OLD-FREDERICK-CO-VA-L Archives

Archiver > OLD-FREDERICK-CO-VA > 1999-06 > 0930018099


From: "Jack R. Louthan" <>
Subject: Re: Re: Meeting house
Date: Mon, 21 Jun 1999 22:21:39 -0400


This may digress a little, but have patience.

In the book "History of the Valley of Virginia" by Samuel Kercheval.
Winchester: Samuel H. Davis. 1833, the following is quoted from page 83.

"The Baptist were not among our earliest immigrants. About fourteen or
fifteen families of that persuasion migrated from the state of New-Jersey,
and settled probably in 1742 or 1743 in the vicinity of what is now called
Gerardstown, in the County of Berkeley.*

Mr. Semple, in his history of the Virginia Baptists, states, that in the
year 1754, Mr. Stearns, a preacher of this sect, with several others,
removed from New England. "They halted first at Opequon, in Berkeley county,
Virginia, where he formed a Baptist church under the care of the Rev. John
Gerard." This was probably the first Baptist church founded west of the Blue
ridge in our state.

It is said that the spot where Tuscarora meeting-house now stands, in the
county of Berkeley, is the first place where the gospel was publicly
preached and divine service performed west of the Blue ridge.+ This was and
still remains a Presbyterian edifice."

Footnotes: "*Mr. McCowen, an aged and respectable citizen of the
neighborhoold, communicated this fact to the
author."

"+This information was communicated to the author by
a highly respectable old lady, of the Presbyterian
church, in the county of Berkeley. She also stated, that, in addition to the
general tradition, she had lately heard the venerable and reverend Dr.
Matthews assert the fact. Mr. Mayers, now in his
87th year, born and raised on the Potomac, in Berkeley,
stated his opinion to the author, that there was a house erected for public
worshop at the Falling Water about the same time
that the Tuscarora meeting-house was built. Both
these churches are now under the pastoral care of the Rev. James M. Brown."

The above info is from the original version of this book, published in 1833.
There have been four or five editions of this book. The Fourth Edition,
printed in 1994, has similar information on page 63.

Hope this helps.

Jack R. Louthan

----- Original Message -----
From: <>
To: <>
Sent: Monday, June 21, 1999 2:59 PM
Subject: Re: Re: Meeting house

> Hi,
>
> Was Hopewell Meeting House a Quaker congregation or a Presbyterian one?
> Or were there two Meeting Houses named Hopewell?
> It is my understanding that up until the time of the Am. Rev., all non-
> Anglican denominations had to be called a "meeting house". Only the
> Anglicans could call their churches "Churches"
>
> This is important to me, because I'm trying to find out information on
> aHopewell Presbyterian Meeting House near the Opequon.
>
> Mitzie wrote:
> >Wm. Hoge, Sr., owned property near Kernstown on a branch of
> >the Opequon named Hogue Run. In 1745 he sold two acres to
> >a group of men (some of whom were Quaker ...at one time)
> >near the Presbyterian Meeting House
> Was this Meeting House also named Hopewell?
>
> Jack's post refers to a Hopewell Quaker Meeting.
> I would appreciate it, if someone would enlighten me about this.
> Thanks,
> Ann
>
>
> ==== OLD-FREDERICK-CO-VA Mailing List ====
> Search this list's archived messages!
> http://searches.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/listsearch.pl
>

This thread: