Pohick Episcopal Church

Here follows an excerpt from the Atlas Obscura website:

Pohick Church
Lorton, Virginia
This church is known as "The Home Church of George Washington and George Mason."

Located in Lorton, Virginia and widely considered to be “The Mother Church of Northern Virginia,” Pohick Church was the first to be established in the colony north of the Occoquan River. The church’s original site, according to George Washington’s map of the area, shows that it was originally located near the present-day Cranford Methodist Church, about two miles south of the current Pohick Church.

Erected sometime before 1724, the building was originally known as the Occoquan Church. Later, its name was changed to Pohick due to its close vicinity to Pohick Creek. In 1732, the Truro Parish was established by the Virginia General Assembly and was granted oversight for all land in the colony situated north of the Occoquan River. As the only church within these boundaries, Pohick Church subsequently became the parish church for the area.

Washington was the primary surveyor for this land parcel and proposed the location for the new 45-acre wooded tract where Pohick Church currently resides. He specifically located the church about six miles from his prestigious home at Mount Vernon. Completed in 1774, the church featured a Georgian structure designed by James Wren with colonial box pews and an elevated pulpit. As was common for church architecture at the time, there was no steeple.

Many historical leaders, including George William Fairfax, George Mason, and even Washington himself became key church leaders. In addition to Pohick Church being a house of worship, it also became an important meeting place for patriots to discuss initial plans for independence, such as the Fairfax Resolves, an early step in the American Revolution.

Considering the church was completed just a couple of years prior to the war, it is widely believed that the Declaration of Independence was read on the front steps of the church. During the War of 1812, it’s stated that the British understood the importance of the church to America’s founders, raiding and disfiguring a memorial dedicated to Washington.

Between 1838 and 1840 in preparation for Washington’s 100th birthday, major renovations were made to the church. Unfortunately, two decades later, the American Civil War nearly destroyed it.

On November 12, 1861, Union troops came upon the church and raided the building, destroying as many artifacts as they could. One soldier, Lt. Charles B. Haydon, was outraged at the lack of respect shown to Washington’s church, claiming, “They were all over it in less than 10 minutes tearing off the ornaments, splitting the woodwork and pews, knocking the brick to pieces & everything else they could get at.”

Once the troops were done, they set up camp on the church lawn and used the inside as a stable for their horses. They also transformed the exterior into a shooting range (bullet holes can still be found in the brick exterior), and heavily vandalized the exterior sandstone walls, doorposts, and cornerstones. Much of the graffiti left by the troops is still visible today.

In 1890, a restoration project was undertaken to renovate the church. It was completed in time to honor the 100th anniversary of Washington’s death.

Today, along with the original church building, there are other noteworthy buildings and a historical cemetery located at the site. The first of these structures is the vestry house. Initially proposed to be in the same colonial brick style and built at the same time as the original church, it wasn’t until 1931 when it was finally erected in celebration of the parish’s bicentennial and George Washington’s birthday. Currently, in addition to hosting parishioner meetings and functions, the house also features a gift shop for visitors.

Two additional buildings were also added to the site, a parish house built in 1955 and a rectory constructed in 1963. The belfry in the churchyard was constructed sometime in the early 20th-century during a smaller restoration project.

The church’s cemetery, on the other hand, began seeing burials as early as 1840 and was “formally” established in 1886. Many notable early Fairfax County figures are buried in the churchyard, including many members of the Fitzhugh family and members of the Alexander family, for whom the city of Alexandria is named.

In 1968, the church was added to the Virginia Landmarks Register and within a year, it was recognized and added to the National Register of Historic Places for its abundant historical associations, colonial-era architecture, and for being an excellent example of a colonial parish church in Virginia.

Today, the church building still stands as it did over 200 years ago, holding regular services and events inside and throughout the churchyard.

Know Before You Go
The church is clearly visible at the intersection of Telegraph Road and Richmond Highway (Route 1), looking southwest. The church still holds services, tours, and other events regularly.


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Here follows an excerpt from the Clio Foundation website as written by Zack Rakes:

Pohick Church is a historic Episcopal church in Fairfax County, Virginia, in the community of Lorton. Built in the early 1770s, Pohick Church is perhaps best known for its association with several major historical figures, such as George Washington and George Mason. On November 5th, 1968, it was designated on the Virginia Landmark Register, and on October 16th, 1969, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Today, Pohick Church still serves its community as an active church.

In the mid-1700s, the community of Lorton already had an active church building for their congregation. It was clear by 1767, however, that it had become incredibly dilapidated, and George Washington, who would later become the first president of the United States of America, suggested that a new location should be found and a new church constructed. Land was purchased in 1769, and construction began in 1772, with the completion of the church coming that same year. The Pohick Church would go on to serve the Lorton community for some time, but it did not fare terribly well during the American Civil War. Federal troops occupied the church for time, using it as a stable, and the sides of the building were used for target practice for the troops. Needless to say, the church suffered a great deal of damage.

Following the damage done to it during the Civil War, it was not until around 1874 that the church saw regular use again. The church began to redevelop a congregation, and soon enough, it was back on its feet again. On November 5th, 1968, it was designated on the Virginia Landmark Register, and on October 16th, 1969, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Today, Pohick Church continues to serve as an active church.


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Here follows an excerpt from the Clio Foundation website as written by Connor Neal on behalf of History Revealed, Inc. and Molly Kerr:

Introduction
The Reverend Charles Green was born in Ireland around 1710 and lived in Dublin before receiving his degree in 1731 from Balliol College, Oxford. After graduating, Green moved to Virginia by 1733. He began practicing medicine and lay ministering to the Anglican parishioners of Cople Parish in what was then Westmoreland County, Virginia. Cople Parish was the religious home of the Washington family and the location where Green met Augustine Washington, George Washington’s father. After relocating to a plantation on Little Hunting Creek, Augustine Washington recommended Charles Green in 1736 to be the minister of the Truro Parish in what became Fairfax County; Truro Parish was where the Reverend would spend the rest of his life as a large landowner and rector of the parish.

Backstory and Context
Created in 1732, Truro Parish comprised lands in present day Fairfax and Loudon counties; the parish represented both civil and religious authorities within specific geographical boundaries of the community. In 1735, Augustine Washington was sworn in as a vestryman of the Truro parish and on August 19, 1736, Washington nominated Charles Green to be its new Rector; Green was quickly accepted into the position subsequently traveling to London to be ordained. He became the first permanent rector of the parish at Pohick Church and continued his work there until his death in 1765.

Charles Green was very active in the community. Like many of his parishioners, he shopped in Colchester (the town being not far from the church) at the John Glassford & Company store purchasing a variety of fabrics and notions for the making of his and his wife's clothing. Given his position with the church, Green's salary was paid in tobacco annually tithed from the eligible Truro parishioners - and this tobacco was how he primarily paid for his purchases at the store by exchanging the tobacco for tangible goods.

In 1745, Green found himself the center of a scandal and an ecclesiastical trial in Williamsburg involving himself and the Washington family. Lawrence Washington, eldest son of Augustine and half brother of George Washington, accused Green of multiple attempts of assault upon his wife, Ann Fairfax, before their marriage. Washington demanded Green's removal as Rector at Pohick Church; Green refused and brought a countersuit against Washington for slander, causing Washington to insist on an ecclesiastical trial. The trial took place in the chapel of the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, beginning on November 6, 1745; however, before a verdict was reached, the colony's governor, William Gooch, ordered Green to drop the countersuit, in exchange for not being removed as the Rector of Truro Parish.

Even with the trial and the scandal with George Washington’s half-brother, Washington had Charles Green consult him in matters of physical health. Even with the seriousness of the claims brought against Green, his position within Fairfax County allowed for Green to move on without consequence. It's consequence to Ann Fairfax Washington is unknown.

In the Reverend's later years, as his health began to decline, his will left 3,000 acres lying in Fairfax, Prince William, and Loudoun Counties to his wife (Margaret) (probated August 19th, 1765). Interestingly, the Reverend’s will told his wife to return to his homeland of Ireland showing his continued ties to Ireland. The present-day Pohick Church succeeded the earlier church that lay two miles to the south of the church’s current location. The former church was the lower church in the Truro Parish, established in 1732, and was replaced by the present-day location in 1774.


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Here follows an excerpt from Donald Hakenson's "This Forgotten Land" tour guide:

Pohick Church is a two story red brick structure was completed in 1773. Two of the church vestrymen most responsible for the location and building of the Pohick Church were George Washington and George Mason. During the Civil War, the Pohick area was occupied by both Union and Confederate troops. Union soldiers used the brick walls for target practice, the pews for firewood, and Union horses were stabled inside. Graffiti written by Union soldiers is still visible on the white Aquia sandstone that surrounds the corners and the outside doorways of the church. A Union soldier belonging to Company I, 2nd Pennsylvania Cavalry etched his name and unit on the white sandstone.

PROFESSOR T.S.C. LOWE AND HIS BALLOON.
Professor Thaddeus S. C. Lowe conducted four hot air balloon ascensions at Pohick Church between March 5 and 7, 1862. On March 7th, the observer in the balloon was able to ascertain that the Confederates had evacuated the town of Occoquan. It is documented that Professor Lowe and Brigadier General Heintzelman also went up in the balloon together at Pohick Church.

MINOR COMBAT SKIRMISHES AT POHICK CHURCH.
Various small scale skirmishes occurred at Pohick Church during the civil war. We have listed two below.

CAPTAIN BOYD'S SKIRMISH WITH CONFEDERATE CAVALRY.
On August 18, 1861, Captain William H. Boyd of the Lincoln (First New York) Cavalry engaged twenty Confederate cavalrymen at Pohick Church. The Lincoln Cavalry charged the Confederates and wounded two of the rebels. Captain Boyd lost one man killed and two men missing, who were thrown from their horses. Captain Boyd reported that his charge scattered the Confederates, but it was he who lost one man killed and two men as prisoners to the Confederates.

Captain Boyd would later attain the rank of Colonel. After the war, Colonel Boyd moved to Fauquier County, Virginia and would become the County Sheriff.

CAPTAIN RANDOLPH LOSES HIS HORSE.
On October 4, 1861, Colonel Christian, Twenty-sixth New York Volunteers, with three hundred infantrymen engaged Captain Robert Randolph, Company H, Fourth Virginia Cavalry (the Black Horse Troop) at Pohick Church. Both sides fired on each other, with the Confederates withdrawing down Telegraph Road. There were no injuries or deaths reported by either side, however, five or more horses were either badly wounded or killed that belonged to the Fourth Virginia Cavalry, including a horse that was killed belonging to Captain Randolph. Privates Ferguson Hamilton, Channing Smith and James E. Yancey suffered severe injuries to their horses. Fourth Sergeant Wellington Mellon of Warrenton, who had been one of the first to join the Black Horse had a rifle ball pass through his pants, barely missing his vital parts. The author's great-great grandfather, Corporal Robert McCormick may have been involved in this skirmish. The gallant Captain Randolph would later be promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and would be killed in action at Meadow Bridge, in Virginia on May 12, 1864.