beverly
Manor in 1988. Mother Bray says God sent her and
her family to Beverly Manor. They had been looking
for a church home ever since they moved here
and having been invited to the church by Brother
Sterling Durrett, they knew that God had sent
them here. Deacon Bray passed away on November
17, 1994, but Mother Bray continues to attend and
support the church.
The oldest member in terms of church attendance
is Margaret Parrish. Sister Parrish has been a member
of Beverly Manor for 62 years, having joined
the church at age 14 in 1938. She speaks about how
she used to come across the mountain where she
lived to stay with her aunt and uncle, who would
bring her to Beverly Manor. When she moved over
here to work, she became a member. She is the
niece of brick-mason-apprentice Virgie Fields, who
helped lay the cornerstone of the church in 1921.
Sister Parrish spoke of many fond memories of
years past at Beverly Manor. She remembers the
round, pot-bellied stove that kept the church
warm. She recalls Frank and Eliza Toliver being the
church sextons, keeping the church clean and
feeding the stove. She recalls Sister Mary Obie
going around picking up people in her car and
bringing them down to the church. They always
H I ST OR I C A L S K ETCH ES O F A FR I C AN - A M E R I CAN C H U RC 1-1 ES (Past & Present) of Augusta County, Staunton, Waynesboro, & Vicinity 68

parked at the foot of the hill and walked up; there
were no steps when she first attended the church.
In later years, she remembers, Mr. Harry Ellis,
Brother Walker Bolen and Brother Maniply Miller
built steps to make walking up a little easier.
Sister Parrish served as the church secretary for
over 30 years. She spoke about how church was
held only on the first and third Sundays of the
month and each member was assessed 25 cents at
each service. Each member would carry a punch
card, which would be punched by either a deacon
or herself when the dues were paid. She still has
some of these old punch cards.
Sister Parrish has been a member of the Beverly
Manor choir ever since its organization. Sister
Mary Obie started the choir and her son, Clarence
Obie, Jr., played the piano. Besides herself, Sister
Parrish spoke of some of the first members of the
choir, including Alice Pryor, Elizabeth Spratt, Ola
Haston and, for a short time, Sarah Jones. Sister
Parrish remembers the wonderful picnics and
times of fellowship the church family used to
share.
Mrs. Parrish can recall many members at Beverly
Manor, mentioning specifically French Bell,
Fannie Bell and Mrs. Bessie Bell. Mrs. Parrish
spoke very highly of Mrs. Mary Obie. Mrs. Jean
Jones, who attended Beverly Manor in the late
1950s, attributes her coming to the church to Mrs.
Mary Obie.
Mrs. Jones talked about how Mrs. Obie would
come and pick up her and her children and bring
them to Sunday School and church and, once she
joined the choir, Mrs. Obie would carry them off to
other churches to sing.
Mrs. Jones has many fond memories of her children
growing up at Beverly Manor, with Clarence
Obie, Jr., going around Staunton and the surrounding
area picking up children and bringing them to
Sunday School. During this time, and probably for
years before this time, Mrs. Jones talked of children
(including hers) being baptized in Christians
Creek down the road. Mrs. Jones and her son
Clinton recalls what big Sunday School classes
they had and the marvelous picnics and outings
Mr. Obie would plan for the children. Mr. Obie
played the piano and organ for the church since he
was a young man, when his mother first organized
the choir, until he became ill in 1988. He would
never accept any money for his work.
In talking with Mrs. Vivian Obie, who joined the
church while Rev. Givens was pastor, I've collected
many fond memories. She recalls strong members
of the past including Maniply Miller, Walker Bolen
and Mrs. Reba Bolen. Mrs. Reba, who lived down
the road near Christians Creek, would walk down
U.S. 250 (Jefferson Hwy) to church, she recalls.
Mrs. Obie and many other senior ladies chuckle
when they recall how they had to haul and heat
water to wash dishes. Mrs. Obie remembers the
"good glasses" (which were decorated jelly jars)
used for church events, and the outside toilets. She
is always thankful to God when she sees how far
He has brought Beverly Manor.
Also, in chatting with Mrs. Virginia Bolen
Richardson, I learned that the first church (building)
was located down the road a piece from the
current building. It was beside the old black school
(Broadway School), the yards joined, separated by a
fence. The first church was a stucco structure. Mrs.
Richardson remembers, although she was very
young at the time, a choir that included Rebecca
Sims and Janie Bolen Jones. She spoke of Mrs.
Eliza Toliver also, how she would always come
down to the church and light the lanterns before
service. Mrs. Richardson moved to Staunton in
1935 when she married, and joined Mt. Zion
Baptist Church.
Clinton Jones, who joined Beverly Manor as a
child in the late 1950s, can also remember the outside
toilets and how they would become overgrown
with weeds and brush in the summer and
how scary it was to use them. He can remember his
father and his brother building the little addition
on the back of the church which gave us inside
bathrooms.
Mr. Reese Jones, Clinton's father, was another faithful
worker at Beverly Manor. Since the late 1960s
until the 1990s, Mr. Jones would work tirelessly
keeping the church grounds, sanctuary and cemetery
clean. He always opened and closed the
church and made sure the heat was on. He never
expected anything from the church for his labors.
I, Rita Jones, joined Beverly Manor about 25 yea rs
ago. When I reflect back upon members and happenings
at the church, a few things that always
come to my mind are the Harvest/Home Festivals
we used to have. Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Parrish both
had talked about how Mr. Obie would bring his
pigs and other members would bring their harvests
from the summer and all would be auctioned of
There would be canned jellies and baked goods for
sale. Dinners would be served and children would
be playing while we were entertained with music
by area singing groups. I recall Mrs. Martha
Gorden as being very influential in the church. She
was our only licensed Missionary. She passed away
last year.
Beverly Manor is also well known throughout the
area for its traditional Easter Sunrise services and
69 H I S T O R I C A L S K E T C H E S O f A f R I C A N - A M E R I C A N C H U R C H E S (Past & Present) of Augusta County, Staunton, Waynesboro, & Vici nity

Annual Homecomings.
Today, Rita Jones adds, outside of our
Deacon/Deaconess Board, Trustee Board, Usher
Board and Choirs, we have a Men's Club, a
Missionary outreach and a Wednesday night youth
group called Heaven's Angels. Lorraine Veney-Dent
is currently the chairperson of the Missionary
Outreach. Heaven's Angels is a group of about 13
junior-high and high school students who formed
at the suggestion of a youth member, LaTasha
Jones in January, 2000.
LaTasha wanted to see the youth become more
involved in the church, so the group was organized.
They meet on Wednesday nights during Bible
Study to discuss and study both the Bible and
issues they face as young people in today's world.
They donate their time and money to the community
through groups such as New Directions, and
they assist with church programs and enjoy
Christian outings as a group.
H I ST O R I CA 1 S KET C H ES O F A f R I CA N - A M E R I CA N C H U R C H E S (Past & Present) of Augus]a County, Staunton, Waynesboro, & Vicinity 70

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BAPTIST CHURCH BEVERLY MANOR
CEMETERY BURIAL RECORD
(Compiled by Joe Nutt - October 7, 2000)
There is an older cemetery located about 100 yards east of the presently-used cemetery, in a location that older members recall
as the site of the first church building, which was adjacent to an African-American school. Whi le there is evid ence of over a
dozen burials in this old plot, only two inscribed tombstones remain, namely:
LEWIS, C.B. (Father) b. 1867 d . 1925
LEWIS, SUSIE (Mother) b. 1878 d . 1932
Th e following is my record of interments in the presentl y-used cemetery, located northwest of the church just beyond the parking lot.
BALDWIN, LAFERTA B. b. Feb. 1, 1920 d. May 11 , 1988
BELL, JAMES P. b. Aug, 15, 1866 d. Dec. 8, 1935
BELL, MARY B. b. Mar. 29, 1866 d. Mar. 17, 1939
(Small stone marked "W.A.B . next to Bell Stone)
BELL, FANNIE FRANCES b. (c) 1896 d. Feb. 11 , 1941 (Age 45 )
(3 illegible metal markers next to stone)
BOLEN, ABRAHAM (JR.) b. d . 1925
BOLEN, BETTIE b. d. Jul. 7, 1932
(Nearby stone marked " L.M.B ."-Bolen?)
BOLEN, HASTEN G., SR. b. 1874 d. 1945
BOLEN, WALKER A. b. 1876 d. 1962
BOLEN, WILLIAM H. b. 1884 d . 1940
BROWN, LULA BOLEN b . May 29, 1883 d. Aug. 10, 1962
FIELDS, MARYE. (Wife of J.C. Fields) b. Jan. 3, 1863 d. Feb . 16, 1920
FIELDS, HUGH G. b . Apr. 22 , 1894 d . May31 , 1971
JOHNSON, CYRUS b . Mar. , 1860 d. Dec. 16, 1907
JOHNSON, SOPHIA M. (His Wife) b . Sep ., 1862 d . Jan . 27 , 1936
JOHNSON, HARRY W. b. Jul. 10, 1887 d. Mar. 2, 1952
JOHNSON, DORA C. (Wife of H .W. Johnson ) b. Sep. 27, 1887 d. Jan . 23 , 1915
JOHNSON, HENRY R. b. Jun. 17, 1896 d. Feb. 24, 1949
VA - PVT - 811 Pioneer Inf - WWI
JOHNSON, HARRY W., JR. b. Mar. 27, 1914 d. Feb. 24, 1915
JOH NSO N, CHARLES L. b. Mar. 18, 1892 d. Oct. 10, 1950
VA-CP L- 80B Pioneer lnf.-WWI

-- -
:i: JOHNSON, CYRUS W. b. Dec. 11, 1911 d. Feb . 26, 1978 -V, (Two unmarked/unreadable stones in Johnson Plot) -<
0 ,, - JONES, THOMAS REESE b. Oct. 22, 1895 d. Dec. 31 , 1960 /"l
> JONES, ALTHEA G. b.Aug. 25, 1897 d. Aug. 22 , 1969 t"'
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SHELTON, IRENE STEELE b. Jun. 15, 1895 d. Jun . 25 , 1952
SHELTON, LELIA W. b. Mar. 3, 1903 d. Feb. 9, 1959
SMITH, CHARLES L., JR. b. Jan.11, 1951 d. Sep. 27 , 1989
STEELE, ARTHUR J. b. d. Mar. 1, 1932
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BEVERLY MANOR BAPTIST CHURCH CEMETERY BURIAL RECORD (cont.)
STROTHER, DELPHIA E. b. Oct. 15, 1894 d. Jan. 4, 1967
STROTHER, BYRON FRANKLIN b. Mar. 28, 1904 d. Dec. 2 , 1970
TOLLIVER, WILLIAM McKINLEY b. Sep. 29, 1896 d . Apr. 29, 1951
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VENEY, GILBERT EMMANUEL b. Dec. 14, 1939 d. Sep . 25 , 2000
WARE, MARY M. b (c) 1858 d. June 9, 1918 (Age 60 )
The church possessed a survey of the cemetery secured by Richard M. Hamrick, Jr., on May 3, 1971. In comparing this surve y
with the current one, and eliminating the names that appear on both lists, it appears that the Hamrick list contains 13 names on
stones/ markers that are no longer evident today. These additional names , recorded 29 years ago, are as follows:
BELL, FANNIE LEE b. (c ) 1860 d. Jun . 5, 1962 (Age 102)
BELL,- b. d. 1953
BELL, FRENCH ALEXANDER b. (C) 1886 d. Apr.20, 1960 (Age 74 )
BOLEN, MRS. ELLA V. b. (C) 1893 d. May 19 , 1953 (Age 60)
BOLEN, MRS. FLORENCE b. d . 1961
BOLEN, FRANKLIN b. d . Oct., 1963
FIELDS, VIRGIE M. b. (C) 1902 d. Nov. 5, 1970 (Age 68 )
JOHNSON, FRANK b . (C) 1884 d. Nov. 27 , 1956 (Age 72 )
JOHNSON, MRS. WILLIE CATHERINE b. (C) 1920 d. Dec. 25 , 1968 (Age 48)
KERRY (KENNY?), MRS. MARY B. b. (C) 1884 d. Oct. 4, 1960 (Age 76)
STEELE, ELLA J. b. (C ) 1884 d. Jun . 22 , 1963 (Age 79 )
STEELE, GEORGE WASHINGTON b. (C) 1891 d . Oct. 4, 1964 (Age 73)
WOOD, MRS. REAVER BOLEN b. (C) 1895 d. Mar. 14, 1965 (Age 66 )
E Mr. Hamrick also noted, when he surveyed the graveyard in 1971 , that "There are 14 graves marked with stones, cement markers
Q or wooden ones and 24 unmarked graves readily visible."
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Staunton
Communit4 Baptist Church
Stagecoach Rd. Staunton, VA 24401
Histor4
Editor's Note: The history of Community Baptist
Church provided by the church was compiled by the
late Ms. Lizzie Mae (Johnston) Reese, and updated by
current church members including Mae (Porter) Tate. Community Baptist Church was founded by the
Rev. Benjamin Downey in the year 1875. It was
established as a Free Will Baptist Church by
Rev. Downey and members George Hill, George
Thompson, James Hunter, Adam Johnson, Simon
Walker, Maria Johnson, Deliah Heikel, Fannie Downey,
and Jennie Jackson.
Rev. Downey was also the founder of the Central Union
Free Will Baptist Church (now continuing under the
name Aenon-Union Baptist Church) in Craigsville, Va.
The members worshipped in the home of Rev. Downey,
and later in their various homes, traveling on foot or
riding mules, horse-drawn wagons or horse and buggy
over roads often muddy or dusty, as there were no hardsurface
roads at that time.
Some time later, Colonel Jos~ph Cochran, a Civil War
veteran who owned a large "plantation" historically
known as "Folly," gave permission to this struggling
body of worshippers to use a log cabin a few hundred
yards north of the home of Mr. and Mrs. John H. Porter,
Sr., on land formerly known as the Ware property.
COMMUNITY BAPTIST CHURCH, located on Stagecoach Rd., just west of U.S. 11, south of Staunton in Mint
Spring, was completed in 1982. Founded in 1875 as the Free Will Baptist Church, it became Cochran's Chapel Free Will
Baptist Church in 1915, and Community Baptist Church upon the completion of this building.
H I S T O R I C A L S K E T C H E S O f A f R I C AN - A M E R I C A N C H U R C H E S ( Pa st & Present) of Augusta County, Staunton, Way nesboro, & Vicinity 74

COCHRAN'S CHAPEL FREE WILL BAPTIST CHURCH, Folly Mills (later
Mint Spring). This church was organized in 1875 as the Free Will Baptist Church
with the first services held in the home of the founder Rev. Benjamin Downey, and
later in homes of members. Their first building was a log cabin on land owned by
Col. Joseph Cochran, that became known as "The Chapel." The building pictured
was completed in 1915, and became known as Cochran's Chapel Free Will Baptist
Church. This building was tom down with the completion of a new church, completed
in the fall of 1982 and re-named Community Baptist Church.
prayer meetings, and revivals,
where they proudly sang old
church hymns such as
"Amazing Grace" and "I Will
Trust in the Lord."
There was a large membership
during Rev. Downey's pastorate.
From time to time
some members left to join or
found other churches, but
there were always the faithful
few who kept the church
going through membership or
as watch care members .
After the death of Rev.
Downey, the Rev. Nelson
Johnson became the pastor.
Deacons under Rev. Johnson
included Benjamin Downey,
Jr., Robert Ware and Robert
Lee Johnson.
In 1915 a carpenter, Rev.
Williams, built a new church
building that became known
as Cochran's Chapel Free Will
Baptist Church, and the congregation
moved in with
rejoicing and prayer. In the
early years, an annual "Bush
This site has been fondly recalled by members as
"The Chapel at Folly Mills," as the neighborhood
was known at that time. That area historically has
also been called Brookewood, and is now considered
part of the communiry of Mint Spring.
Meeting" had been held in a grove of trees a few
hundred yards west of the site of the new chapel,
and this event continued as the chapel's traditional
"Homecoming," held on the first Sunday in
August.
In the new church home, the members continued
to hold services, Sunday School, Wednesday night
During these meetings friendship and fellowship
were in abundance, along with baskets of food,
singing and preaching. Families and friends would
converge from miles away, including the folks
from Craigsville, who would arrive in Staunton by
train and walk the five or so miles to the church,
returning after the service to Staunton and taking
the train home.
The church has been blessed with the following
ministers (in Ms. Reese's recollections): The
Reverends Benjamin Downey, Nelson Johnson,
John Jenkins, -Quiet (from Winchester), Jerry
Johnson (Johnstown, W: Va.), John W: Ware (Mint
Spring), I. I. Jenkins, Matthew Williams, J.C.
Newman (Winchester), John Jenkins (son of I. I.
Jenkins and grandson ofJohn Jenkins), W: A.
Saunders (Harpers Ferry, W: Va.), S. S. Spriggs
(Winchester), Thomas J. Minor (Craigsville), John
G. Scott (Woodstock), and E. C. Watts
(Waynesboro). The three Rev. Jenkins were from
the Luray, Va. area). The (1999) current pastor is
Rev. Leonard Thomas, Sr.
Serving as deacons were Brothers Robert L.
Johnston, William P. Jenkins, James B. Johnston,
James R. Johnston, John L. Johnston, John Henry
Porter, Sr., and Roger C. Jenkins.
During the late 1920s through 1935 or 1936, the
church had a superb choir, with Ms. Aileen
(Madison) Johnston as accompanist on piano and
organ. Members included: Mary Emma (Hill)
Crawford, Lizzie Mae (Johnston) Reese, Mariah
Lewis, Lena Madison, Rena Robinson, Lee
Madison, John L. Johnston, and John H. Porter, Sr.
On August 29, 1926, the Missionary Circle was
organized, with charter members: Annie (Perry)
Jenkins, Mary Emma (Hill) Crawford, Elizabeth
"Lizzie" (Watson) Johnston (granddaughter of the
founder of the church), Sarah Frances (Jenkins)
Johnston, Mariah Lewis, Lena Madison, Lizzie Mae
75 H I S T O R I C A L S K E T C H E S O F A F R I C A N - A M E R I C A N C H U R C H E S (Past & Present) of Augusta County, Staunton, Waynesboro, & Vicinity

Ii

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(Johnston) Reese, and Rena Robinson. Sister Reese
was the great-granddaughter of the founder.
There were members in both the choir and
Missionary Circle who were active members of
other churches, and that is true today. However,
because they were living in the neighborhood and
invited to contribute their talents wherever there
was a need or reason, many of them served one or
more churches as long as they lived in the area and
their work schedules permitted.
The church was located in a neighborhood where
everyone worked together, including in the
church. There was a very good relationship
between members of Cochran's Chapel and other
churches.
For example, on Sunday, March 8, 1936, the
Missionary Circle members were asked to give a
program at the (white) Mint Spring Methodist
Church, and from all accounts the program was
spiritually rewarding to all who attended. A further
example: Bright Hope Baptist Church had Sunday
School at 9:30 a.m., and Cochran's Chapel had
theirs at 3:00 p.m. Neighborhood adults and children
alike attended both sessions. Each church had
services twice a month on alternate Sundays, and
again adults and children attended both churches.
Being small in size and membership did not prevent
the congregation from participating in the
Winchester Quarterly and the Brackett-Morrell
Baptist Association. First and foremost, the church
and its sister churches faithfully supported Storer
College at Harpers Ferry, W. Va., with scholarships
being offered as late as 1952.
Many church members as well as non-members
were regular participants in church meetings and
programs. Sister churches (of the Free-Will persuasion)
were located in Craigsville, Winchester,
Bedford, Berryville, Luray, and Salem, Virginia;
Harpers Ferry, Charles Town, and Shepherdstown,
West Virginia; and Hagerstown, Maryland.
Cochran's Chapel hosted the Winchester Quarterly
meetings down through the years. Attendance at
these meetings was always eagerly anticipated
because of the overwhelming friendship and fellowship
they inspired. The church has a copy of a
program for the 39th session of the Sunday School
and Young People's Convention that convened
with the Wainwright Free Will Baptist Church of
Charles Town, W. Va., on July 18-19, 1936, under
President John L. Johnston. Several members of
the church and neighborhood were featured on
the program. Programs are also retained from the
88th Annual Session of the Brackett-Morrell
Baptist Association and the 48th session of the
Women's Missionary Society, convening at St. John
Baptist Church in Shepherdstown, W. Va., August
21-24, 1968, with Cochran's Chapal Deacon James
H. Johnston as 1st vice president.
During the 1970s the congregation began to look
about for a better location for their church. Brother
Theodore M. Johnston, Sr., great-grandson of the
founder, donated a suitable piece ofland for a new
sanctuary and construction began in 1981, during
the pastorate of the Rev. E. C. Watts.
This new church building was dedicated in the fall
of 1982, and renamed Community Baptist Church.
Some of the church members who faithfully supported
the church in past years who are now
deceased include: Brothers Robert Lee Johnston,
William P. Jenkins, Harold Jenkins, Emmett
Jenkins, Sr., George E. Jenkins, and Irvin Jenkins,
and Sisters Lizzie (Watson) Johnston, Annie (Perry)
Jenkins, Mary Emma (Hill) (Crawford) (Brown)
Johnson, Viola (Obie) Jenkins, Lizzie Mae
(Johnston) Reese, Nellie (Johnston) Porter, Sarah
Frances (Jenkins) Johnston, and Laura (Johnston)
(Hill) Jones, the last being the great-great granddaughter
of the church founder.
The Rev. Leonard J. Thomas was called to the pastorate
in April, 1993. Rev. Thomas, from Roseland,
Va., has "spiritually revived" the membership,
according to the church historian, guiding mission
work in new directions, instituting training workshops
for the membership, and reaching out to
potential new members.
Rev. Thomas introduced the congregation to home
Bible Study courses through Abundant Life
Ministries; edited the church's monthly publication,
Community News Edition; and spent many
hours, while commuting from his home in
Roseland, visiting the sick, shut-in and bereaved
and attending programs at other churches in the
area from time to time.
His wife, Belle, worked with the home study program,
became a member of the Missionary Circle,
and assisted in preparing the monthly publication.
She was renowned for her beautiful singing voice.
The couple's two youngest children were baptized
by their father in the church.
Reminiscences
Current Community Baptist Church member Mae
(Porter) Tate and other members noted some of the
highlights of recent church history in a narrative
dated May, 1999. These memories and memoranda
follow.)
H I ST OR I CA L S K ETC H ES O F A F R I C AN - A M E RI CAN C H U R C H E S (Past & Present) of Augusta County, Staunton, Waynesboro, & Vicinity 76
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"When we speak of the history of 'our church,'
we are reminded of all the important things
which have occurred within the church as a
building. People come together to worship God,
to pray at the alter, to be healed, to be forgiven
of sin, to get baptized, to get married, to attend
the funerals of friends and loved ones, and to
experience a quality of fellowship that is not
available in manner and mood at any other
place." (From BOYD'S Sunday Church School
Lesson Commentary, 1997-1998, p. 31.)
Our memories include the first "Homecoming" in
the new church on August 1, 1982; the dedication
of the pews; the first wedding conducted; the tribute
to John H. Porter, Sr., during Officers' Day on
July 15, 1989; the first time we hosted the
Ministers', Deacons', Stewards' and Laymans'
Union of Virginia; and the recognition of senior
members, including Ms. Sarah (Jenkins) Johnston,
who married a great-grandson of the church
founder; Mrs. Nellie (Johnston) Porter; and Mrs.
Lizzie Mae (Johnston) Reese, great-great granddaughters
of the church founder; Mr. George E.
Jenkins and Mr. John H. Porter, Sr.
In June, 1983 the 50th wedding anniversary of
Deacon/f rustee John H., Sr., and Nellie (Johnston)
Porter was remembered by their children.
Recognition of the senior members was in the
form of a simple but eloquent presentation by Ms.
Mae (Porter) Tate, a great-great grandchild of the
church founder.
The Waynesboro Union Male Chorus gave a pre-
6oth anniversary program on October 5, 1996. The
"Male Chorus," as they are popularly known, gave
its first public program at Cochran's Chapel Free
Will Baptist Church in 1937. The sponsor of that
program was Ms. Nellie (Johnston) Porter.
We celebrated with Deacon James R. Johnston and
his family with a surprise retirement party.
Other rememberances include: an appreciation
service for the Rev. Milton Dandridge, who served
the church frequently from the time of Rev. Watt's
death until we called Rev. Thomas as our pastor; a
surprise "big 40" birthday for Robert "Robbie"
Johnston; and a surprise party honoring the March,
1999, birthdays of Pearl (Spears) Johnston and Mae
(Porter) Tate.
A very special program was held on May 2, 1999:
the installation of two very dedicated ladies as
Deaconesses, Sisters Nola (Jenkins) Wooden and
Catherine (Johnston) Bell.
Most of the individual members mentioned in this
history are direct descendants of Lizzie (Watson)
Johnston and her husband Robert Lee Johnston,
and Annie (Perry) Jenkins and her husband George
Jenkins. There have been several generations of
descendants of these founders active in the church
over the years.
Community Baptist Church is affiliated with the
Ministers, Deacons, Stewards & Laymans Union of
Virginia, the Berean Valley Baptist Association, and
the Virginia Western District Church School
Association.
Communitlf Baptist Church
Toda4
The pastor of Community Baptist today is the Rev.
Robert E. Spellman, Jr. Associate Pastor is Rev.
George Bell.
Mrs. Pearl S. Johnston is the church clerk, assisted
by Mrs. Catherine Bell. Deacon of the church is
James R. Johnston, and deaconesses include Mrs.
Catherine Bell, Mrs. Pearl Johnston, and Mrs. Nola
Woodson, who also serves as Church Mother
Church trustees are Neal Crenshaw, James R.
Johnston, Robert L. Johnston, and Ms. Elaine
Anderson Wright.
Ms. Catherine Bell is Sunday School superintendent,
assisted by James K. Johnston.
The church treasurer is Ms. Nola Woodson.
Rev. Robert E. Spellman. Jr.
Rev. Robert E. Spellman, Jr., was born to the late
Robert and Thelma Spellman in Norfolk, Va. He
had three brothers and a step-sister.
In 1949 he joined the U.S. Army Reserves and was
activated in 1950 during the Korean War, serving
in the states and Greenland.
He worked for 12 years for the Norfolk & Western
Railroad in Norfolk, Va. Next he worked in
Arlington, Va., for the Arlington Community
Action Program, where he helped with voter registration.
He also worked in South Arlington with
family and social service agrncies. Later, he was
employed as a correctional officer for the Youth
Department of the Washington, D.C, Department
of Corrections, retiring from that job in 1990.
His work in the ministry continued during many
of his years of employment. After acknowledging
the call to preach,he received his license in 1966 at
the New Hope Baptist Church in Chesapeake, Va.
77 H I S TO R I C A l S K E T C H E S O F A F R I C A N - A M E R I C A N C H U R C H E S (Past & Present) of Augusta County, Staunton, Waynesboro, & Vicinity

After moving to Arlington in 1968, he became
associate minister at Mt. Zion Baptist Church
under the pastorship of Dr. Oswald G. Smith.
He was next called to the Upper Zion Baptist
Church in Jeffersonton, Va. (1970) and was there
ordained as pastor, serving for five years.
Next, he pastored Shiloh Baptist Church in
Rixsyville, Va., from 1980 through 1983 .
In November, 1989, he was installed as pastor of
the Union Baptist Church in Waynesboro.
Rev.Spellman attended Norfolk State, Luther Rice
and Northern Virginia Community Colleges, and
also received tutering from prominent religious
figures, including Dr. Oswald G. Smith, N. H.
Stanton, Dr. Domily Muse, and Rev. Charles H.
Bowens of the Tidewater area.
A resident of Waynesboro, he is married to Beulah
Bond Spellman, and the couple has four children
and five grandchildren.
H I ST O R I C A L S KET C H E S OF A FR I C AN - A M E R I C AN C H U R C H E S (Past & Present) of Augusta County, Staunton, Waynesboro, & Vicinity 78

Staunton
Communit4 United Methodist Church
249 Cedar Green Rd. Staunton, VA 24401
COMMUNITY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH in Cedar Green (Staunton P.O.) was built in 1961. It represents
the union of two earlier churches, Cedar Green and Mt. Chapel, both organized before 1884 and built in that year.
HISTORY
Community United Methodist Church was organized
in 1960 with the merger of Mt. Chapel
Methodist and Cedar Green Methodist
Churches.
A brief history of the two earlier churches, provided by
church members, follows:
MT. CHAPEL METHODIST CHURCH
Mt. Chapel began as a little log cabin (c) 1880. The land
for the present building,(located on the south side of
Hewitt Rd. (Rt. 703) just north of the C&O Railway
underpass, 2.2 miles southwest of Community United
Methodist Church) was purchased in the 1880s. This
property, of one and one-third acres, was purchased for
$125, $100 in cash and the balance ($25), payable on
demand .
The cornerstone for Mt. Chapel was laid in 1884. Trustees
at the time were Samson Moore, James Wyats, Thomas
Harden, William Kinney, Alfred Smith, Thomas Harris,
Cornelius Harden, and Morris Moore.
Mt. Chapel stands today, unused in a state of increasing
disrepair, but with a long record of service to the area .
H I S T OR I C A L S K ET C H E S O F A F RI C AN - AM E R I C AN C H U R C H E S (Past & Present) of Augusta County, Staunton, Waynesboro, & Vicinity 80

MT. CHAPEL METHODIST EPISCOPAL
CHURCH, built in 1884, was closed and its congregation
joined with that of Cedar Green to form Community
United Methodist Church in 1960-61.
Drawings of CEDAR GREEN METHODIST
CHURCH, artist unknown, as it appears in a 100th
Anniversary Commemorative publication in 1984. This
church burned down .
CEDAR GREEN METHODIST
CHURCH
The beginnings of this church were also in a log
chapel (c)1880, with the precise location unspecified
in the church history. This congregation, also,
elected to purchase land and erect a new house of
worship.
The property purchased, from trustee Lewis Hill,
was located about two-tenths of a mile south of the
present Community United Methodist Church on
the east side of Cedar Green Rd. The site was just
north of the present cemetery.
Other trustees at the time were Reuben Hill, Harvey
Green, Sandy Bates, and Andee Wilson. The cornerstone
for the building was laid in 1884, the same
year as Mt. Chapel's.
Both Mt. Chapel and Cedar Green Churches were
founded as Methodist Episcopal (M.E.) churches.
On May 10, 1939, the Methodist Episcopal Church
South, the Methodist Protestant Church, and the
Methodist Episcopal Church united into the
Methodist Church, nationally. Mt. Chapel and
Cedar Green remained segregated units.
COMMUNITY UNITED
METHODIST CHURCH
Cedar Green Methodist Church was destroyed by
fire on November 29, 1959.
The congregation established a committee, which
first met on December 21, 1959, to erect a new
church building. This committee included members
John Harden, Burton Harden, William Hart, Wesley
Scott, William Vaughn, Eugene Vaughn, Connie
Vaughn and Charlene (Charles?) Franklin. The two
churches agreed to merge in 1960.
The building contractors were the firm Harden &
Gaines. The cornerstone was laid in 1961. Rev.
Walter H. Hurd was pastor, and the District
Superintendent was Rev. R. L. Clifford.
Trustees at that time were Stuart Ellis, Robert
Washington, Dave Hart, John Harden, Godfrey
Harris, James Vaughn, and William Vaughn.
A Dedication Service was held on January 18, 1961.
The speakers for the occasion were Rev. Richard L.
Clifford, Rev. Alpheus W Potts, D.D., District
Superintendent, and Bishop Paul M. Herrick.
On September 9, 1962, Bishop Love conducted the
first Church Anniversary Service.
On April 9, 1968, with the merger of the Methodist
Church and the Evangelical United Brethren
Church, the newly-formed Community Methodist
Church became Community United Methodist
Church.
The first Annual Homecoming was held on August
8, 1971, an event chaired by Mrs. Mary Hart and cochaired
by Ms. Marie Hart.
DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENTS
AND PASTORS
The same pastors and District Superintendents
served both of the original churches until they combined
in 1960.
Some of the former District Superintendents included
George E. Echols, Phillip Brown, Daniel Collins,
Henry Sellers, George R. Williams, William H.
Duncan, John Jenkins, H. S. Smith, and James
Carter. There were quite a few others.
The names and dates of service of some of the pastors
follows:
G. S. Lawrence
E. P. Moon
William H. Kent
1906
1909 - 1910
1911 - 1913
81 H IS TOR I C A L S KET C H E S O F AFR I C AN - A M E R I CA N C H U RC H ES (Past & Present) of Augusta County, Staunton, Waynesboro, & Vicinity

I
II
Charles S. Briggs 1916- 1917
John Reed 1917- 1923
T. A. Thomas 1923 - 1925
James H. Holland 1925 - 1929
J. D. Brown 1932 - 1933
WH. Polk 1933 - 1934
Preston R. Vauls 1934- 1940
Eugene Boone 1940- 1942
Ralph Abernathy 1943 - 1944
Henry J. Lewis 1947 - 1952
L. H. Davis 1952 - 1954
R. S. Salisbury 1955 - 1957
Walter H. Hurd 1957- 1974
Joseph A. Carter, Jr. 1974- 1979
John H. Betha 1979 - 1982
Kelsey H. Harris 1982-
R. E. Monroe
John A. Fisher, Jr.
Under the leadership of the present pastor, Rev.
Doctor John A. Fisher, Jr., the church has undergone
a complete renovation, with the repainting of the
interior of the sanctuary, replacement of the carpeting,
and cushioning of the pews.
In addition, the floors in the fellowship area have
been refinished, the kitchen remodeled including
the renovation of the restrooms, and the church roof
has been reshingled.
The Rev. Dr. John A. Fisher, Jr., is pastor of a district
that also includes Asbury United Methodist Church
in Brownsburg and Lawson Chapel United
Methodist Church in Fairfield, both in Rockbridge
County (q.v.).
NOTES ON CHURCH MEMBERS
Hotchkiss Mop 1884
In 1884, the year that both Cedar Green and Mt.
Chapel M.E. Churches were built, Jed. Hotchkiss'
map of the Beverly Manor Magisterial District of
Augusta County (the district that contains the area
under consideration) was created. This map reveals a
sizeable African-American community in the Cedar
Green area, indicating individual buildings and their
owners/residents, with African Americans designated
by name, followed by (Col.).
In the present Cedar Green area are found the
names Nancy Fox, John Streets, Fd.(Fred?) Hill,
Henry Trayer, Becky Trayer, Lou Hill, Thornton
Tibbs, Andrew Miller, Alex Dickerson, Stuart
(Matheros?), Sarah Cole, Ellen Jackson, Ben Shelton,
and Reuben Hill.
Cedar Green Church and Schoolhouse# 19 (Col.)
are also depicted. It is not clear whether the church
is the original log cabin or the newly-built Cedar
Green M.E. Church.
Along present Parkersburg Turnpike (Va. 254) going
west of Staunton towards West View are the homes
of Mrs. Ellis, Jim Gundy, William Adams, Green
Eldridge, Henry Cleveland, Charles Hooks, Os.(?)
Strother, George H. Carter, and Douglas Bates.
Further west, approaching Eidson Creek (also
known as Smoky Row and Bates Creek) can be
found the homes of Addison Hives and James Keys
and, just east of West View, Wyatt Allen.
Going south, in the vicinity of the present Smokey
Row Baptist Church, are the homes of Cornelius
Harden and Thomas Harden. Further southwest,
towards Sugar Loaf, is the home of Allen Perry.
As the names listed are presumably those of home
owners, they are not fairly indicative of the actual
size of the African American population in this area.
In that now long-ago era of the horse and buggy and
Shank's mare (walking), most folks couldn't travel
too far to attend church, or get married, for that matter.
And it is evident from church and tombstone
records that a number of these individuals/ families
and/or their relatives became members of Cedar
Green and/or Mt. Chapel M.E. Churches over the
years.
100TH CHURCH
ANNIVERSARY 1984
In 1984, Community United Methodist Church celebrated
the 100th Anniversary of the founding of its
two original churches. Trustees in 1984 included
Chairman Eugene Vaughn, Wesley Scott, Mrs.
Beulah Jones, Uzell Washington, John Harden,
Kenneth Vaughn, J. Robert Washington, John Doak,
and William Washington.
The Church Lay Leader in 1984 was Mrs. Melva
Smith; Chairman, Administrative Board was Mrs.
Marguerite Johnson; Chairman, Finance Committee
was Ms. Wanda Scott; Church Treasurer was Ms.
Marie Hart; Superintendent, Church School was
Mrs. Virginia Vaughn; and the President, UMYC
was Jeffrey Henderson.
In a 100th Anniversary Commemorative booklet
published for the occasion, the church honored
long-time faithful members, then deceased, including
Henry L. Cleveland, Godfrey Harris, Mr. and
Mrs. Stuart Ellis, Roy Frye, Mrs. Crimora H .
Robinson, and Frank Walker.
Other deceased church members, or relatives of
members, were also recognized by personal tributes
printed in this publication, including:
Mr. and Mrs. John Wormsley, Lu tie S. Carter, Mr.
and Mrs. Clarence Doak, Sr., Mr. and Mrs. Clarence
Doak, Jr., Frank Doak, Charles Doak, Arthur and
Susan Harden, Mildred Sawyer, Mary Sawyer,
H I S TO R I C A L S K E T C H E S O F A F R I C A N - A M E R I C A N C H U R C H E S (Past & Present) of Augusta County, Staunton, Waynesboro, & Vicinity 82
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Gilbert Harden, Burton Harden, Collins Harden,
Jimmy Taylor, Henry H. Harden, Viola Carter
Harris, William Samuel and Mary Carter Hart,
Roger Lee Vaughn, Mr. and Mrs. James Vaughn,
Cora Lee Waters Carter, Rev. and Mrs. Eugene H.
Boone, Hilliard Rose, Vincent Rose, George W
Rose, Francis Rose, Mr. and Mr. Bernard Leitch,
LeRoy Herbert, Ms. Ophelia Leitch, Mrs. Sedonia L.
Harden, Ms. Fredia Bell Leitch, Mattie and Oscar
Smith, Dave and Mary Hart, Harry Hart, William
and Mary Hart, Joseph Hart, Matilda Hart, Alvin
Hart, Leon Hart, Maurice Hart, Mary and Will
Franklin, Walter and Mabel Lewis, Stuart F. Lewis,
Annie B. Crawford, Lucille V Lewis, Stellerine C.
Smith, Elmo and Mazie D. Washington, Genevieve
S. Washington, William Vaughn, Wallace Vaughn,
Mr. and Mrs.Thomas Spears, Mrs. Ruth Herbert,
Willie Webster, Noah D. Brown, Mrs. Mary Ella
Brown, Noah F. Brown, Cecil L. Brown, Sr., Charles
Brown, Mrs. Annabelle Crawford, Mrs. Eva Spears
Wilson, and Frank Walker.
THE JOHN HARDEN STORY
Editor's Note: The late John Harden was a lifetime
member and a trustee of Communiry United
Methodist Church (and its predecessor), and his
contracting firm built the church in 1961.
The following story on Mr. Harden was written by
the editor and appeared in the Staunton Daily News
Leader on December 11, 1991. It is reprinted here as
an appropriate tribute to a faithful member of the
church:
ARBOR HILL - John Harden, at 81 years of age, is
a tall man, more than six feet in height. He walks
erect, offers a firm handshake, and speaks of the past
with a good memory and a quiet voice.
Glaucoma, affecting both eyes, has curtailed his
reading, but he still gets around well in the house
and on the 15 acres he has owned for 52 yea~s.
His old brick home, which probably dates to the
early 1800s, is located on Eidson Creek Rd. (Va 710),
not far south of Hebron Presbyterian Church and
about mile south of Smokey Row Baptist Church.
About 800 feet south of the house, also on the east
side of Eidson Creek Rd., is the old Harden cabin,
where John Harden was born in 1910, one of the
nine children of Arthur John and Susan Wormsley
Harden.
Jed. Hotchkiss' map of the Beverley Manor
Magisterial District of 1884 designates two Harden
homes in the Arbor Hill viciniry, those of Cornelius
and Thomas Harden, but neither appears to be the
cabin pictured.
THE HARDEN CABIN on Eidson Creek Rd. (Rt. 710)
south of Smokey Row Church. This is the birthplace of
John Harden, one of the nine children of Arthur John and
Susan Wonnsley Harden. Arthur's father was Cornelius
Harden, Cornelius Harden and his brother Thomas were
trustees of Mt. Chapel when the cornerstone for the building
was laid in 1884. (Drawing by Joe Nutt)
Thomas, John says, lived in a frame house that no
longer exists.
Cornelius was Arthur John's father, John's grandfather,
and died before John knew him.
Of the nine children, three girls and six boys, born
to Arthur John and Susan Harden, four were born
while the family lived in the cabin. Three of the
nine children survive. The eldest, Alonzo, who is 96
and resides at Liberry House Nursing Home in
Waynesboro; Edith Harden Taylor, 85, who lives on
Straith St. in Staunton; and John, the youngest at 81.
The cabin pictured appears as John remembers it
from his youth. Although it has suffered fire damage
and undergone repairs and renovations over the
years, it largely retains its appearance of more than
Bo years ago, he says.
The first floor held a bedroom and living room, with
the kitchen and dining room built to the rear. There
were two bedrooms on the second floor.
During the years John grew up there, no electriciry
was available and the cabin was heated by a wood
stove. With no plumbing, an outhouse served as the
bathroom.
John attended Smokey Row Elementary School and
completed the seventh grade. It was a two-room
school with a stove in each room and held about 40
students. The school was converted into a dwelling
and is occupied today by Rosa Lee Jenkins. The exterior
appears much as it did when the building
served as a school, according to John. It is located
about 1/ 4- mile east of Smokey Row Baptist Church
on Smoky Row Rd. (Va 709).
When he was about 19, John entered the construction
business (c. 1929) with his older brother
83 H I S T O R I C A L S K E T C H E S O F A F R I C A N - A M E R I C A N C H U R C H E S (Pa st & Present) of Augusta County, Staunton, Waynesboro, & Vicinity ___ ..

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Alonzo, who had founded the business some years
earlier.
Two years later, in 1931, John went to Pittsburg and
worked there for a few years, It was about that year,
1931 or 1932, that Arthur John sold the cabin and
about 72 acres of land to buyers named Evans. Title
was conveyed at a later date by aHester Ellen Root
Evans to subsequent owner of this and other tracts.
John married Sedonia Leech in Pittsburg in 1931.
The couple had three children. Sons Vernard
Roscoe and John Cornelius live and work in
Maryland, and daughter Shirley Vaughn lives on the
Middlebrook Road. Sidonia died in 1965, in the
34th year of their marraige. John today has eight
grandchildren and six great grandchildren.
Returning from Pittsburg to the Staunton area in
1939, John purchased his present home and property
from Henry Smith that year and resumed work
with brothers Alonzo and Burton.
During the 1950s, the three Harden brothers,
Alonzo, Burton and John, operated the business in
partnership with James and Julius Gaines, under the
name Harden & Gaines.
Alonzo retired in 1961, and John continued with
the Gaines brothers until 1969, then went on his
own until he retired in 1982.
Over the years, the firm became probably the largest
and best known black owned and operated business
in the area. They built "at least 100 homes in
Staunton, Augusta County, and even in Lexington,"
John says, and these homes were of all sizes, styles
and price ranges.
Additions and renovations constituted another large
share of their work, and countless area homes benefitted
from their skills.
John is especially proud of three churches the firm
built for the black community: Smokey Row Baptist
Church (built in 1921); First Church of God in
Christ, at the corner o[Jackson and Green Streets in
Staunton; and Community United Methodist
Church in Cedar Green. John is a lifetime member
of Community United Methodist and has served as
a trustee there for the past three years.
John estimates that the business "hired well over
100 people" during his career there, and the work
force included many youngsters from the area.
"There's probably few black families in Staunton
and this area of Augusta County that didn't have a
relative or close friend working with us," he says. It
is certain that many young blacks started their first
steady, paying job with the firm.
John has been active in the Staunton Branch of the
National Association for the Advancement of
Colored People, which was organized about 1947. He
served as president of the branch from 1962-1968.
Of the cabin pictured, John says that a number of
the wooden roof shingles have been replaced, that
some of the logs may be those used in the original
building, and that the stone chimney is close to its
original condition.
Deeds in the Augusta County Courthouse show the
conveyance of nearly 36 acres ofland from David A.
and Susan B. Snyder to Arthur J. Harden, John's
father, in May, 1898, and an additional 36 acres purchased
by Arthur J. Harden from the Snyders in
February, 1905. While we have no certain date as to
when the cabin was built, it probably pre-dates the
turn of the century.
The property was later combined with other parcels
of land to comprise an approximately 140-acre farm
that underwent multiple changes of ownership over
ensuing years.
Today the property, known as Great Oaks Farm, is
owned by Dr. Peter B. and Christine Richardson,
who purchased it in July, 1984.
A fire in 1983, according to Dr. Richardson, did
some damage to the structure. Soon after he started
reconstruction, in 1984, another fire occurred, started
by arson. But almost all of the original timbers
were saved and used in the cabin of today.
The stairway has been moved to the south side of
the cabin, and the first floor is now a large single
room, with the modernized kitchen and bathroom
built to the rear.
The cabin is maintained in excellent condition
and currently leased by the Richardsons, whose
manor house is located on top of the hill to the
east, to tenants.
Cemeteries
There is no cemetery at Community United
Methodist Church, but cemeteries exist at the sites
of both Cedar Green and Mt. Chapel Methodist
Churches. These cemeteries are maintained by
members of Community United Methodist Church.
Both of these cemeteries have been recently documented
(on June 29, 2000 by Joe Nutt) as well as
possible. It is evident from some illegible stones,
unreadable markers, and a sizeable number of hollows
(cavities, or declivities) in the earth that indicate
burials, that a number of interments (graves)
cannot be identified on the scene.
It is to be hoped that through all possible written
records and the recollections of the living some of
the gaps in this documentation can be filled.
H I ST O R I C A L S K ET C H E S OF A FR I C AN - AM E RI CAN C H U R C H E S (Past & Present) of Augusta County, Staunton, Waynesboro, & Vicinity 84

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BROWN, ROBERT
BROWN, EMMAL
BROWN (THOMAS?) F.
(broken stone)
BROWN, WILLIAM B.
BROWN, MINNIE C.
CLEVELAND, HENRY LEE
CLEVELAND, JEAN SMITH
CLEVELAND, MARY V.
DOAK, CLARENCE LEWIS (Father)
DOAK, LEO MAY (Mother)
DOAK, CHARLES FRANK (Son)
DOAK, OLIVE V. SPEARS HARDEN
FRANKLIN, EUGENE, SR.
Compiled by Joe Nutt, June 29 , 2000
b. (c) 1860
b. (c ) 1864
b. 1894
b. Dec. 8, 1886
b. May 21, 1886
b. Oct. 15, 1907
b. Dec. 1, 1907
b.
b. Oct. 30 , 1893
b. May 2, 1896
b. Apr. 13, 1925
b. Feb. 6, 1902
b. Jul. 28, 1892
d. Ma y 10 , 1895-Age 35
d. Jan 21 , 1933-Age 69
d. Mar. 1, 1895-Age 1
d. Aug. 8, 1959
d. Nov. 27 1978
d. Oct. 9, 1971
d. Dec. 29 , 1986
d. Oct. 22 , 1954
d. Mar. 15, 1955
d. Jun. 8. 1932
d . Aug . (? ), 1951
d. Dec. 19, 1988
d. Jun. 9, 1952
Virginia - Pvt. 350 Field Arty - 92 Div. - WWI
FRANKLIN, WILLIAM B.
FRANKLIN, MARY AMANDA
HARDEN, WILLIAM THOMAS
S3C - US Navy - WWII
HARDEN, GEORGE ALEXANDER, SR.
US Navy-WWII
HARDEN, HENRY FREDERICK
(Metal Marker)
HEMLICK, NANCY
HILL, EARNEST E.
(Metal Marker)
HURD, WALTER H.
HURD, NETTIE C.
LEECH, EDWARD WALTER
LEECH, NANNIE ADAMS
LEECH, CHARLOTTE LEWIS
ADAMS, CHARLOTTE LEWIS
LEECH, ROBERT SCOTT
Sgt. - US Arm y - WWII
b. Oct. 12, 1852
b. Oct. 24 , 1858
b. Feb. 26, 1922
b. jun . 18, 1924
b. Jun. 8, 1951
d. Jan. 19 , 1924
d. Oct. 19, 1940
d. Feb. 10, 1990
d. Nov. 10 , 1993
d. May 24 , 1991
(Only Date: May, 1921- Date of Death (? )
b. Jun. 3, 1929
b. 1903
b. 1903
b. May 22, 1875
b. Feb . 23, 1893
b. Nov. 4, 1922
b. Jun . 2, 1852
b. Feb. 9, 1926
d. Jun . 5, 2000
d.
d. 1970
d. Sep. 17, 1939
d. Jun. 17 , 1982
d. Apr. 4, 1929
d. May 29, 1939
d. Nov. 25, 1987

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::i: -"' LEECH, ROBERT SCOTT, JR. b. May 12, 1949 d. Apr. 13, 1968 .,
0 ,. - LOVE, AMELIA ,., b. Apr. 28, 1821 (?) d. May (6?), 1890 > ,...
"' LEWIS, STUART FRAZIER b. Mar. 22, 1921 d. Jan. 19, 1976 " "' US Army - WWII ., ,.,
(2 Metal Markers , unreadable, next to this stone) :i::
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0 MALONE, WALTER S. b. Jan . 3, 1873 d. Jun. 13, 1945 ..,
> .., MALONE, MURIEL ANN b. Jan. 31, 1886 d. Jan . 16 , 1960 ,. -,.,
> POLLARD, MARGARET b. Jun. 17, 1902 d. Feb.17, 1981 z
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:!: PRYOR, LOTTIE SMITH b. Mar. 5, 1910 d. Jun. 15 , 1956 "' ,. -,.,
ROSELL, NELLIE L. b. d. Feb. 12 , 1916 (?) >
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ROSELL, BERTHA HARDEN b. May 16, 1880 d. Feb. 22 , 1953 :i::
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-;; SMITH, OSCAR b. Apr. 3, 1880 d. Nov. 30, 1956 ;
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"" SMITH, MATTIE WOODWARD b. Dec. 9, 1885 d.Apr.15, 1975 a ,,,
6 SMITH, JESSIE VAUGHN b. 1919 d. 1940 0 ....,
> CLARK, LILIA KEYS b. 1892 d. 1927 C ""' ~ STUART, ROBERT LEE b. Jul. 19, 1929 (?) d. May 8, 1930 n
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~ VAUGHN, EMMA KEYS b. 1896 d. 1970
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g- VAUGHN, DOULAS (DOUGLAS?) HOUSTON b. Jul. 9, 1923 d. Apr. 9, 1956
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b. Sep. 1, 1900 d, Jan. 20 , 1959 5 WASHINGTON, ELMO W. ~-
WASHINGTON, MAZIE D. b. Apr. 7, 1901 d. Dec. 10, 1952
WAYLAND, JOHN WESLEY b. Jun 23, 1896 d. Apr. 11, 1984
PFC - US Army - WWI
WAYLAND, LURENDA ROSS b. Apr. 14, 1903 d . Aug. 25, 1965
WOODWARD, SAMUEL N. b. (cl 1883 d . Jul. 12, 1958 (Age 75
WOODWARD, RUTH CLEVELAND b. (cl 1905 d. Jun . 24, 1988 (Age 83)

co MT, CHAPEL CEMETERY BURIAL RECORD 'l
Compiled by Joe Nutt, June 29, 2000
ADAMS, WILLIAM b. 1844 d. Mar. 9, 1915
ADAMS, DORSEY b. d. May 6, 1938
LEECH, EDWARD WALTER b. Mar. 25, 1918 d. Mar. 25, 1918 (?)
DILLARD(?) LAWRENCE b. Sep. 11, 1902 d. Feb . 8, 1935
CAMPBELL, DIANA HILL b. 1880 d. 1944
DAVIS, RACHEL A. b. 1859 d. Aug. 24, 1921 (Age 62 )
:i:: Wife of David Davis
-"' .,
ENGLISH, EDWARDS. b. Jun . 18, 1882 d. Feb . 1, 1958 0
"' -() FEQUA, JAMES HARRISON b. Feb. 19, 1930 d. Feb. 12, 1992 > ,..
V'l PFC-US Army-Korea
"' HARDEN, HARLES (CHARLES?) D. b. Oct. 15, 1869 d. Oct. 10 , 1936
"' .,
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:c HARDEN, ARTHUR J. b. 1870 d. 1928
"'
"' HARDEN, SUSAN C. b. 1873 d. 1938
0 Inscribed on back of Stone: "'
> SAWYER, MARY H.
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b. 1900 d. 1933
"' SAWYER, MILDRED H. b. 1898 d. 1917 -() SAWYER, BEVERLEY b. 1921 d. 1923 >
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> HARDEN, WILLIAM THEODORE b. 1873 d. 1928 ,::
"' HARDEN, MARY HENDERSON, His Wife b. 1882 d. 1933 "' - Inscribed in the back of this stone is: "In Remembrance - ()
> Australia H. Hackney, Etta H. Fequa, Henry H. Harden" z
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"' "' Beloved Husband of Annie (Harris?)
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REDD, LENA
ROBINSON, CRIMORA HARDEN
(Broken Stone)
SCOTT, JULIA
SCOTT, WILSON
SMITH, MRS. FANNIE
(Broken, half-buried Stone)
TAYLOR, WILLIAM HENRY
TAYLOR, FANNIE
VAUGHN, ROBERT
Husband of Anna M. Vaughn
VAUGHN, ELIZABETH J.
WALKER, FRANK SIDNEY
PVT-US Army-WWI
WALKER, ESTELLE VAUGHN
(Metal Marker)
(Two other, unreadable Markers nearby)
WHITE, SERENA
Mother
WILSON, JOHN
WILSON, DORA
WOODWARD, MARTHA ANN
Erected by Lethia Woodward
WOODWARD, ARLETHA
b. d. 1921
b. Apr., 1882 d. Nov. 12 , 1955 (?)
b. Apr. 21, 1903 d. May 14, 1978
b. d. Jan. 18, 1911
b. d. Apr. 8, 1915
b. 1836 d. Sep. 28, 1886
b. (cl 1831 d. Jul. 6, 1896 (Age 65)
b. (cl 1843 d. Oct. 22, 1903 (A ge 60)
b. Feb. 2, 1904 d. Mar. 18, 1960
b. Sep . 21 , 1909 d. May 11, 1954
b. Sep.4, 1896 d. Nov. 17, 1975
b. Sep. 22, 1900 d. Nov. 28, 1989 (Age 89 )
b. 1878 d. 1941
b. Jul. 23 , 1903 d. Oct. 14, 1970
b. Jun . 28 , 1906 d. Mar. 17, 1976
b. 1866 d. 1931 (?l
b. Dec . 15 , 1895 d. Jun. 16 , 1959

Staunton
Ebenezer Baptist Church
413.415 N. Augusto Staunton. VA 24401
Historq
Ebenezer Baptist Church is a unique vernacular brick structure, threeand-
a-half stories tall with three bays. Architecturally, it has interesting
brick corbeling and finials on the two towers, and fine stained
glass windows .
An early history of the church has been attributed to Mrs. R. L. Burke, and
later facts have been added to this history over ensuing years, to produce the
following account:
Ebenezer Baptist Church was established by some disaffected members of Mt.
Zion Baptist Church (founded in 1866). These members met in 1878 in the
home of Deacon Henry Burke and his wife Margaret on North Augusta Street .
Rev. Henry Williams presided over the meeting, which was followed by what has
been termed as "a glorious prayer meeting." A table, which is still in the possession
of the family, was placed for an offering, which totaled $15.
Present at this meeting were Charter Members Deacon and Mrs. Henry Burke,
Deacon and Mrs. Winston Carter, Deacon and Mrs. Henry White, Mr. and
Mrs. Aaron Oliver, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Jones, Mr. and Mrs. James Jones, Mrs.
Ada Brown, Mr. George Desper, Mrs. Ellen Taylor, Mr. Melvin Lewis, Miss
Emma Wilson, Mrs. Patsy Johnson, Mrs. Hannibal Holmes, and Mrs. Cynthia
Hemmons.
After meetings in this home over a month or so, a committee was appointed to
locate a larger facility for worship, as membership was rapidly increasing.
They were able to secure an existing old (white) Methodist church, and on
Saturday, December 6, 1878, Dr. Charles Manley of the (white) First Baptist
EBENEZER BAPTIST CHURCH was established in 1878. This building, the
present church, was built in 1910 .
H I ST O R I C A L S K ETC H E S O F A F RI C A N - AM E R I C A N C H U RC H E S (Past & Prese nt) of Augusta County, Staunton, Waynesboro, & Vi cinity 90

Church gave the charge and fellowship qualifying
them as a fully organized church to be known as
Ebenezer Baptist Church.
The Rev. Henry Williams served as "Temporary
Leader" in 1878, replaced that same year by the
church's first stated pastor, Rev. Wiley Simpson.
Serving as the first appointed trustees were Henry
Burke, Melton Lewis, Everette Kerr, Henry C.
Johnson, and James Jones.
On the next Sunday, December 14, 1878, Rev.
Simpson organized the Sunday School, with Henry
C. Johnson as the first superintendent.
"The pastor then pitched a battle against sin," our
historian writes, "and forry converts were added to
the church."These new members were baptized in
the pool of the old, white Baptist Church. The old
tobacco factory was purchased and renovated and
services were temporarily moved there.
Rapid progress was made during Rev. Simpson's
pastorate of eight years and nine months.
The second pastor, Rev. Henry of Pennsylvania,
was called, but served only three months.
The Rev. J.L. Barksdale was called as the third pastor,
but served only one year. His resignation was
attributed to the large family he was supporting.
"While (the congregation was) wandering as the
Israelites without a leader, the Lord sent one," Mrs.
Burke writes. The Rev. R. H. Porter, the fourth pastor,
answered the call. He made wonderful
progress during his term of one year and six
months (1887-1889). Rev. Porter borrowed $250 to
start a $1000 fund for remodeling the church, laying
the cornerstone with the Odd Fellows. He
raised a total of $1546.17 and left the church clear
of debt.
On June 30, 1889, the Rev. D. C. Deane was called
as the fifth pastor. Under his pastorate the membership
increased by 209 and the church raised
funds in the amount of $10,018.74, between the
years of 1889 and 1897.
The Rev. A. H. Galvin, the sixth pastor, was called
December 12, 1897. Much progress was made
under his leadership offive years (1897-1901),
including improvements to the church of
$1210.03, funds raised totalling $4585.39, and the
addition of 87 new members. In 1901 he accepted a
call to a larger church in Newport News.
The church's next, and seventh minister, Rev. R. C.
Pannell, was a native of Lynchburg, Virginia, and a
graduate of Hampton Institute. He was called on
June 7, 1902, and served Ebenezer for 49 years. The
first year he paid off a mortgage of$ 500 and raised
$1749.
During Rev. Pannell's long tenure as pastor, many
changes occured at Ebenezer. In 1907, an annex
was built, the church remodeled, and a pipe organ
installed.
A major circumstance in the church history
occured in 1910, when the old church was torn
down and replaced by the present building. During
this rebuilding the congregation worshipped in the
Annex, which has since been taken down.
(Editor's Note: The name of the architect who
designed the 1910 ediface is, at present, unknown.
According to Historic Staunton Foundation
records, famed local architectT. J. Collins created a
design for a new church in 1900 - Job #17-5 - but
his plans were never implemented. HSF has the
Collins collection of drawings and is cataloging
them. It would be of interest to compare the
Collins drawing with the 1910 church to determine
if any of the architect's concepts were incorporated.)
Rev. Pannell served the church faithfully and well
until his death in 1951.
The Rev. J. Henry Scott, Jr., a native of Osawatomie,
Kansas, accepted the call as Ebenezer's eighth pastor
in January, 1952, and served the congregation
effectively for 23 1/2 years.
Some of Dr. Scott's achievements as pastor included:
increasing membership by over 20 per year
over his first ten years and in some subsequent
years; organizing church groups, including a Junior
Choir, a BYPU evening educational program, a
Ladies Auxiliary, and a Youth Club; initiated worship
services both morning and evening; and
developed a number of community service and
outreach programs, including regular home and
hospital visitations to the sick and shut-in, an
intensive counseling program to meet the needs of
members and the communiry, a Prison and Welfare
Ministry, and a Civil Rights Ministry.
Renovations and maintenance of the church
building and grounds were also a principal
church activity during Dr. Scott's tenure, and a
number of major improvements were effected.
The mortgage on the building was ceremoniously
burned on September 4, 1977, not long after Dr.
Scott resigned the pastorate to accept charges at
Smokey Row and Mt. Marine Baptist Churches in
the county.
The church was without a pastor for one year and
ten months after Dr. Scott's departure. On July 17,
1977, the Rev. Alvin A. Cleveland was called to
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Ebenezer as its ninth pastor. He led the church for
five years, during which the church advanced spiritually
and an emphasis was placed on youth guidance.
Rev. Cleveland resigned in September, 1982.
In December, 1982, the church called its tenth pastor,
the Rev. Charles Jones. Rev. Jones was a doctoral
degree student at the Howard University
Divinity School. He conducted many workshops
and programs to further promote the growth of
Ebenezer as a responsible Christian institution .
-- ~ - '-=~ -_
Rev. Jones resigned in 1984 to accept a call to Mt.
Tabor Baptist Church in Richmond.
On July 7, 1985, Rev. Michael A. Turner was elected
to the pastorate. As the church's 11th pastor, he
introduced a broad community awareness and
activism to the Ebenezer congregation, including
cohosting rehearsals of the Black Ministers'
Alliance Choir and B. L Taylor Ensemble, hosting
meetings of the Staunton Branch NAACP, and
hosting the Ministers' Alliance for Black Churches.
Under Rev. Turner's leadership, the church extended
financial assistance to the Effie Ann Johnson
Day Care Center, the Berean Valley Building Fund,
Valley Mission, and other charitable organizations,
and donated food and clothing to the needy on a
monthly basis through the church's Missionary
Society.
In May, 1987, the Rev. Monte Talmadge of Ohio
was named associate pastor at Ebenezer.
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Staunton
First Church of God
. 1n Christ
864 Middlebrook Ave. Staunton, Va. 24401
THE FIRST CHURCH OF GOD IN CHRIST present building at 864 Middlebrook Ave. The congregation moved to
this building in March, 1998, from their original church building at 902 Jackson St. The building depicted is the old
Genesco Union Hall, a facility that affords much needed space for the growing membership.
Histor4
The First Church of God in Christ in Staunton celebrates
its Both anniversary in 2000, as well as its
pastor's, Elder Joseph E. Pride's 38th year of service.
The church was founded around 1920 by a single individual
with a missionary purpose. Mother Ella B. Pearson
arrived that year from Mississippi and, two days after her
arrival, begin preaching on the streets of Staunton, often
with an audience of one: Mrs. Fountain Howard. Services
for her fledgling congregation were sometimes held at
"courthouse comer," (S. Augusta and E. Johnson Streets)
and in the old Mt. Zion Baptist Church .
As followers in her "church" increased, services were held
in the homes of members, including Sister Florence
Carters, Mother Taylor and Deacon M. M. Green.
In that same year, the congregation built their first church
on a plot ofland at 902 Jackson St. (the comer ofJackson
and Green Streets). This structure was built by the construction
firm of Alonw and John Harden, and probably
not completed until 1921.
While the church records are not complete, it is recorded
that in these early years of the church Deacon George
Cook was chairman of the Deacon Board, Brother Bud
Bady was trustee, and Sister Lena Bady was secretary.
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FIRST CHURCH OF GOD IN CHRIST (Earlier) was located at the comer of Green and Jackson Streets (902
Jackson St.). This building was erected in 1920-21 by contrac-tors Alonzo and John Harden.
Pastors who served the church over the years
included: Overseer Reid, Overseer Dove, Overseer
Cypress, Overseer Bryant, Elder Phillips, Bishop
Love, Elder Hurdle, Bishop Dabney, Elder Russell,
Elder Clark, Elder Phillip Darcuss, and the current
pastor Elder Joseph E. Pride.
The burning of the mortgage on the earlier church
occured during the pastorate of Bishop Dabney.
The church purchased a parsonage at 322 Marr St.
(off Sudbury St.) during Elder Clark's ministry and,
in 1953, redecorated the church. The mortgage on
the parsonage was lifted and the church basement
was panneled by the Y.P.WW during Elder Pride's
ministry.
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Staunton
Friendship Church
1601 W. Beverle4 St. Staunton, VA 24401
Histor4
Friendship Church branched out of Staunton's
First Church of God in Christ in 1968, with Elder
Henry Darcus as the founding pastor.
The first meetings were held in a converted garage on West
Beverley St., Extended, in the area known as Franklin Hill,
which begins at Morris Mill Rd. and ascends to the top of
the hill past the present Food Lion store .
Financial difficulties forced the church from this location
and services were next conducted at 800 W. Beverley St.
From there, the church moved to its current location, purchasing
the building in 1979.
Electrical fires on two occasions, the second in 1989,
resulted in the building of the present church, completed
in late 1991.
Elder Henry Darcus pastored the church for the first ten
years, 1968 to 1978, and Elder James C. Woodson, Jr., has
been pastor from 1878 to the present (2000), a total of 22
years.
In about the year 1995, the church severed its connection
with the Church of God in Christ and became nondenominational.
With approximately 70 members,
Friendship Church continues vigorously today under
Elder Woodson, whose father James C. Woodson, Sr., is
pastor of Steadfast Church of God in Christ in Stuarts
Draft.
FRIENDSHIP CHURCH completed construction of this church, its fourth building, in late 1991. Elder Jam es C.
Woodson, Jr., has pastored Friendship for 22 years.
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Staunton
Mt.. Salem Baptist Church
1015 Stuart St. Staunton. VA 24401
MT. SALEM BAPTIST CHURCH at 1015 Stuart Street in Staun ton is apparently the third building occupied by this
congregation, which has worshipped under three names since its founding in 1890. The cornerstone for this building was
laid in 1907.
Histor4
Editor's Note:The following history of Mt. Salem
Baptist Church has been compiled (in 1999) from previous
histories by church clerk Lucille Caul, under the
pastorate of the current pastor, Rev. Floyd A. Miles. It is
presented here with minor changes and additions.
Mt. Salem was founded some years after the Civil
War, on July 11 18901 when a group of people in
the community of Pointsville (off of
Middlebrook Ave. near the present Staunton city limits)
came together to form a church. The first pastor was the
Rev. Matt Robinson, and the church named Cedar
Grove Baptist Church.
In the year 1900 the congregation moved into Staunton
to Railroad Ave., which roughly parralleled the C&O
Railroad tracks on the north side, and became known as
the Colored Peoples' Church. Some years later, the
church was renamed Mt. Salem Baptist Church and the
street renamed Stuart St. The address of 709 Stuart
Street was also later changed, to 1015 Stuart St.
Under the continuing ministry of Rev. Matt Robinson,
the cornerstone for the present building was laid in
1907. Rev. Robinson passed away in 1922.
Pastors following Rev. Robinson included the
Reverends Williams, Patt Toliver, Edward Wilson,
Harvey Steverson, Thomas McClindon, Harvey
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Steverson (second term), Robert L. Stuart, Rev.
Edward McCary, and Rev. Robert L. Stuart (second
term).
Rev. Timothy Green followed Rev. Robert L. Stuart,
and he was succeeded by Rev. William Rowe, who
served for 13 years in a long and successful administration.
Mt. Salem grew in membership and more
room was required, resulting in the an addition to
the rear of the sanctuary which included bathrooms,
a pastor's study, a choir room, kitchen, and
Sunday School facilities.
After 13 years, 1968-1971, Rev. Rowe retired and
Rev. Milton Dandridge was called to fill the pulpit.
Under his administration, the interior of the main
auditorium was completely renovated, with new
floors, lights and pews. An old parsonage owned by
the church was sold during the pastorate of Rev.
Dandridge.
In 1972, Rev. Samuel Anderson was installed as
pastor. He was the youngest pastor in the church
history until that time, and vigorously attracted
new members and organized new singing groups.
In improving the church building, new window
installation was completed, two additional bathrooms
were installed in the front of the church, a
water cooler, P.A. system and air conditioning were
added, and the church interior painted.
Property was purchased next to the church for a
parking lot, and a new parsonage was acquired for
the pastor.
Following Rev. Anderson's departure, in succession,
were pastors Rev. Stanley Douglas (1987-1990), Rev.
George Gahanna (1990-1993), and Rev. Anthony
Ellis (1994-1996).
On September 3, 1998, the current pastor Rev.
Floyd Andrew Miles was elected, and his installation
service was conducted on March 28, 1999.
Rev. Miles' accomplishments to date include:
organizing a Youth Department for the church;
training candidates for the position of Deaconess;
the election of four new trustees; remodeling of
the two front restrooms and the ladies' restrooms
in the back of the church; renovations to the pastor's
study; and renovation of the parsonage.
He has also (1999) brought in 12 new members,
purchased additional land beside the parking lot,
overseen the repainting of the recreation hall, and
installed air conditioning in the recreation hall.
Rev. Miles has also initiated a fellowship picnic in
Montgomery Hall Park, and organized a James
Cleaveland "Gospel Music Workshop of America"
unit at Mt. Salem.
Post Members Recognized
In a fairly detailed history of Mt. Salem, in 1977,
the fifth year in the 13-year pastorate of Rev.
Samuel Anderson, an anonymous author mentions
the names of men and women of the church who
served congregation and community faithfully and
exceptionally. As a church is not a building, but a
congregation of members, I (the editor) believe
that some of these church members, many of
whom are deceased but remain within the memory
of the living, are worthy of mention in this book.
The author in 1977 (the 87th anniversary of Mt.
Salem), mentions the church's "First Lady" of the
time, the pastor's wife Virginia Anderson, as "a gracious
and charming person, taking part when and
wherever she can serve."
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The author of this history then names some of the
congregation's stalwart member of "yester-years,"
including "Some of our faithful trustees and deacons
who were here every time the doors were
opened: Brothers Will Lewis, Emmett Porter, John
Keys, George Briggs, Vance Johnson, Henry Jones,
and Gillie Toliver. Brother Willie Webster is the
only one that is still with us.
"Some of our deceased dedicated ladies are sisters
Mary V. Porter, Madge Bell, Leona Yancy, and Mary
Black, president of senior choir, president of the
youth group, and treasurer of the Woman's Social
Club which is now known as Woman's Society. She
was greatly missed. Another, Sister Vesta Kincaide,
was secretary of the Woman's Social Club. She did
an exceptionally fine job in raising large sums of
money, and served until her health failed.
"Now we all remember another dedicated member,
Mrs. Ida Robinson, who served in any capacity, a
good missionary. She would not ask you or anyone
what was needed. She would bring you food, and
would roll up her sleeves and clean, wash, or do
anything there was to be done for the sick and
needy. She served in the church as a janitor or as a
hostess, and entertained many people in her home.
She was the president of the Mt. Salem Baptist
Church chorus, which is now combined with
another group and called the Young Adults. She
served well until her death.
"Now I must not forget the great dedication shown
by the Mother of our Church, Mrs. Goldie Smith.
She served in the youth department over a number
of years until her health failed. Mrs. Bertha Ayers
was another member who served both church and
community until her health failed.
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"There are many others who have made great sacrifices
and struggled to keep alive this precious body.
Neither time nor space will allow me to tell all that
we would like to say, but before our history closes
we will name some of our present staff (1977): Rev.
Samuel Anderson and his wife, Virginia; Deacons
and Trustees: Chairman Roy Durrette and Brothers
Joe Ellis, Lewis Caul, Alexander Toliver, Robert
Loving, Kenard Anderson, Joe Pettus, Dennis
Brown, Roy Kincaide; Deaconess President Mrs.
Frances Jones, and Deaconesses Sisters Mary
Durrette, Lucille Caul, Sherry Brown, Clara Toliver,
Rachel Pettus, Virginia Anderson, Sister Loving,
and Maxine Leitch. The recording secretary is
Teresa Woodson.
"Church Recording Secretary is M. Katherine
Dickens, Treasurer Roy Durrette, Usher Board
President James Leitch, and the two young pianists
for the Adult Choir are Miss Frances Robinson and
Sister Annette Jenkins .
"The church School staff includes Sister Priscilla
Ellis, superintendent; Teresa Woodson, secretary;
and Brother Lewis Caul, treasurer.
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Staunton
Mt.. Zion Baptist Church
603 N. Augusta St. Staunton, VA 24401
Histon4
Editor's Note: The following history of Mt. Zion Baptist
Church is largely derived from that published in 1991
for the 125th Anniversary of the church.
The history of Mt. Zion Baptist Church is the
recital of the efforts of a people, once in bondage,
to build and maintain for themselves a suitable
house of worship in Staunton. Prior to having their own
place to worship, the African-American Baptists in
Staunton worshipped at the city's white Baptist Church.
The first services for African-American Baptists in
Staunton were conducted in October, 1853, by a Rev.
George Taylor, pastor of the white Baptist Church.
These services were the answer to the prayers of a slave
named Anderson. Anderson, along with his master,
Simpson F. Taylor, was one of the original members of
the white Baptist Church.
In the fall of 1866, Brother William Givens of
Charlottesville organized the first Deacon Board for this
group of African-American worshipers. The following
men composed the board: Brothers Peter Payne, James
Payne, Penbrooke Mosley, Fielding Anderson, Henry
Lewis, George Denny, and John Harris. The Deacon
Board remained under the direction of Reverend Taylor.
The little band held its worship services in the white
Baptist Church until 1868. On the first day of July in
MT. ZION BAPTIST CHURCH on N. Augusta St. in Staunton. This building dates to 1905.
H I S T O R I C A L S K E T C H E S O f A f R I C A N - A M E R I C A N C H U R C H E S (Past & Present) of Augusta County, Staunton, Waynesboro, & Vicinity 102

1968 a deed was drawn up between Mr. and Mrs.
Robert G. Bickle and Deacons James Paine
(Payne?), Peter Paine, Henry Lewis and John
Harris. The deed addressed the deacons as being
trustees of the First African Baptist Church of
Staunton, Virginia. In consideration of$ 500, with
interest, the Bickles granted to the trustees a lot of
land in the part of Staunton known as the north
end and fronting North Street. The said lot was
conveyed to the deacons for the use and benefit of
the African Baptist Congregation.
On the 5th of July, 1868, in accordance with their
own request, letters of dismission were ordered to
be granted to the Colored Baptist Church.
On August 22, 1868, the Reverends John Beale,
William Barnage (Barringer?) and Milton Smith
came from Botetourt County and helped to organize
the African Baptist Congregation, later to be
called the Mt. Zion Baptist Church.
Among the members of this initial congregation
were James Payne, Lucy Payer (Payne?), Peter
Payne, Dollie Jefferson, Cansus Payne, John Harris,
Evelyne Harris, Lewis Peters, Mary Peters, Jack
Southhall, James Carter, Mary Robinson, Kittie
Braggs, Lucy Brown, Mary Brown, Penbrook
Mosby, Isabella Burton, Fielding Anderson, Henry
Lewis, Winston Harris, Ellen Harris, Andrew
Jackson, GeorgP. Denny, and Sally Hayes.
The first house of worship occupied by this group
was a log cabin on East Frederick St. which they
rented from Dick Hawkins. After two years a better
edifice was erected at the corner of Sunnyside and
Baptist Streets. The lumber for this church was
bought and the foundation laid during the pastorate
of the Rev. Dickenson, with the cornerstone
laid on September 20, 1870.
The second pastor called to the church was the
Rev. Fielding Morris. He stayed only one year, but
during that time the membership increased to 150.
In 1871 Rev. Pleasant Bowler (Bolden?) came and
he, too, stayed only one year. Under his leadership
the basement of the church was completed. In
1872 the Rev. Wiley Simpson came to serve as pastor.
The church building was soon complete and
was dedicated in 1874.
In every undertaking misunderstandings and differences
arise. This happened in 1878 within Mt.
Zion. There arose a disagreement between the pastor
and congregation which resulted in the resignation
of Rev. Simpson. He and a large number of the
members left and formed Ebenezer Baptist
church.
Rev. R.H. Porter, a graduate of Wayland Seminary,
became pastor of Mt. Zion in 18 78. The first
trustee board consisting of Brothers John Moore,
William Perkins, Charles Points, Thornton Scott,
and Scott Powell was organized under his direction.
In 1880 Rev. Porter resigned in order to continue
his education.
The next pastor to serve the church was the Rev. A.
W Pullen (Puller?). He was a well-educated man
who worked well with young people, encouraging
many of them to continue their education in various
colleges.
When Rev. Pullen left in 1890, Brother Milton
Howard acted as pastor until Dr. C. C. Stum
(Stumm?) was called in 1891. One of the main
accomplishments during his pastorate was the
acquisition of a parsonage for the church. Death
claimed Dr. Stum on November 18, 1895 and he
was laid to rest in Fairview Cemetery.
In the spring of 1896, Rev. Colly, a retired missionary,
came to act as pastor until Dr. L. L. Lyons was
called. Dr. Lyons, who stressed mission work,
stayed two years.
The Rev. William H. Moses became pastor in 1898.
After lifting the parsonage debt, the church under
his leadership made plans for a new church building.
In June, 1899, as the church went forward
with the new building plans, Rev. Moses took time
out to be married to Miss Julia Trent.
Money for the new building was raised in various
ways. The old parsonage was sold and the Valley
Training School, next door to the site of the new
church, was purchased for a parsonage.
In 1904 work was started on the new building, and
on October 4, 1904, the cornerstone of the building
now used was laid by the Pride of the Valley
Masonic Lodge.
Orator for the occasion was Dr. George Lee of
Washington, and music was provided by the Mt.
Zion Baptist Church Choir, the opening hymn
being "I Love Thy Church Oh God." Prayer was
offered by the Rev. Thomas White of Clifton Forge.
Ten dollars was donated for this event by Augusta
Street M . E. Church. At the evening service, Dr.
Lee preached to a great crowd of people of both
races, closing a great day in the history of the
church.
The building was completed and the dedication
held on Sunday, September 4, 1905. Rev. Moses
remained with the church until 1908 when he
resigned to accept a call to a church in Allegheny,
Pennsylvania.
Rev. R. C. Wood came to the church in 1908 and he
led the church through one of its most difficult
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financial periods. He remained four years, resigning
in 19II to become president of Virginia
Seminary in Lynchburg.
The next pastor was the Rev. J. C. Austin. The
church prospered under his leadership and completed
payment for the parsonage. Rev. Austin gave
two years of dedicated service and left in 1914 to
become pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
With the new leader, Rev. J. A Brown, called in
1914, the church continued towards paying off its
indebtedness. Rev. Brown left in 1918 to accept a
church in Hampton, Virginia.
In 1918, Rev. M. L. Gordon became pastor of Mt.
Zion. It was during his pastorate, twenty years after
the laying of the cornerstone, that the church completed
payment of the mortgage. On Thanksgiving
night, 1924, the mortgage was burned and the
ashes sold to members. The church was now free of
debt.
Later that year, Rev. Gordon left to accept a church
in Pittsburgh.
In April of 1925, Rev. E. D. McCreary of
Williamsburg, Virginia was called. During his pastorate
both the church and parsonage were renovated
and a new pipe organ was installed in the
church.
The church was next pastored by Rev. Dr. C. W.
Ingram, who came from Covington, Virginia.
Under his pastorate the church renewed its interest
in district and state conventions and associations.
Rev. Ingram left in 1942 to become pastor of
a church in Donora, Pennsylvania.
After two years without a pastor, Mt. Zion extended
a call to the Rev. T. J. Jemison of Selma, Alabama,
who was at that time completing his work in the
School of Divinity at Virginia Union University.
Rev. Jemison was a great leader in the church and
in the community as well. Members were added to
the church; the church and parsonage were renovated;
tile floor was laid in the lecture room and
vestibule; chimes were installed in the church
tower. Following his leadership and example, the
church and the African-American community
began taking a more active part in many areas of
community life into which they had not previously
ventured. Outstanding figures in the Baptist world
and well known groups from other parts of the
country were brought to the church for the
enlightenment of the community.
On the resignation of Rev. Jemison to accept a
church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Mt. Zion called
the Rev. Morris Tynes from Lynchburg, Virginia.
Progress of the church and community continued
under Rev. Tynes. In 19 5 3 he accepted a call to
Chicage, Illinois.
The next pastor to serve Mt. Zion was the Rev.
William E. Barrett. Improvements in the church
under his leadership were renovation of the
kitchen and installation of a new heating system. A
new constitution for the church was adopted and
club life within the church took on a new vigor.
Rev. Barrett resigned in 1957 to accept a church in
New Kensington, Pennsylvania.
The Rev. James Oliver Powell assumed the pastorate
in 1957. Among his many talents as minister
of the gospel was his strong organizational ability,
which allowed the church to function in a more
businesslike fashion. Rev. Powell headed community
organizations, served as president of the
Crusade for Voters, was vice president of the
Interracial Augusta County Ministerial Alliance,
and was president of the Staunton Branch of the
NAACP.
The Rev. John H. Betha came to Staunton as the
spiritual leader of Mt. Zion in 1968. He was a compassionate
man who had a listening ear for all who
needed it. His tenure lasted for only two years, but
under his administration the church installed a
new heating system, sandblasted the outside of the
church (along with other upkeeping activities),
and renovated the parsonage.
Many Mt. Zion members remember the Rev. Leroy
Roberts as the"Minister-About-Town." He became
Mt. Zion's clergyman in 1973 and from the very
beginning his administration had a very strong
social flavor, often def ending the defenseless
against the "Powers That Be." A major emphasis in
Rev. Robert's pastorate was the spiritual growth and
nurturing of Staunton's youth. The Rev. Roberts
left Mt. Zion in 1975.
The Rev. James 0. Powell returned to Mt. Zion in
1976, first as interim pastor and later reconfirmed
as pastor. Continuing with his civic-minded programs,
he served Mt. Zion until 1981. During this
time, the Rev. Powell earned his Doctor of Ministry
from Howard University.
On August 1, 1981, the Rev. Dr. Hoffman Fisher
Brown, Ill, from Baltimore, Maryland, took up the
ministerial mantle at Mt. Zion, having graduated
from Union Theological Seminary in Richmond in
May of that year. Mt. Zion became Pastor Brown's
first charge. Although some members pondered
his youth and inexperience, and others questioned
his lack of a spouse, his administration was one of
progressive expansion and the members began to
dream great dreams again. He was involved in civic
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concerns, served on the board of several Staunton
organizations, tutored at Mary Baldwin College,
and served as chaplain of the Staunton
Correctional Center.
Under Dr. Brown's administration Mt. Zion purchased
adjoining property in the expectation of
future growth. One of Rev. Brown's evangelical
statements while he was at Mt. Zion was
"Something good is happening at Mt. Zion and
that something is Jesus Christ!" On September 22,
1985 Rev. Brown submitted his resignation as pastor
of Mt. Zion, to become effective on November
30, 1985. He and his new bride were given a
farewell reception on November 23, 1985.
After Rev. Brown left, one of Mt. Zion's own, Rev.
Frank T. White, Jr., who was a student at Virginia
Union in Richmond, consented to fill the pulpit
each Sunday morning. This gave the pulpit committee
a chance to actively seek a new pastor. Rev.
White preached many inspirational and soul-stirring
messages to the congregation. During that
time without a pastor, the church continued to
progress. The trustees made repairs on the church
building and the parsonage and purchased property.
In November, 1986, Dr. Charles Phillip Johnson
accepted the call to Mt. Zion and was installed on
April 5, 1987. In the time that Rev. Johnson has
been with Mt. Zion he has become a noted friend
and pastor in the community. Not only is he deeply
involved with the process of the church, but he is
very active in civic and community affairs. He has
won many souls to Christ, and is a noted evangelist,
lecturer and orator.
Under Rev. Johnson's direction, the outside of the
parsonage has been redone, the ladies' lounge has
been renovated, a ramp for the handicapped
installed at the back of the church, central air-conditioning
installed in the church, the pews have
been cushioned, renovations and restructuring of
the church office have been made, a new church
sign for the front lawn was purchased, and the
Gospel Choir was organized.
Through the years Mt. Zion has proven its worth
to the community. Attention is always given to the
less fortunate; contributions are made constantly to
worthwhile community projects.
The church is co-owner with the Augusta Street
United Methodist Church of Fairview Cemetery. It
has, over the years, periodically entertained district
and state Baptist organizations. For a number of
years its Baptist Training Unions sponsored Vesper
Services on Sunday Evenings in Montgomery Hall
Park during the summer months.
From its membership have gone out at least five
young men and one young woman into the ministry:
Drs. Edward and Charles McCreary, Rev.
Ahurus Jackson, Rev. Jerry Walls, Rev. FrankT.
White, Jr., and Rev. Linda Lassiter.
Above all, Mt. Zion Baptist Church has served as a
beacon oflight in the community and in the saving
of souls.
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I Promiseland Baptist Church
I 850 Maple St. Staunton, Vo. 24401
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Staunton
Smoke4 Row Baptist Church
831 Smok4 Row Rd. Staunton, VA 24401
SMOKEY ROW BAITISf CHURCH was organized in 1921 in a little school house. The property for the church above
was acquired in 1923, and construction of the building completed in 1924 by contractors Alonzo and John Harden. In 1993
the building was completely renovated.
Histor4
EDITORS NOTE: The following is taken from a history
of Smokey Row Baptist Church prepared in 1996, the
75th anniversary of the church.
Smokey Row Baptist Church was organized on
December 17, 1921, in a little school house
where Sunday School had been held for a number
of years. Principals in the organization included
Rev. AL. Brent, who was a missionary in the General
Association and Rev. R.C. Pannell, pastor of Ebenezer
Baptist Church in Staunton, along with Mr. William
Ellis of Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Staunton and
Secretary of the Western District Baptist Sunday School
Convention. Rev. Pannell served as moderator and Mr.
Ellis as secretary.
Those present for the organizational meeting were:
Brothers Henry Smith, formerly of Ebenezer Baptist
Church; Harmon Jackson, formerly of Mt. Ead Baptist
Church in Greenville; Mr. and Mrs. Frank Wilson, formerly
of Mt. Airy Baptist Church in Middlebrook;
Sister Aurelia Jackson, who was affiliated with Mt.
Chapel Methodist Episcopal Church; and Brothers
Frank and Noah Brown, who were awaiting letters from
their respective churches.
On the next day, Sunday, December 18, 1921, the first
Baptismal Service was held and those baptized included
Doris Perry, Lenor Smith, Anna Wilson, Louise Jackson,
H I S T O R I C A L $ K E TC H E S O f A f R I C A N - A M E R I C A N C H U R C H E S (Past & Present) of Augusta County, Staunton, Waynesboro, & Vicinity 108
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Bernice Wilson, Dewey Wilson, John Wilson,
William Henry Smith, and Roy Carter. All joined
the church except Roy Cart~, who chose to join
another.
On December 31, 1921, Brothers Frank and Noah
Brown were received by letter and the first officers
were elected. Rev: AL. Brent was chosen as pastor
and the first Sunday of each month was selected as
Service Days, with worship at u:30 a.m. and 7:30
p.m.
Deacons elected were Brothers Frank Brown, Henry
Smith, Frank Wilson, Noah Brown, and Harmon
Jackson. The Trustees selected were Brothers Frank
Brown, Henry Smith and Frank Wilson. Sister
Aurelia Jackson was chosen as clerk and Brother
Noah Brown appointed treasurer. Sister Doris Perry
was elected Treasurer for the Poor. The building committee
was composed of the deacons and trustees.
On January 1, 1922, the first auxiliary was organized,
the Baptist Young People's Union. On May 7, 1922,
Rosa Lee Smith and Bernice Leitch were baptized.
On June 4, 1922, the first Deacon Ordination was
held. At the church's first anniversary, there were 18
members on roll and the total amount raised during
the year was $142.98.
It was through the special efforts of Brother Henry
Smith that the present church property was
obtained, on January 6, 1923. On January 17 of that
year groundbreaking ceremonies were held. The cornerstone
was laid on September 2, 1923, and the
completed building was dedicated on October 12,
1924. The contractors for the church were the
Harden firm, which included brothers Alonw and
John.
On October 26, 1924, the second auxiliary, the
Willing Workers Club, was organized.
In 1928, when the membership had reached 46, the
congregation suffered its first loss, with the death of
Vinnie Anderson.
It 1938 the Busy Bee Club was organized. During
these early years, the church was privileged to have
the Rev: AL. Brent as pastor, He toiled patiently, sacrificially
and prayerfully until his resignation in
1947.
In 1952 the basement was completed and central
heat installed.
In 1962 the Junior Busy Bee Club was organized.
Also in 1962-the choir room and pastor's study were
additions to the building.
In 1977 an addition was made to the front of the
building, with restrooms to the left and a stairway to
the basement on the right.
In 1986 the Young Men's Club was formed.
In 1993 the building received a complete renovation,
with the installation of vinyl siding and storm windows
and a repainting.
The church was grateful to nearby residents Mrs.
Cecil Bowman and her son for their
contributions to the beautification
of the front entrance. The landscaping
project, walk, rock wall and garden
were dedicated to the memory
of deceased member Brother Frank
Carter.
During the church's 79-year history,
eight pastors have served as follows:
Rev. C.P. Chew (1962-66); the Rev. Thomas C. Allen
(1967-77); the Rev. Milton Jones (1979-84); and the
Rev. J. Henry Scott, Jr., 1985-99).
Because of illness, Dr. Scott was unable to serve the
church from September, 1992 to September, 1993.
In his absence, Rev. Jerry Wall filled the pastorate
with exemplary leadership and dedication. "Rev.
Scott was my first school principal when I attended
D. Webster Elementary School," Wall noted,
"and I'm honored to be able to help him out with
the church."
The long-standing motto of Smokey Row Baptist
Church is: "THE CHURCH WHERE GOD AND
MAN MEET."
The Rev. Dr. James Henry Scott, Jr., retired from
the pastorship in July, 1999, and was honored with
a well-attended dinner at Evers Family Restaurant
in Mt. Crawford on August 14, 1999. Because of his
honorable record as educator, pastor (of a number
of the churches included in these sketches), and
service to his community, we include here a biographical
sketch.
The Rev. AL. Brent served until
1947; the Rev. R.H. Hailstock (1948-
50); the Rev. C.R. Wicks (1951-55);
the Rev. C.N. Marshall (1956-61); the
The Fellowship/Social Hall building at Smokey Row Baptist Church (right),
was started in 1996 and is subject today to some finishing work.It includes a
large open hall and stage area, a kitchen, and bathrooms.
109 H I S T O RI C A L S KET C H ES O F A F R I C A N - A M E R I CAN C H U RC H E S (Pa st & Present) of Augusta County, Staunton, Waynesboro, & Vicinity

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Biogroph4
The Rev. Dr. Jomes Hennf Scott, Jr.
Or. J. Henry Scott was born on June 9, 1927 in
Osawatomie, Kansas, the son of the late Rev. John
Henry and Mrs. Ethe l Scott. He is the son, brother,
uncle and cousin of ministers and the son of a
teacher. He is the father of three children: James,
Ill, Sonja Renee and Anthony Pierre Scott.
He completed his early education in Osawatomie
public schools and received a Bachelor of Arts
Degree with honors and a Master of Diviniry
Degree from Virginia Union University. He also
received a Master of Science Degree in Secondary
Education Administration and Guidance from
Virginia State Universiry. He continued postgraduate
studies in Supervision at the Universiry of
Virginia and completed a Doctoral Residency in
"Education Theory" with a straight A average at
Rutgers Universiry in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
He has enjoyed membership in Kappa Alpha Psi
Fraterniry, Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Sociery, and
Gamma Kappa Chi Debating Sociery. His many
awards include three "honor" keys, and listing in
"Who's Who in American Universities and
Colleges." He is a United States Air Force veteran.
His professional-educational experiences include:
Principal at D. Webster Davis Elementary School,
Augusta Counry Training School, and Central
Augusta High School; Coordinating Principal at
Cedar Green and Oak Grove Elementary Schools.
He has served as an instructor at Eastern
Mennonite College, Blue Ridge Communiry
College and Douglas College of Rutgers Universiry.
He has served as guest lecturer at Mary Baldwin
College, James Madison Universiry, Fairleigh
Dickinson University, Virginia State Universiry, and
the Universiry of Virginia.
Dr. Scott has served the communiry in many ways
to include: President of the Staunton Branch of the
N.A.A.C.P. and as chair of Region 7 of the Virginia
State Conference N.A.A.C.P.; the local chapter of
the American Cancer Sociery; as member of the
Executive Board of the literacy Volunteers of
America; the Association for Supervisors and
Curriculum Development; and the Staunton Ciry
School Board.
Besides his long and distinguished career in the
field of education, Dr. Scott has served as well in
the ministry of the Christian Church. He has
preached in many area churches of various denominations
and ethnic groups. He has preached in
eleven states and thirry-nine major cities. He has
served as Dean of the Department of Religious
Education, and as First Vice Moderator of the
Berean Valley Baptist Association. Also, he served as
President of the Staunton Ministerium, Staunton
Weekday Religious Education Council, and as Vice
President of the Interracial and
Interdenominational Staunton-Augusta Ministers
Association.
Dr. Scott has provided spiritual guidance to the
communiry through the churches he has served as
pastor. He has pastored in the following congregations:
Ebenezer Baptist Church, Staunton - 23 1/2
years; Mt. Zion Baptist, Christians - 18 years; Rising
Zion Baptist Church, Fairfield - II years; First
Baptist Church, Lexington - 5 years; Mt. Marine
Baptist Church, Fishersville - 5 years; and Smokey
Row Baptist Church, Staunton - 14 1/2 years.
Dr. Scott has championed civil rights and social justice.
He has worked through local, state and national
organizations to achieve six goals: 1) Integration
or desegration of facilities and personnel; 2) equitable
job conditions; 3) a minoriry supervisory presence;
4) initial and/or expansive presence of
African Americans; 5) improved management-labor
relations, and 6) a minoriry presence per se.
A sublime committment to serving has characterized
Dr. Scott's life, as the Master taught. In education,
he touched countless students and parents; in
the ministry he has consistently sought opportunities
to be a servant to all. Smokey Row Baptist
Church along with the communiry are proud to
salute Dr. J. Henry Scott, Jr.
Smokey Row Baptist Church, currently (2000) with
about 44 members, is in the process offinding a new
pastor, with the retirement of Rev. Dr. J. Henry Scott.
Rev. James Jones is serving as interim pastor. Other
church officers include:
Deacons: Walter E. Brown, chairman; Stuart Wilson,
vice chairman; and James R. Robinson, Preston
Smith, Julian Clark, and Cecil Smith.
Trustees: Robert Glen Smith, chairman; Curtis Smith,
vice-chairman; and Jerry Wall, Joan Brown, and
Sherrie Smith.
Other officers include: Joan Brown, treasurer; Regina
Wilmott, clerk; Thelma Brown, organist; Aline
Robinson, pianist; and Curtis Smith, president of the
ushers.
The Sunday School staff includes: Curtis Smith, superintendent;
Deacon Stuart Wilson, assistant; Sherrie
Smith, secretary; and Thelma Brown, treasurer.
The Pulpit Committee includes Walter E. Brown,
Stuart Wilson, Glen Smith, J.R. Robinson, Sherrie
Smith, and Regina Wilmott.
H I S T O R I C A L S K E T C H E S O F A F R I C A N - A M E R I C A N C H U R C H E S (Past & Present) of Augusta County, Staunton, Waynesboro, & Viciniry 110
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SMOKEY ROW BAPTIST CHURCH
CEMETERY BURIAL RECORD
Compiled by Joe Nutt, June 29 , 2000
BROWN, FRANK W.
BROWN, NOAH D.
BROWN, MARY ELLA
BROWN, NOAH FRANKLIN, JR.
SSGT-US Air Force-WWII, Korea , Vietnam
JACKSON, AURELIA M.
JOHNSON, MARY EMMA
Mother of Church
MATHEWS, LENA BELL
WILSON, FRANK B.
WILSON, FANNIE H .
(Several unreadable metal markers are also found here )
b. Apr. 29 , 18 ?4
b. Jun . 19, 1877
b. Sep. 4, 1896
b. Oct. 21 , 1926
b. Nov.19 , 1875
b.
b. Feb. 1, 1908
b. Jun. 26 , 1877
b. Jan. 4, 1880
/
d. Au g. 19, 1944
d . Jun . 16, 1952
d. Feb. 23 , 1979
d. Jan . 2, 1979
d.Aug.20, 1939
d. Jan . 12 , 1967
d. Dec. 22 , 19 73
d. Oct. 21 , 195 2
d. Mar. 14, 1964

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Walfnesboro
Christ Tabernacle Church of God
. 1n Christ
1312 Hamlet Ave at C Street Wa4nesboro, Va. 22980
The fourth and present building serving as the hou se of worship for CHRIST TABERNACLE CHURCH OF GOD
IN CHRIST, located at 1312 Hamlet Ave. at C Street. This building was first used in 1999 and formally dedicated on
May 6, 2000.
Historlf
C hristTabernacle Church of God in Christ was
an outgrowth, or "pilot mission" of the Church
of God in Christ of Waynesboro founded by
the late Elder Edward Massie (see Massie Memorial
Church of God in Christ).
Clyde Daniel Brown, Jr., a member of the Waynesboro
church, sought permission to establish the pilot mission
on June 30, 1968 in the area about three miles north of
Waynesboro known as Oak Grove, specifically the eastern
part of that community called "Upper Grove," proximate
to Oak Grove Baptist Church of the present.
Permission to found the mission was granted by the
presiding pastor at that time, Elder Charles H. Brown of
Charlottesville.
Working with Elder Clyde Daniel Brown, Jr., Mrs. Mary
B. Jones (1916-1984) had opened her home in "Upper
Grove" for Thursday evening prayer services some three
months before permission was granted to establish the
mission.
On July 7, 1968, Mrs. Jones (the church's founding
mother, henceforward known as Mother Jones) and
Mrs. Charlotte W Green, Mrs. Gilbert Veney, Mrs. Sara
A. Veney, Mrs. Mildred Washington, Mary Lewis (a
present Mother of the Church), and Mrs. Rosetta Payne
H I S T O R I C A L $ K E T C H E S O f A F R I C A N - A M E R I C A N C H U R C H E S (Past & Present) of Augusta County, Staunton, Waynesboro, & Vicinity 112

joined Elder Brown in the first Sabbath worship of
Christ Tabernacle.
This meeting took place at Mother Jones' home in
the "Upper Grove." She removed the wall separating
her bedroom and living room to create a larger
sanctuary, and added a new room to the rear of her
house for her bedroom. She has been memorialized
for her dedication and committment to the
church in its formative years.
On August 12, 1968 the late Bishop David C. Love
officially established and incepted Christ
Tabernacle into the Church of God in Christ,
Virginia First Jurisdiction. The service was witnessed
by some two hundred people.
Bishop Love installed the first General Officers,
which included C. Daniel Brown as pastor and presiding
officer, Rosetta Payne as recording secretary,
and Mildred Washington as church treasurer.
In June, 1969, Pastor Brown was inducted into military
service in the U.S. Army, leaving the small
congregation under the leadership of District
Superintendent Henry C. Darcus of Staunton and
Elder BookerT. Howard of Lexington.
In 1970, the congregation began to build a church
on land donated by Mother Jones, adjacent to her
home. Services continued in this building until the
late 1970s. A conflict within the congregation
resulted in the departure of a segment of the membership,
along with Elder Brown, to a newly-purchased
location at 654 North Bath Ave. in
Waynesboro. The property was bought in 1979.
The new location was the site of a former Church
of The Nazarene, a large frame structure at least 50
years old. The Christ Tabernacle congregation initiated
several projects to restore and renovate the old
building (which would have required over
-
This old frame building at 1312 North Bath Avenue in Waynesboro, served from about 1978-79 to 1999 as the house of
worship for Christ Tabernacle Church of God in Christ.
$300,000 to completely restore), and considered
tearing it down and rebuilding. The difficulties of
asbestos removal under city and state regulations
rendered this, also, impractical.
At this juncture, Minister James Lundy, chairman
of the building committee, announced that another
church, formerly used by Jehovah's Witnesses,
was available for sale, and the executive and building
committees, along with the trustees, inspected
the site, approved it, and secured it through purchase.
After worshipping for about 21 years at the Bath
Avenue church, the congregation was pleased to
move into their new building, which was formally
dedicated on Saturday, May 6, 2000, as their fourth
house of worship.
Founding Pastor, Elder Clyde Daniel Brown, Jr.,
continues to lead the church, as he has for 32 years.
113 H I S T O R I C A L S K E TC H E S O F A F R I C A N - A M E R I CA N C H U RC H ES (Past & Present) of Augusta County, Staunton, Waynesboro, & Vicinity

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Members who have been with the church since
the beginning include Mildred Henderson and
Mother Mary Lewis.
Today, the church has a membership of about 125.
Trustees include Robert Johnson, Gregory
Washington, Allen Lee, Lisa Barmore, Lula Lee (the
oldest member in age of the church), and
Cornethia Vest. Mothers of the church include
Mary Lewis, Lula Lee and Juanita Cubbage, and the
church clerk is Lisa Barmore.
The Service of Church Dedication for the present
building, held on May 6, 2000, featured His Grace
Frank J. Ellis as Chief Officiant, along with
Presiding Elder Gerald Sylver, and Superintendent
Clyde Daniel Brown, Jr., pastor.
In a publication prepared for the service of dedication
for the present building, the following
deceased individuals were mentioned "In Loving
Memory": Sister Kathleen Cauls, Elder Henry J.
Harris, Mother Margie Casey Harris, Elder Booker
T. Howard, Mother Mary Bettie Jones, Bishop
David C. Love, Mother Nannie Mae Love, Sister
Helena Martin, and Willie Mae Washington.
H I S T O R I C A L S K E TC H E S O F A F R I C A N - A M E R I C A N C H U R C H E S (Past & Present) of Augusta County, Staunton, Waynesboro, & Vicinity 114

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WOlfnesboro
Massie Memorial Church of God , ,n Christ
1096 Albemarle Ave. Wm1nesboro, Vo. 22980
H I S T O R I C A L S K E TC II E S O F A F R I C A N - A M E R I C A N C H U R C H E S (Past & Present) of Augusta County, Staunton, Waynesboro, & Vicinity 11 6

Mt .. Lebanon Baptist Church
241 Sand4 Ridge Rd. Wmfnesboro. Va. 22980
MT. LEBANON BAPTIST CHURCH, established in 1910, is located in Dooms, just north of Waynesboro. The building
pictured, th e second occupied by-the congregation, was completed in 1921.
Editor's Note: The following history of Mt. Lebanon
Baptist Church was provided by church members and
given to us by Deacon Thomas F. Davis. It appears here
with some minor additions and alterations.
Mt. Lebanon Baptist Church, is located in the
community of Dooms, just north of the
Waynesboro city limits, Typical of many of the
small, rural-community churches in Augusta County,
Mt. Lebanon has been obliged, for much of its history,
to share pastors with other small or larger churches. The
church celebrated its 90th anniversary in the year 2000.
On April 6, 1910. a council of area Baptist churches was
called together for the purpose of establishing this new
church north of Waynesboro, with the original location
several miles from its present site.
Present at this council meeting were the Rev: A Hill of
Union Baptist Church in Avon, Va., who served as moderator;
Deacon Daniel Fry of Union Baptist Church in
Basic City (which was the name for the eastern portion
of present Waynesboro), who served as secretary; and
the Rev. Jacob A Simms and Deacon James Brown of
Shiloh Baptist Church in Waynesboro.
On a motion by Rev. Simms, the members of the congregation
present at the meeting became charter members
of the new Mt. Lebanon Baptist Church. These
H I S T O R I C A l S K E TC H E S O F A F R I C A N - A M E R I C A N C H U R C H E S (Past & Present) of Augusta County, Staunton, Waynesboro, & Vicinity 118

individuals were Brother George W Stewart, who
became the first pastor; Brother Charlie Taylor; and
Sisters Margaret Taylor, Sallie Taylor, and Emma
Taylor.
These charter members were welcomed into the
church by the council. Brother Ed Middlebrook
and his wife were received as "watch care members"
of the new church.
As mentioned, the first church building was located
several miles from the present location. The old
building was sold, dismantled by its new owners,
and moved west to the Oak Grove community,
where it was reassembled to serve as a meeting
place for the White Cross Social Club.
The first worship service at the present location
was held on Sunday, August 7, 1921. To quote a
flyer created for this occasion:
"The new church building of the Mt. Lebanon
Baptist Church will open for its first service
Sunday, August 7, 1921.
''The Pastors and congregations of the following
churches are specially invited to be present and
help us: Shiloh Baptist Church, Pleasant View M.E.
Church, St. James Baptist (Maupintown),
Monumental A.M.E. Church, Union Baptist
Church, Oak Grove Baptist Church, Morning Star
Baptist Church, and Beulah Baptist Church.
"Plenty of refreshments on the grounds. To any one
who gives as much as 25 cents to help us, we will
give a large saucer of cream; 50 cents, sandwich
and cream; $ 1.00, full dinner.
"Come and help the cause and hear the Rev.
William Tompkins of Cape Town, Africa, deliver
one of his wonderful sermons and sing one of their
native songs."
The flyer was signed by Rev. Geo. W Stewart, pastor,
and Mrs. Geo. Taylor, clerk.
Pastor George W Stewart has been recalled as "an
inspiring, gentle man." He ministered at Mt.
Lebanon for 37 years, from 1910 to 1947. Declining
health forced him to resign, and he delivered his
last sermon as pastor on Sunday, March 23, 1947.
On September 12, 1948, the Rev. W S. Spears was
installed as the second pastor. He was a native of
Albemarle County and also pastored the Mt. Zion
Baptist Church in Greenwood, Va. Declining
health also forced him to resign after ten years of
service to Mt. Lebanon.
After a couple of years without a regular pastor, Mt.
Lebanon called Rev. C. R. Wicks, who became the
third pastor, and he assumed the duties on April
12, 1959. He also pastored Mt. Marine Baptist
Church in Kiddsville and Oak Grove Baptist
Church in Hermitage.
Under his leadership, Mt. Lebanon acquired new
pews and a stove to heat the sanctuary.
At that time, there were many young people in the
congregation, and Rev. Wicks helped form a youth
club and two youth choirs.
These youth-oriented activities were organized
with the help of two very energetic young members,
Thomas and Maxine (Haliburton) Davis.
Through their tireless efforts, many young people
found meaning and joy in serving the church. On
September 24, 1965, twelve young individuals
offered themselves as candidates for baptism.
Thomas Davis, five days prior to this event, was
ordained as a deacon in the rhurch. He continues
to serve the church today with a music ministry
that has extended far beyond the walls of his home
church, Mt. Lebanon. (See the history of the
Union Male Chorus in the Union Baptist Church
story, herein.)
Rev. Wicks served the church for ten years, after
which, for a year or so, Mt. Lebanon was again
without a pastor. On July 5, 1970, the pulpit was
filled by Rev. James Ellison, who also pastored
Union Baptist Church in Waynesboro.
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Under his direction, the first major addition to the
church was accomplished, with the pulpit and
choir loft extension, and the entire church was carpeted.
Rev. Ellison served for several years before
leaving the area, and after another interval, the Rev.
Dr. R. A. Johnson was called to the pulpit, serving
from June, 1976 through May, 1978. A native of
Albemarle County, Dr. Johnson was also pastor at
the time, as well as founder, of the Pilgrim Baptist
Church in Charlottesville. He retired due to illness.
The Rev. Allen T. Crawley became pastor on
February 16, 1979. A native of South Boston, Va.,
Rev. Crawley was also the pastor of Shiloh Baptist
Church in Waynesboro. Rev. Crawley pastored at
Mt. Lebanon for ten years, after which his health
conditions forced him to reduce some of his
numerous religious and civic obligations.
On June 11, 1989, Rev. Lloyd o. Martin became pastor.
Under his leadership the church completed a
second addition to the building, adding a pastor's
study and restrooms. The sanctuary underwent a
beautification process, and improved signage was
erected outside the church.
119 H IS TOR I CAL S K ET C H E S O F AFR I C AN - A M E RI C AN C H U RC H E S (Past & Present) of Augusta County, Staunton, Waynesboro, & Vicinity

Rev. Martin departed service in September, 1991,
and the next several years witnessed a number of
visiting ministers as the church searched for a pastor.
One of these visitors was Rev. Theresa
Woodson.
Impressed with her abilities, the congregation
issued a call to the pulpit which she accepted. A
native of Baltimore, Md., she was called to the ministry
in 1992, and had held the position of associate
pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Staunton
before coming to Mt. Lebanon in 1995.
Under Rev. Woodson's leadership, Mt. Lebanon has
formed a youth choir and encouraged young people
to participate in the church services. Bible
study for both ad ults and youngsters is also offered
on a once a-week basis.
Rev. Woodson is also pastor of Mt. Woodland
Baptist Church in Greenfield, Nelson County.
Mt. Lebanon Todalf, With Addenda
Pastor Theresa Woodson is assisted today (the year
2000) by Assistant Pastor M. Guy Wood. Thomas F.
Davis, I, serves as deacon, and Patricia Wood as deaconess.
The church trustees are Chester Smith and
Kathleen Reynolds.
Mt. Lebanon's usher board includes Gwenneth
Davis, chairperson and members Stephenie Barlow,
Kathy Smith, Kathleen Reynolds, and Melinda
Banks. Church treasurer is Kathleen Reynolds, and
Deacon Davis is treasurer of the Mission Fund.
The oldest living members of the church are Annie
Belle Massie, 81, and Wilbert Reynolds, I, 78. Ms.
Massie and Mary Eaves are current Mothers of the
Church.
Charles and Sally Taylor are recognized as the
church's "Founding Family," and the families Taylor,
Davis, Goines, Casey, Veney, Massie, Caul,
Richerson, Swann, Middlebrook, Keller, and
Reynolds have been diptinguished in attendance
over the years.
The roster of Mt. Lebanon members today, along
with Pastor Woodson and Assistant Pastor Wood,
includes Stephenie Barlow, Betsy Clark, Iretha
Carter, Tiffany Carter, Lacy Davis, II, Thomas
Davis, I, Thomas Davis, II, Gwenneth Davis, Mary
Eaves, Wanda Eaves-Hardy, Sylvia Massie,
Kathleen Reynolds, Jodi Reynolds, Wilbert
Reynolds, I, Wilbert Reynolds, II, Theodore
Sparrow, Ann Massie, Melinda Banks, Brittany
Turner, Patricia Wood, Kathleen Miller, Katherine
Smith, Chester Smith, Ephrem Wood, and Redith
M. McPherson.
Mt. Lebanon Baptist Church is a member of the
Berean Valley Baptist Association and the
Minister's, Deacon's, Steward's and Layman's Union
of Virginia.
The church cemetery property was given to the
church many years ago by the Ellis family, who
owned the land.
Additional Notes on Deacon
Thomas F. Davis. I. Church Pianist
Deacon Thomas F. Davis' musical talents as a
pianist for various churches and vocal groups has
been mentioned in several of the stories in this
book. His musical talents are recognized within a
wide radius of his home church, Mt. Lebanon, of
which he has been a faithful member since he was
eight years old, becoming a deacon in 1965.
Deacon Davis not only plays piano for regular
Sunday services, but is also scheduled or on-call for
choir programs, anniversaries, special holiday services,
weddings, and funerals.
During the year 2000, Tommy, as he is known, celebrated
his 43rd year as pianist at Mt. Lebanon and
38th year at Mt. Woodland Baptist Church in
Greenfield, Nelson County. Mt. Woodland has
often been a "sister church" to Mt. Lebanon and,
today, they share the same pastor, Rev. Theresa
Woodson.
Tommy has also accompanied the Waynesboro
Union Male Chorus for 40 years and the Shiloh
(Baptist Church) Combined Church Choir for 10
years, and played piano for Union Baptist Church
in Avon (Nelson County) for 33 years.
In the early 1960s, he also played piano at Mt.
Tabor United Methodist Church in New Hope, Mt.
View Baptist Church in Batesville (Albemarle
County), and Mt. Eagle Baptist Church in
Nellysford (Nelson County).
For 22 years, he has also played for the C.D.D.
Singers, which stands for "Charlie Digg's
Daughters." According to Tommy, the late Charlie
Diggs had ten girls and five boys, and the group
today comprises the nine surviving daughters.
H I S T O R 1 C A L S K E T C H E S O F A F R I C A N - A M E R I C A N C H U R C H E S (Past & Present) of Augusta County, Staunton, Waynesboro, & Vicinity 120

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Church
Records
Mt.. Lebanon Baptist
Cemeter4 Burial
Compiled by Joe Nutt, Nov. 28, 2000
The cemetery associated with Mt. Lenanon Baptist Church is located about a mile east of the church. Following Sandy Ridge Rd.
eastward to the "End of State Maintenance," one enters a gate into a wooded area and proceeds along a rutted dirt road , across a
stream through the woods, winding up a gradual ascent to the cemetery. A bulidozer has made its presence known, and large
trees have been removed from road and graveyard . Few stones in the cemetery remain readable; there are numerous old
unmarked fieldstones and metal markers; and cavities, often deep, corrogate the site. A rusted wire fence, mostly fallen , partially
demarks the site.
The cemetery as it exists today would be considered a family rather than a church plot, as 12 of the 14 indentifiable gravesites
are occupied by members of the Goins/Goines family, as follows :
GOINES, JAMES b. 1861 d. 1923
GOINS, FANNIE b. d. 1935
GOINS, MOLLIE B. b. Dec. 11 , 1890 d. Aug . 18, 1969
GOINS, BLUFORD A . b. Jan. 11 , 1896 d. Apr. 12 , 1953
Pvt-Co B-338 Svc Bn-QMC-WWI
GOINES, EMMA B. b. 1900 d. 1969
GOINES, MOSS b. (c) 1910 d. Jul. 21 , 1965 (Age55 )
GOINES, ELMER b. Jan . 2, 1921 d. Oct. 31 , 1965
N.C.-Pfc-Co F-1311 Engrs-WWII
GOINES, HENRY McKINLEY b. Nov. 6, 1923 d. Jul. 31 , 1953
Sl-USNR-WWII
GOINES, JESSIE J. b. May 12, 1927 d. Mar. 15 , 1938
GOINES, NEWTON F. b. Nov. 6, 1926 d. Feb. 2, 1963
GOINES, ALICE B. (?) b. (c) 1944 d. Jun. 30, 1964 (Age20)
GOINS, JOHN (No readable dates)
TAYLOR, (SALLIE?) No dates: Names scratched on stone
TAYLOR, (CHARLIE?) No dates : Name scratched on stone

Wmtnesboro
Oak Grove Baptist Church
223 Oak Grove Church Rd. Wa4nesboro. Va. 22980
Histor4
Editor's Note: The following church history, while short
on detail, provides a brief overview of the progress of
Oak Grove Baptist Church during the past 110 years.
This material was provided by the church.
About four miles north of Waynesboro, in the area
of the old community called Hermitage, an
influx of African Americans settled in around
- '\.... the year 1886, and made the determination that they
should establish their own church in the middle of
their settlement.
Their first church building has been described as "a
shed type of covering," which they used in conjunction
with "old camp meetings" in a clearing in the woods.
Combining their financial resources, the men and
women in the community were able to purchase a piece
of land from a Mrs. Sarah Lobban, a plot full of oak
trees, which they cleared sufficiently to erect a place of
worship appropriately called Oak Grove Baptist Church.
The initial structure was probably built soon after the
land was purchased.
Church records do not reflect what, if any, of this original
structure remains, but the church cornerstone indiOAK
GROVE BAPTIST CHURCH was established circa 1886 in the Hermitage area of Augusta County about three cates that major rebuilding or improvements were
miles north of the present city limits of Waynesboro. The building pictured was built circa 1901, with major additions com- accomplished in the year 1901.
pleted in 1989 and 1996. The latter year marked the construction of a new and larger sanctuary and other improvements.
H I S T O R I C A L S K E T C H E S O F A F R I C A N - A M E R I c A N C H U R C H E S (Past & Present) of Augusta County, Staunton, Waynesboro, & Vicinity 122
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--
In 1916, a basement was excavated beneath the
church, with many folks in the community assisting
in the endeavor, mixing concrete by hand and
effecting a general refurbishing of the structure.
Apparently no major alterations were made to the
plain, simple rectangular design of the building
until 1989, when the congregation constructed a
new pastor's study, choir stand, kitchen, and basement,
with new concrete walls, completing the
project in 1991. During this work, worship services
were moved to the Hugh Cassell Elementary
School for several months. These major additions
and improvements were fully paid for within a
four-year period.
With a steady increase in membership, the church
within a few years found further expansion necessary,
and the next major improvement was undertaken.
In the spring of 1996 ground was broken for a
brand new and larger sanctuary with a fellowship
hall beneath it, while the old sanctuary was remodeled
into classrooms. The church members collectively
were involved in creating the design for this
major undertaking.
On November 17, 1996, the new building was formally
dedicated. Oak Hill Baptist, this year commemorating
its 110th anniversary, stands today as
one of the largest and most dynamic of Augusta
County's rural African-American churches.
Historq of the Village
of Oak Grove
Editor's Note: The following short history of the
Oak Grove community, which is almost inseparable
from the history of its church (actually two
churches, historically, as we will note) was written
by the late Rev. Harry Gordon Coiner, a Lutheran
minister and historian with family connections to
the Oak Grove area. This interesting little narrative
reveals the nature and character of the small, largely
rural, self-sufficient communities of African
Americans and whites that marked Augusta
County history. It was provided by the Rev.
Theodore F. Payne, Sr., pastor of Oak Grove Baptist
Church.
About four miles north of Waynesboro just east of
the Hermitage area, one finds Oak Grove, which
has been the birthplace and homesite of many
black families in Augusta County since about 1885.
A definitive history would be difficult to determine,
but the history that is known is interesting
and important. Names of families associated with
Oak Grove's history include Fuller, Spears, Wells,
Washington, Lewis, Taylor, Miller, Rhodes,
Crawford, Gibbons, Steppe, Hart, Caul, Lincoln,
Ross, and Reeves.
The name Oak Grove originated from the forest of
large trees growing on the land which the first residents
bought beginning in 1886. This land lay in
the Reese's Entry Tract and was owned by Sarah M.
Lobban, the first sale being to Samuel Wells and to
Samuel and Silas Spears.
The name Oak Grove is first recorded in a land
deed dated August 15, 1893. The plot ofland where
Oak Grove Baptist Church is now located was purchased
from Sarah M. Lobban in 1893. Land was
given for the site of St. Paul United Methodist
Church by Isaac and Keisy Fuller and a log building
erected in 1890. (This church, known by area
residents as "Lower Grove" to distinguish it from
Oak Grove Baptist, was vacated and merged with
Pleasant View United Methodist Church in
Waynesboro in 1882.) After 1900, some land was
-
purchased from members of the Brower and
Coiner families.
What could be the historical background of Oak
Grove? Joseph A. Waddell in ANNALS OF
AUGUSTA COUN1Y, 1726-1871 (2nd Ed., pp. 414-
415) states: "The institution of slavery never had a
strong hold upon the people of Augusta County.
The Scotch-Irish had no love for it, and the
German people were generally averse to it. The
institution, as it existed in Augusta County, was as
mild and beneficent as possible. The slaves seemed
contented and happy." However, some historians
maintain that the Scotch-Irish coming into the
Shenandoah Valley from Pennsylvania and settling
in Augusta County were eager to use slave labor for
the growing and harvesting of hemp which was
shipped to England for the making of rope.
During the antebellum years, slaves were being
given their freedom in many areas of our country,
Augusta County receiving many freed or escaped
blacks from Eastern Virginia, Southwestern
Virginia and Pennsylvania. By 1850, there were 350
free black adults and children in the Waynesboro
area. The men worked as barbers, blacksmiths,
coopers, shoemakers, carpenters, and laborers in
various jobs.
The rural area around Waynesboro had many productive
farms. Some farmers cropped their land
with the help of their sons, others counted on the
help of enslaved or free blacks at various times during
the crop season. When full abolition of slavery
came after 1865, some blacks remained where they
had lived and worked and became known as "tenants"
who lived on their employer's property in
what were known as "tenant houses." Others
desired to establish their own village or community
where they could buy their own plot of land and
build their own home, doing this with the wages
123 H I ST O R I C AL S KE T C H E S O f A f R I C A N - AM E R I C A N C H U R C ll ES (Past & Present) of Augusta County, Staunton, Waynesboro, & Vicinity

I
they earned from working on the farms surrounding
their village.
Augusta County has a history of such villages in a
number of places other than Oak Grove. In fact,
Kiddsville, which is on County Highway 796
(Kiddsville Rd.) one and a half mile northeast of
Fishersville, has an earlier history than Oak Grove.
In these villages, mutual care, concern and fellowship
were exercised and experienced. Churches
and schools were established and maintained.
One of the elderly residents of Oak Grove was
asked: "Can you explain how the people in Oak
Grove managed to live on parttime labor as they
did for many years?" The reply was: "Their homes
were built on plots of land that gave them room for
large gardens, some sheds for poultry and pigs.
They would share grazing space for a cow and a
horse, then share the milk and the use of the
horse."
"They worked together to butcher hogs and to can
vegetables and various fruits. Wheat was raised in
shared plots and threshed and hauled to Coiner's
Mill near Dooms where it was made into flour. It
was a sharing community. That's how they made it."
As the village in Oak Grove grew, there was a
blacksmith shop, a shoe repair shop and a small
grocery store which mainly supplied sugar, coffee,
spices and kerosene. The first radio was brought in
by DeWitt Lewis about the year 1925 and people
would gather around it to listen to the "marvel."
Calvin Washington acquired the first TV set about
1954, and he was host to many viewers. Autos were
first used about 1929. As time went on, electric
service was provided and telephones came into
use. Two paved Augusta County highways run
through the Grove area, namely 796 (Oak Grove
Church Rd.) and 619 (Hildebrand Church Rd.).
Both the men and the women of Oak Grove are
remembered as the sources of significant help in
the rural areas surrounding the village during the
period 1886 to 1945. The men of the Grove would
help with the growing and harvesting of wheat,
oats, corn and hay. Horses were used to pull land
plows and harrows, wheat planters and binders,
hay mowers and rakes, corn planters and cultivators.
And yet, much of the work of harvesting the
crops was done by hand. Old-timers will remember
terms like shocking wheat and hay, cutting corn
stalks and shocking them, then shucking the ears
when dry - all work done by hand in the fields.
Old-timers will also remember the work involved
in filling silos with ensilage and threshing wheat
and baling hay, some of this done in the fields and
some in the barns.
Tractors came into general use from about 1920 on,
although work horses were still used for various
purposes for a number of years. Tractors were helpful
machines but much handwork still had to be
done on the farm.
The women in Oak Grove worked to maintain
their homes and care for their families, to work in
the garden and can vegetables. When needed and
free to help, they would work with the white
women in the surrounding community to do laundry,
to care for children and prepare meals for the
men, both white and black, of the working crews.
Women of the Grove would help with butchering
and the preparation of meat and other products for
winter food and cooking. For men and women of
the Grove it was a matter of working from farm to
farm in order to earn the money they needed for
what they could not produce themselves.
These workers also received gifts of food, clothing
and other items from their employers. The employers
appreciated their help and expressed it in various
ways. The employers were appreciated also in
most instances. A special spirit of friendship and
helpfulness prevailed. In many instances the relationship
that existed was rooted primarily in
Christian brotherhood.
After World War II the process of farming in
Augusta County and elsewhere changed for a number
of reasons. Certain crops were no longer profitable.
The use of new types of farm machinery
meant new ways of farming and different crops.
More dairy farming and cattle raising developed
which meant more pasture land and feedlot food.
In some cases, more land was needed for the economical
use of costly machinery and so some additional
farmiand was leased or bought. Parttime
farming by men who worked various shifts in
industry, for example, also came to be a possible
avocation.
The generation that grew up in the Grove after
1925 or so became employed in local industries or
worked in jobs of various kinds in the populated
areas. Some residents of the Grove moved away.
Some have moved back. Oak Grove Baptist Church
serves members living in the Grove and in the surrounding
community. There are members who live
in Waynesboro and Staunton and North Garden in
Albemarle County, most of them having their roots
in the Grove. The Christian fellowship which was
experienced and expressed in the past continues
today.
Characteristic of the ongoing love and concern
shared in response to the needs of one another was
the life of Martha Lincoln Washington. Martha
died at the age of 100 on May 5, 1986. A memorial
funeral service attended by both black and white
H I S T O R I C A L S K E T C H E S O f A f R I C A N - A M E R I C A N C H U R C H E S (Past & Present) of Augusta County, Staunton, Waynesboro, & Vicinity 124
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friends was held at the Oak Grove Baptist Church.
The church building was filled to capacity and
about as many persons stood outside on and
around the entrance steps and on the lawn. Love
was being expressed for a lady who can certainly
be called the matriarch of Oak Grove for many
years.
Martha's activities during almost all of her mature
years were centered on families living in the Grove
and on the families surrounding the Grove. She
was a faithful church member and worker, a
teacher, a choir member, a midwife, and a helperfriend
of many people. Many people as children,
both black and white, knew her as one who loved
and cared for them. The parents of those children
knew that her influence on their children would
always be remembered with thankfulness.
So it is that Martha's memory abides in the hearts
of many people in and outside of the Grove. An
attendant at the funeral who knew Martha from
his childhood said that he could not remember
attending a funeral service which demonstrated so
much community love and respect.
Editor's Note: Thus ends Rev. Coiner's recollections
of the Oak Grove community and some of the families
and individuals living within it. It should be
noted here that at the entrance to the Oak Grove
Baptist Church cemetery, where Martha Lincoln
Washington lies at rest, is a memorial monument,
placed by the church, to her life, inscribed with the
dates: August 5, 1885 - May 5, 1986. A plaque on
this monument quotes Proverbs 31:27, as follows:
"She looketh to the ways of her household,
and Eateth not the bread of Idleness."
Oak Grove Baptist Church
Pastors
The current pastor of Oak Grove Baptist Church,
Rev. Theodore E. Payne, Sr., has served since 1987,
and has demonstrated high qualities ofleadership
both in church and community. Known for his
dynamic sermons and musical talents, he is a frequent
and much-sought visiting preacher at other
churches. He has been recognized locally by election
to a second term as president of the Ministers'
Alliance for Waynesboro, Staunton and West
Augusta County, a consortium of churches that
also includes some in Lexington, Elkton and
Dayton, Va., all outside of the county.
In 1998, Pastor Payne was honored with the opportunity
to lead the prayer for the opening session of
the Virginia General Assembly in Richmond. He is
a graduate of the Augusta County High School system
and completed classes at Virginia Union
Theological College in Richmond and Lynchburg
College in Lynchburg. He is also an active member
of the Hampton Ministers Conference in
Hampton, Va.
Currently, he serves on the board of the Berean
Valley Association, which represents churches
within the Waynesboro, Staunton and West
Augusta County areas, and assists in its musical
endeavors. He has also served on the EEO board,
representing African Americans, at Blue Ridge
Community College in Weyers Cave, Va., as well as
on an advisory board for the Honorable Steve
Landes, area delegate in the Virginia House of
Delegates.
He was employed at E. I. Dupont in Waynesboro
for over 30 years, electing early retirement to fulfill
his personal committment to the ministry, which
he began in 1983. He is married to the former
Gwendolyn Darnice Fitzpatrick, and they have
three children and three grandchildrin
125 H I ST O RI c AL S KE T c H E s o F A F R I c A N - AM E RI C A N C H U R C H E S (Past & Present) of Augusta County, Staunton, Waynesboro, & Vicin ity ----

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OAK GROVE BAPTIST CHURCH
CEMETERY BURIAL RECORD
Compiled by Joe Nutt, Sep. 2000 with later additions from newspaper obituaries
BARBER, SARAH A. b. Feb. 14, 1882 d. Jan. 12 , 195 7
BARBER, ANDERSON J. b. Apr. 9, 1886 d. Feb . 3, 1961
BARBER, RUSSELL H. b. Feb . 10, 1907 d. Feb . 15 , 1989
(Given in Memory by Brother Cyrus Barber)
CAUL, ELWOOD b. Apr. 11 , 1910 d. May 16, 19 74
CAUL, SARAH VIRGINIA MILLER b. Jan. 25, 1915 d.
CAUL, GAIL ELWOOD, JR. b. Jul. 19, 1948 d. Feb. 26 , 1998
DAVENPORT, ROSABELLE S. b. Feb. 4, 1916 d. Apr. 25 , 1968
FITZGERALD, JAMES b. Feb. 19, 1910 d. Dec. 22 , 1993
FITZGERALD, RUTH b. Oct. 3, 1920 d. Jan . 10, 1994
FLEMING, MARY A. b. Feb . 2, 1898 d. Feb . 13 , 1983
FLEMING, CLEVELAND b. Sep . 17 , 1916 d. Dec. 20 , 1985
FLIPPING, BLAKE D. b. 1991 d. 1991
HAMILTON, LUCY EDITH (Mother) b. Apr. 29, 1914 d. Aug . 16, 1978
HARRIS, ROSETTA P. b. May 17, 1946 d. Sep. 23 , 1994
HART, WILLIAM H. b. Apr. 7, 1888 d. Jun . 4, 1952
JENKINS, SYRIEL EDWARD b. 1912 d. 1990
Pvt - US Army - WWII
JOHNSON, ELLA HESTOR b. Ma y 10, 1910 d. Sep. 11 , 1973
JONES, GEORGE E. b. d. Aug.22 , 1938
VA - Pvt. 808 Pioneer Inf - WWI
JONES, MARY B. b. Apr. 5, 1916 d. Dec. 10, 1984
(Mother Jones, Founder of Christ Tabernacle C.O.G.I.C. in 1968)
LEWIS, JOHN F. b. Nov. 10, 1909 d. Sep. 8, 1995
LEWIS, ALBERT B. b. 1914 d. 1973
LEWIS, MABEL E. b. 1914 d.
LEWIS, RUDOLPH b. Apr. 24, 1916 d. Apr. 27, 1981
McCARTHUR, JETT b. 1961 d. 1972

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OAK GROVE BAPTIST CHURCH CEMETERY BURIAL RECORD (cont.)
Metal Marker
McCARTHY, CLIFFORD E.
RHODES, SPENCER
Va - Pvt - 155 Depot Brig. - WWI
RHODES, EDWARD
RHODES, MAMIE J.
ROSE, GUYE.
Pfc - US Army - WWII
ROSE, MARSHALL F.
Va - SSGT - US Army - WWII
ROSE, DEACON DAVID
ROSE, PEARLINE 8.
ROSE, HATTIE EVELYN
ROSE, ART
SHEFFEY, EARL
SPEARS, CHRISTINE W.
SPRIGGS, BESSIE J.
STEPPE, ALBERT
STEPPE, ELIZABETH (His Wife)
STEPP, PERSHING
PFC - US Army - WWII
TAYLOR, NANNIE BELLE
TAYLOR, RAYMONDE.
Tees - US Army - WWII
TAYLOR, CASPER AUSTIN
TAYLOR, KENNETH LEE
Sp4 - US Army
VENEY, ELIZABETH R.
VENEY, HENRY
Pvt - 2 Billeting & Sup. Det. - WWI
VENEY, NANCY M.
b. 1962
b.
b. Nov. 14, 1893
b. Aug. 27, 1901
b. Mar. 11, 1915
b. Sep. 20, 1917
b. Jul. 22, 1921
b. Aug . 11, 1923
b. 1927
(No Dates)
b. 1906
b. 1919
b. Aug. 3, 1906
b. Feb. 16, 1883
b. Sep . 15, 1882
b. 1917
b. May 2, 1905
b. Apr. 18, 1924
b. 1928
b. Apr. 23, 1958
b. May 3, 1888
b.Aug. 7, 1892
b. Aug. 11 , 1904
d. 1979
d. Jan. 17, 1934
d. Mar. 24, 1952
d. Feb. 22, 1978
d. Feb . 6, 1976
d. Feb. 19, 1961
d. Jun . 1, 1993
d. Jul. 1, 1998
d. 1983
d. 1978
d. 1994
d. Sep. 2, 1990
d. Mayl,1958
d. Oct. 19, 1959
d. 1977
d. Feb. 6, 1997 (Age 91 )
d. Jul. 18, 1992
d. 1988
d. May 29, 1997
d. Mar. 17, 1985 (Age 96 )
d. Sep. 28, 1964
d. Ma y 23, 19 77

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VENEY, STUART M.
Va - STM - US Navy - WWII
WARE, REV. JOHNS .
OBIE (?), ESTELLA WARE
WASHINGTON, SALLIE (Mother)
WASHINGTON, JAMES R.
WASHINGTON, BETTIE (His Wife)
WASHINGTON, MARSHALL (Their Son )
WASHINGTON, MARTHA LINCOLN
(In Memory of Mother - Given by Oak Grove Baptist Church)
WASHINGTON, ROBERT H.
WASHINGTON, MARY ITALY VENIA
WASHINGTON, JAMES M.
WASHINGTON, EMMETT M.
(Meta l Marker)
WASHINGTON, JOHN H.
WASHINGTON, NATHANIEL
Sp2 - US Army
WASHINGTON, RAYMOND R.
WASHINGTON, GLENWARD R.
US Army - Korea
WASHINGTON, ALEXANDER
WASHINGTON, KATHRYN A.
WASHINGTON, SIDNEY N. (O ur Son)
WASHINGTON, MYRTLE D. (O ur Bab y)
WASHINGTON, HOMER
WASHINGTON, MARY
WASHINGTON, P. (?)
b. Feb. 16, 1926
b. Mar. 21 , 1882
b. Oct. 3, 1906
b. (cl 1858
b. 1863
b. 1890
b. 1909
b.Aug. 20 , 1885
b. Sep. 23, 1901
b. Oct. 6, 1900
b. Mar. 21, 1907
b. 1909
b. Aug. 12, 1925
b. Jul. 4, 1928
b. Aug . 17, 1930
b. De c. 18, 1930
b. Sep . 5, 1938
b. Feb. 27, 1953
b. Apr. 26, 1965
b. Apr. 14, 1968
(No Dates )
(No Dates )
(No Dates)
d. Feb.18 , 1971
d. Jan . 18, 1961
d. Aug . 12, 1976
d. May 13, 1918 (Age 60)
d. 1955
d. 1968
d. 1948
d. May 5, 1986 (Age 100 )
d. Jan . 6, 1962
d. Oct. 10, 1971
d. Jul. 18, 1956
d. 1972
d. Mar. 27, 1984
d. Feb . 2, 1975
d. Sep. 18, 2000
d. Aug. 7, 1999
d. Sep. 3, 1993
d. Oct. 31, 2000
d. Oct. 9, 1996 (Age 31 )
d. Apr. 17, 1968
(Note: There is an illegible stone ne xt to the above, and a number of other stones and declivities in the areas of other
Washington markers.) PLUS: The cemetery contains over six unmarked fie ldsto nes, over 12 unreadable markers, and many
unmarked gravesites .

Pleasant View United Methodist Church
312 Port Republic Rd. Wmtnesboro. Vo. 22980
Editors Note: All of the churches mentioned here began
as Methodist Episcopal (M~E.) churches. In 1939, several
different branches of Methodism, including area
churches, came together to become The Methodist
Church, U.S.A. It was not until 1968 that a union was
formed berween The Methodist Church and the United
Brethren in Christ Church to form the present United
Methodist Church as we know it today.
We are indebted to Mrs. Zack (Anita) Lewis for providing
most of the historical information on Pleasant View
United Methodist Church. It has been extracted from a
publica tion dated September 25, 1994, printed in celebra
tion of the church's 127th anniversary. In 2000, the
church observed its 133rd anniversary.
Pleasant View United Methodist Church, one of
the oldest churches in Waynesboro, was organized
in 1867 when a number of persons met in a
schoolroom at the Alexander Davis School, which was
located on West Main Street on the site of the present
Waynesboro High School.
In 1876, Joshua Hill, a former slave, bought 10 acres of
land along what is now Port Republic Rd., the former
property of John N. Crouse, at public auction to pay off
the debts of said Crouse.
PLEASANT VIEW UNITED METHODIST CHURCH today. This building was completed and dedicated on
Sep tember 28, 1980. It replaced the older building that was destroyed by fire on Christmas eve, 1979.
"If it is to Be, It is up to Me" The motto at PLEASANT VIEW
H I S T O R I C A l S K ET C H ES O F A F R I C A N - A M E R I C A N C H U R C H E S (Past & Present) of Augusta County, Staunton, Waynesboro, & Vicinity 130
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As Joshua Hill was a member and strong supporter
of Pleasant View (then a Methodist Episcopal)
Church, he donated property to the church for a
building.
In the late 1870s, the trustees and members erected
a church on this lot. As they were primarily farm
laborers at the time, they worked the farms during
the day and dug the foundation and constructed
the building by lantern light after their day's work
was done.
From time to time, lots were sold from the original
tract of land, which extended eastward to the
South River, and the proceeds were used for the
growth and development of the church. Later, a
parsonage was built on the lot adjoining the
church.
Waynesboro historian Alice Wood located several
deeds in the Augusta County Courthouse that are
relevant to the landholdings o[Joshua Hill (1840-
1918).
One deed, dated November 25, 1868, records a sale
by George and Ernestine Pelter of a lot on the
"upper end" (present Port Republic Rd.) for $100
"to be used, kept and maintained as a place of
divine worship for the use of the ministry and
membership of the Methodist Episcopal Church in
the United States of America subject to the discipline,
usage and ministerial appointments of said
church as from time to time authorized and
declared by the General Conference of said Church
and by the Annual Conference in which bounds
the said premises are situated ... "
A second deed, dated 17 November, 1879, records
the sale of a lot by the church trustees to M.R.
Coulter and William Withrow, trustees of the
Pvblic Free Schools in South River School District
for $125. This lot was adjacent to "the lots of
William Brown and Tyree respectively on which a
log church building has been erected."
Of interest in these two deeds is the names of the
church trustees, which appear to be the same over
the 11-year period: Edward Baldwin, John
Crawford, Archibald Brock, Isaac Carter, and Elijah
Stribling. As the handwriting is not that clear in
the deeds, it is possible that the "John Crawford"-of
the 1868 deed was replaced by a(?) Crawford in the
1979 deed.
The second deed also established the existence of a
"log church" on the premises, supporting the date
of its construction.
The 1868 deed may also indicate that the national
General Conference and/or the regional Annual
Conference had some financial interest in the
church property.
The structure of the African-American Methodist
churches at that time included a national organization
called the "General Conference of Methodist
Churches - Central Jurisdiction (Black),"
. Within this national organization were regional
"Annual Conferences" which held annual conventions
and published a "Journal and Minutes" every
year.
Each Annual Conference area was divided further
into "Districts," and within each district the specific
pastoral "charges" were designated.
The Washington Annual Conference, established
in 1864 in Baltimore, Md., embraced all or part of
the states of Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and
Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C.
The districts within the Washington Annual
Conference were periodically reconfigured, but of
the five or so districts within the Conference, the
charges in Staunton, Waynesboro and Augusta
County, as well as nearby counties, remained in the
Shenandoah-Staunton District from 1865 until
1912, then within the Alexandria District until the
1960s, when it was briefly part of the VirginiaNorth
Carolina Conference. In 1968-1969, with the
formation of the United Methodist Church, the
Waynesboro charge came under the jurisdiction of
the Virginia United Methodist Conference, headquartered
in Richmond.
True to the itinerant, circuit-riding traditions of
Methodism, each pastor is assigned a "charge,"
which could include anywhere from one to five,
even six churches. In leafing through an old
Washington Annual Conference book (1939), I
found a few pastors responsible for eight or nine
churches!
The Waynesboro Charge began with Pleasant View,
to which was added Reid's Chapel, (c) 1881-82; Mt.
Zion (also known as Pleasant Grove and Laurel
Hill), (c) 1881 or before; St. Paul, (c) 1890; and
Ebenezer, (c) 1905.
Thus the charge grew in size over the years to five
churches under a single pastor.
But of these five churches, only Pleasant View
United Methodist Church remains active today.
Mt. Zion, in Laurel Hill (Verona), closed down in
the early 1960s. St. Paul, in Hermitage (Oak Grove
area) closed and was sold (date uncertain);
Ebenezer, in Fishersville, burned down (date
uncertain), and Reid's Chapel, in Stuarts Draft,
closed in 1994.
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Information on these four now inactive churches
can be found elsewhere in this history.
To return to the history of Pleasant View United
Methodist Church:
Historian Alice Wood, in her research on Joshua
Hill, states that Hill and his wife, Nancy, "On May
19, 1895, sold one acre of land to the trustees of the
church to be used as a colored cemetery." This land
is on Shiloh Ave., behind (to the east of) Pleasant
View, and it has remained a community cemetery
for African Americans.
In 1907, an African Methodist Episcopal Church,
known as Monumental A.M.E. Church, was organized,
and a building erected in the 200 block of
Port Republic Rd., at or near the site of the present
McCutcheon's Funeral Home.
A number of Pleasant View's members left to join
the new church, and thereby weakened the congregation
at the older church.
Rev. E.P. Moon, pastor of Pleasant View at the time,
worked with the trustees to improve the church
and reduce the loss of members.
They enlarged the church to include a choir loft
and improved rostrum, and with persistence
brought back some of the defecting members.
But the building had deteriorated over the years,
and it became evident that either major renovation
or a new building was required. Church officers
who were descendants of the fou~ders felt the
responsibility of maintaining the old building, so
they undertook a complete remodeling of the sanctuary,
and repainted the exterior and social hall,
completing the work in 1971.
Tragedy struck on December 24, 1979, when the
church building was destroyed by fire.
Through the efforts of Rev. Daleo King, pastor at
the time; Rev. Roy Everett, the District
Superintendent; the Virginia Annual Conference
Development Committee on Black Churches; dedicated
members; and concerned citizens of the community,
a new church building was quickly
planned and construction began.
During that period, services were held at the Z. H.
Lewis Funeral Home on East Main St. and, later, in
a building owned by Eugene McCutcheon (now
the McCutcheon Funeral Home) until the church
was rebuilt.
The new church was dedicated on September 28,
1980. A ceremony commemorating the burning of
the mortgage was held on May 19, 1991, officiated
by Bishop Thomas Stockton of the Virginia
Annual Conference.
Prominent Trustees and
Members
In 1990, Pleasant View published a list that could
be termed an "Honor Roll" of the "Original
Builders and Trustees" of the church. In addition to
the trustees already named, it includes:
Isaac Reeves, William Johnson, Joshua Hill,
Washington Leach, Henry McGuffin, Archie
Brooks, George Brown, Henry Darcus,Henry
Vaughn, William Ross, Isaac Fuller, Henry Fuller,
Frank Fuller, Warner Ross and Green Reeves (the
first superintendent of the Sunday School).
Individuals and couples mentioned as prominent
members in later years in the church include:
Robert and Annabelle Parrish, Charlie Leach,
Harry Redd (organist and pianist), Turner Smith,
John Darcus, Henry Stewart, Samuel and Mary
McCutcheon, Samuel and Annie Fuller, Charles
and Lena Redd, Alexander and Alise Brown, Irene
Brown, Arvilla Leach Nicholas, Etta Tutt, Beatrice
Jordan, Lizzie Armstrong, Eva Reeves (organist),
Sadie Ware (organist), and Benjamin Veney.
Hotchkiss Mop of
Wo4nesboro 1884
The Jed. Hotchkiss map of Waynesboro in 1884,
derived from a map by G.W Dudley, revised by Sev.
P. Ker, depicts the following African-Americanowned
homes along (present) Port Republic Rd .,
on the east side, from north to south:
Joshua Thompson, James Thompson, R. Harris, Ben.
Stuart, W Ross, Rev. Briggs (next to the church), then
Pleasant View M. E. Church, F. Ross, Nancy Hatcher,
W Whiting, J. Barbour, J. Willis, and Frank James.
Frank James lives along the C&O tracks just west of
Port Republic Rd. Wash Crawford lived on the west
side of Port Republic Rd.
Living along the east side of Shiloh Ave. were
Henry Harvey, G. Brown, Rev. Gordon, and Eliza
Johnson.
Pastors at Pleasant View
The following list of pastors served at Pleasant
View, and their charge (the Waynesboro Charge)
included, serially, the other four churches as the
later were organized and built; meaning that the
charge grew from one to five churches in a period
of less than 20 years. The list includes the
Reverends:
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JOHN A. REID - 1877-1883
Rev. John A. Reid began preaching in 1875 at
Culpeper, Va. His next charge was Waynesboro,
which included Pleasant View, Reid's Chapel
(named for him, as their first pastor, although the
chapel was called Reed's interchangeably), and
possibly Mt. Zion, from 1877-1883. Of his 18
charges after Waynesboro, he preached in the
Brownsburg Charge (Asbury M.E. Church)
in'1997-98, in the West Staunton Charge (which
probably included Cedar Green and Mt.Chapel
M.E. Churches, and one other in that area) in
1914-16. He retiredin 1937 after 62 years in the
ministry, although he was suspended twice for
one-year periods during this time.
DeWITT L. WASHINGTON 1989
GEORGE E. CURRY 1904 - 1905
ELIZA P. MOON
JOHN W. WATERS
BOSIE P. JORDAN
J.C. SCARBOROUGH
CHAS. E. SMALLWOOD
1907 - 1908
1913 - 1915
1923 - 1924
1926 - 1927
1927
J. H. HOLLAND 1928 - 1921
GODFREY L.1ATE, SR. 1933 - 1945 (?)
Rev. Godfrey L. Tate, Sr. (1886-1946) spent his
career as a minister in the Alexandria District,
with his charges limited to churches in
Highland, Augusta and Rockingham Counties.
Most unusual in regards to his ministry is that
he pastored in the Waynesboro charge for nearly
a dozen years. The average tenure for a pastor
was about two years, sometimes one or three
years, but rarely four or more.
As the Rev. Tate was a native of this area, and spent
his ministry here, we offer this brief profile of his
life, provided by his son, Oliver J. Tate of Staunton.
Rev. Godfrey Lafayette Tate, Sr., was born in
Staunton at 219 Sunnyside St. in 1886. He attended
Staunton schools and, when he got older, joined
with his brothers Coleman and Luther in house
painting work. In addition, he enjoyed some travel .
while working as a bellhop in various hotels. The
brothers also played baseball, which involved some
trips beyond Staunton.
His home church was the Augusta Street
Methodist Church in Staunton, and he became
superintendent of the Sunday School there, while
then living at 2II Baldwin St.
He came relatively late to the ministry, for it was
not until 1927 that he was admitted on trial as an
Elder, eligible for a pastorship.
In 1927-28 he received his first charge, in
Highland County, pastoring Pleasant View M.E.
Church just east of McDowell and Mt. Zion M.E.
Church in the Bullpasture Valley about ten miles
south of McDowell, in a community called Flood.
Both churches were closed not long after he left
the charge. Oliver Tate, only a youth at the time,
remembers some of the families who attended
these Highland County churches as "the Plesants,
the Carter family, the Wilson family, and some
Scotts."
Rev. Tate's next assignment was the Bridgewater
Charge, 1929-30. His son remembers these four
churches as having very small memberships. They
included Bridgewater and Pleasant Valley M. E.
Churches in Rockingham County, and Mt. Sidney
and Payne's Chapel M. E. Churches in Augusta
County.
Rev. Tate's next and last charge was Waynesboro,
including the five churches with which we are
here concerned.
His son Oliver remembers the families that attended
St. Paul (Lower Grove) as "the Lewis's, the
Washingtons, and others"; Reed's Chapel as "the
Fields, the Browns, the Johnsons, the Barts"; Mt.
Zion (Laurel Hill/Pleasant Grove) as "the Kennys,
the Caves, the Barts, and the Friers", and Ebenezer
as "the Flippins, the Perkins, and the Browns."
What is exceptional, but not unusual for preachers
of that time, is that Rev. Tate managed to pastor five
churches while holding down a fulltime job, atestament
to his dedication to the ministry.
"My father had to work six days a week at a store,"
Oliver says, "for he could not make it with preaching
alone. But they were dedicated to their
church." Rev. Godfrey L. Tate died of leukemia in
1946 at age 60.
Other pastors who served at Pleasant View included
the Reverends:
L. W.TITUS
0. W. BRIGGS (1884?)
G.D. NICKENS
ALFRED YOUNG
J. W. HOLLINS
H. A. PARKER
L. L.MOSLEY
CLARENCE DAVIS
AM.ERWIN
J. LEWIS
COKER 1994-
J.J. BAKER
J. F.A. KERR
R. L. CLIFFORD
JOSEPH CARTER
JOSEPH WASHINGTON, JR.
F. R. BERLACK
DALCOKING
A. L. HOLMES
C. E.ACKLIN
ISAAC SAMUEL PAUL-
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Wm1nesboro
St.. Jomes Baptist Church
1094 Albemarle Ave. Wolfnesboro. Vo. 22980
Histor4
The following short history of St. James Baptist
Church was provided by the church. It was written
for the commemmoration of the church's
Both anniversary in 1997.
According to documents on hand, the first church was
built in Maupintown, a small community south of
Waynesboro, on land purchased from Silas and Fannie
Vaughn, in 1917. Representing the church body in this
transaction were Frank Carter, Lem Howard and Ashby
Murray.
The site of the first church building was adjacent to the
home of Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Brooks. A number of ministers
served the church during the early years, including
the Reverends George Stewart, L. B. Goodall, R. W.
Wilson, and William T. Jenkins.
In the early 1950s, construction began on a new church
building at the present site on Albemarle Avenue, with
most of the labor performed by the men of the church.
This building was not completed until 1969, under the
pastorship of Rev. William T. Jenkins, who was pastor
for a number af years.
Rev. Samuel Cubbage followed Rev. Jenkins as pastor,
serving for approximately eleven years. The Rev. Billy
Joe Jackson succeeded Rev. Cubbage, occupying the pulpit
from 1981 through 1983.
ST. JAMES BAPTIST CHURCH was founded in 1917. The building pictured, the second in the church's history, was
started in the early 1950s but not completed until 1969. More recently, under the leadership of the pastor, Rev. Lloyd 0.
Martin , major improvements to the church and grounds have been effected.
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During Rev. Jackson's ministry, new pews were
donated to the church by Mr. Louis Spillman, and
stained glass windows were contributed by members
of the congregation.
Under the next pastor, Rev. James E. Smith, who
served (c) 1982-1989, a number of inactive organizations
within the church were revived and
enabled to function again.
From 1989 until 1991, St. James was without a pastor,
but the doors were kept open and the pulpit
filled with visiting and guest pastors and dedicated
church officers such as Deacon Charles H.
Johnson, Sr.
In October, 1991, Rev. Lloyd 0. Martin became pastor
at St. James Baptist Church, ushering in a period
of increased growth and activity.
Membership has increased to 114 during his pastorate,
and many improvements have been made to
the church building, including: The purchase of a
new pulpit and chairs in May, 1996; the addition of
new vinyl siding; replacement of the old gutters;
the installation of air conditioning and a security
system; and landscaping on the bank in front of
the church.
St. James is widely known for having some of the
area's finest musicians and choral groups over the
years. To mention a few: Dora Arkward, Harry
Redd, Ollie Read, George Taylor, Ann Wright, and
Annie Toles.
Sister Toles has been music director since 1989,
and the department has expanded to include five
choirs: the "Buds," "Teens," "Gospel," "Adult," and
"Male" choirs.
Sister Laura Arkward has served as the church's
dedicated clerk for a number of years.
Since the above was written in 1997, the Rev. Lloyd
0. Martin continues as pastor, and further
improvements have been made to the church and
amenities added for the congregation, including:
Installation of carpeting on the front steps and
porch in September, 1997; The purchase of a TV
and VCR in 1998; The purchase of a new church
van, and Liquidation of the church's indebtedness.
In 1998, the deacon board was reactivated, with
Brother James C. Jackson, Jr., serving in the capacity
of deacon. Current trustees (2000) include
Francis Johnson, Donnie Toles, Gloria Miller,
Frank Casey, and Jean McGuffin.
Annie M. Toles remains as church pianist and
music director, and Laura Arkward as clerk.
The church membership in 2000 is approximately
110, with an average Sunday attendance of about
45-50. The oldest member of the church is Mrs.
Christine (Taylor) Howard.
Rev. Llo4d 0. Mortin
Rev. Lloyd 0. Martin is a native of Fluvanna
County, Virginia, where he attended public school
and high school.
He is married to Emma Mitchell Martin, and they
have four children and eight grandchildren.
Pastor Martin received the call to the ministry in
September, 198 5. He preached his trial sermon at
Galilee Baptist Church, where he was ordained,
under the leadership of Rev. Otis Spellman.
In 1988, Rev. Martin was called to Mt. Lenanon
Baptist Church in Waynesboro (Dooms), and he
served there until 1991.
Pastor Martin was called to St. James Baptist
Church in October, 1991, and he celebrated his
ninth anniversary there in 2000.
A member of his congregation sums up his experience
at St. James: "Since Pastor Martin has been
with us, many things have been accomplished,
many souls have been saved and God's presence is
truly in our midst. We can say we have seen the
spirit of God move mightily and we know He is
not finished with us yet."
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Shiloh Baptist Church
234 Shiloh Ave.
Editor's Note: The following account of the history of
Shiloh Baptist Church was written by the church historian
Lillie Mae Johnson in 1967 at the behest of the
then pastor, Rev.WC. Butts. Most of her history is
recorded verbatim, below. The Rev. William C. Butts of Norfolk, Va., was
called to be our minister and spiritual leader in
1964.
Under his guidance, the project of a church history was
undertaken. I was asked to be church historian, and was
happy to be of some service to my church and accepted
gladly.
During the 19th century worship services were held in
the old blacksmith shop on Ohio Street across from the
Florence Ave. bridge. It was believed that this was the
beginning of Shiloh Baptist Church.
The first written record we have is a deed dated 1872,
when a small frame building was erected on what is
now the church lawn.
Wmfnesboro, Vo. 22980
Wmfnesboro
(Editor's Note: Research by the Waynesboro Historical
Commission adds a slight variant to this account as follows:
"Their earliest written record is in an 1872 deed
for a log cabin on the corner of Minden Place. After
three years of growth a larger frame building was built
SHILOH BAPTIST CHURCH, as pictured above in 1996, was erected in 1924. It was the third building occupied by
the congegation, which was established some time prior to 1872.
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