Pohick Episcopal Church Cemetery

Here follows an excerpt from the Fairfax Genealogical Society website:

POHICK CEMETERY
9301 Richmond Highway (Route 1)
Lorton, Virginia USA

Original Information from Volume 5 of the Gravestone Books

Pohick Church and Cemetery are located at 9301 Richmond Highway (Route 1) at the highway’s intersection with Old Colchester Road in the Pohick area of the county. The church, including the courtyard and cemetery, is one of the most beautiful and historic sites in the county.

Pohick Church was a part of Truro Parish which was established in 1732 by an act of the General Assembly of the Colony of Virginia, according to Chester A. Liddle, Jr. in Families of Pohick Church. The first church to bear the name “Pohick,” which Liddle says is an Algonquin word interpreted as an area of hickory trees or a meeting place, was built near present-day Cranford United Methodist Church (q.v.), about two miles south on Old Colchester Road. When the frame building at that site needed extensive repair in 1767, the Vestry decided to rebuild at another location.

According to tradition as recounted by Charles H. Stetson in Washington and His Neighbors, George Mason urged the Vestry to rebuild on the same site recalling that it was the place where “their fathers worshipped and . . . the graves of many were around it.” George Washington and others preferred a more central and convenient location. Stetson points out that when the original site of the church was selected in the late seventeenth century, the area was sparsely populated and “centered mainly around the Occoquan. In 1769, the old site was convenient to Mason and a few other families, but distant from most of the parish members.”

Construction of the new brick church was begun in 1769, according to Handbook of Pohick Church, with Daniel French as building contractor, an occupation called “undertaker” at that time. Stetson states that George William Fairfax, George Washington, George Mason, Daniel McCarty and Edward Payne were members of the building committee which oversaw the construction which was finished in 1774.

Almost from the minute of its completion, Pohick Church fell into a decline, with the difficulties of the Revolutionary War followed by Virginia’s Statute for Religious Freedom (1786) which separated church and state, according to an article about Truro Parish in Volume XIV of Fairfax Chronicles (1991). In 1777 Pohick’s Rector Lee Massey (1732-1814) retired due to ill health. At any rate, Colonial levies had been suspended and there were no funds to pay his salary, according to Stetson.

The Handbook states that little is known about services at the church from 1777 to 1836. Stetson says that Washington, who attended church in Alexandria after the Revolution, mentioned in his diary that he attended services at Pohick on Sunday, 5 October 1786, and on another Sunday in 1788. Parson Mason Locke Weems, famous for his biography of George Washington which popularized the myth of Washington and the cherry tree, preached here for a period beginning in 1798, but historians do not know how long he stayed. The last recorded Vestry meeting was held at Colchester in 1785.

Bishop William Meade visited Pohick Church in 1837, and was very distressed by what he found. He issued a stirring report about the near decay of the church in which he asked, “Surely patriotism, or reverence for the greatest of patriots, if not religion, might be effectively appealed to in behalf of this temple of God.” His words moved people to action. A petition was circulated to raise money and repairs were undertaken, according to the Chronicle. But by 1850, the parish was again unable to support a permanent clergy and as the Civil War loomed, the church again fell into disrepair.

The church building was all but destroyed during the Civil War. The Handbook reports that the sanctuary was used as a horse stable by Union soldiers during the winter of 1862-63. Everything which could be was carried away or burned, according to the Chronicle, and the Handbook states that “everything which interfered with convenient use” was stripped away. Even the walls were used for target practice and graffiti covered everything. The only architectural details which are original today are the exterior walls, the interior crown molding, and one chancel baluster, according to Liddle.

The church began to revive in the 1870s, but restoration did not begin in earnest until the arrival of the Reverend Everard Meade in 1897, the Chronicle reports. The reconstruction was supported by the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Regents of Gunston Hall, and the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association of the Union. By 1924, box pews in colonial configuration, the pulpit and the alterpiece had been installed in the sanctuary, according to a 1969 Historic American Buildings Survey Inventory of Pohick Church.

Liddle says that the cemetery was established “formally” in 1886, but it was in use before that time. The Handbook indicates that the churchyard was used for burials after 1840. Many gravestones bearing eighteenth and early nineteenth century dates have been moved to Pohick from other, older graveyards.

The extant records at Pohick Church are filled with information of value to the genealogical researcher, Liddle writes. He notes that the researcher may find sponsors and witnesses to baptism, witnesses to marriage, places of baptism and marriage, cemetery of burial, last residence, cause of death, and celebrant signatures. Official burial documents and correspondence concerning family members may also be available, he reports. Liddle suggests inquiries may be addressed to Pohick Episcopal Church, 9301 Richmond Highway, Lorton, Virginia 22079. Researchers should enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope with their inquiry. Contributions for research would be gratefully received.

According to the Handbook, when the churchyard was cleared and graded during the restoration, the Vice-Regent of the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association of the Union for Connecticut sponsored a stone plaque which was mounted in the wall of the courtyard:

To the Unknown Dead of Pohick Church
this Tribute of Respect is paid the
Many Parishioners Buried in this Hallowed Churchyard
The Records are Lost & the Graves
cannot now be identified
1925


The cemetery was surveyed by Carrie White Avery in 1923. Volunteers from the Annandale Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints surveyed the cemetery in July 1997 as a service to the Fairfax Genealogical Society. Their surveys were merged, input and checked against Mrs. Avery’s work. The survey was then checked with the information from Chester A. Liddle, Jr.’s book Families of Pohick Church. Society members checked the entire survey in the spring of 1998, with attention to discrepancies between the various readings. The entire survey was then rechecked in the late spring and early summer by different researchers who proofed the survey against the gravestones.

Pohick Cemetery was also surveyed in 1967 and published as Tombstone Records of Pohick Church, Fairfax County, Virginia by Edna May Stevens and Lesba Lewis Thompson, available in the Virginia Room of the Fairfax City Regional Library (see Bib-liography).

The survey begins in the courtyard in front of the parish house (church office).

No Updates from Volume 6 of the Gravestone Books


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Here follows an excerpt from the Find A Grave website:

Once called the MOTHER CHURCH OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA, Pohick has the historical significance of being the parish of George Washington, among other notable families at the time - including the Masons and the Fairfax family - names recognizable even today. It was established before 1724 and was the first permanent church of the colony. Augustine Washington, George Washington's father, was one of the first vestrymen of this permanent church. The site of the present church was chosen and successfully lobbied for by George Washington himself. In 1801 an observer wrote that "one half was composed of white people, and the other of negroes" the latter most likely being slaves freed by Martha Washington earlier that same year.

The church suffered greatly during the war of 1812, was repaired in 1840 but left without a resident clergyman. Civil War soldiers used it as a stable and it later became a Union observation post from which balloons were launched to observe confederate movement. In 1870 restoration once again began and though majorly completed by 1917, minor restoration continues to this day.

Before 1886, burials were in the church yard but either went un-recorded or unmarked. In 1886 the cemetery was organized into lots. A perpetual Memorial Garden was later created for the burial of cremated remains.


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Here follows an excerpt from the Pohick Church website:

The foresight of the Vestry of the late nineteenth century has been a blessing to the parishioners of Pohick Church. Prior to 1886, burials were conducted in the church yard in places now unknown. The stones seen in the church courtyard have been moved there from other locations. In 1886, the cemetery was formally organized through Vestry action. The land to the immediate west of the church was surveyed and benchmarks were installed with great accuracy, as surveying was already a mature engineering practice. The plan divided the land into sixteen foot by sixteen-foot plots with four foot aisles of separation, and these large family plots were marked by stone markers. Although many of these stone markers are visible today, many more are buried beneath the turf.

In 1920, additional cemetery lands were surveyed and laid out. No additions have been made to the cemetery grounds since that time. However, a Memorial Garden has been placed near the belfry. The Memorial Garden accepts cremated remains only.

Notable Markers at Pohick

Inside the Church:

The Reverend Lee Massey (†1814), second rector over Pohick Church, buried under the pulpit; originally buried at Bradley estate near the now-defunct town of Colchester.

Memorial Honoring six local soldiers killed while serving in World War I. Dedicated by President Warren Harding on May 29, 1921. Located on the wall near the SW door.

Area East of the Church:

Daniel French (†1771), initial contractor of the present church building; originally buried at Rose Hill.

Will Harris (†1698), oldest grave in Fairfax County, moved from his family graveyard at Neabasco in Woodbridge.

Long Tom, according to legend, this Indian Chief was shot and killed by Susanna Alexander either in self-defense or to save the life of her husband, John.

Daniel (†1801) and Sarah (†1823) McCarty, Jr., originally buried at Cedar Grove.

Fitzhugh Family monuments — Over a period of a century, this family established the largest landholding in Fairfax County. A fire of "suspicious origin" destroyed their plantation, Ravensworth, in 1926. These monuments were moved to Pohick Church in 1957.

Next to the Vestry House:

Elizabeth Massey (†1805) — wife of the The Rev. Lee Massey; originally buried at Bradley estate.

Peter Wagener (†1798) — Truro Parish vestryman and officer in the Revolutionary War; originally buried at Stisted plantation, near the now defunct town of Colchester, with other Wagener family and household members.

Hugh West (†1754) — Truro Parish vestryman and founder of Alexandria; originally buried at Cameron with other West family and household members.

Near the Parish House:
Monument remembering the unknown dead of Pohick Church, who were buried in the church courtyard prior to the Civil War. The inscription reads, "To the Unknown Dead of Pohick Church, this Tribute of Respect is paid to the many parishioners buried in this hallowed churchyard, the records are lost and the graves cannot be identified 1925"

Section of the Cemetery Near Richmond Highway:

Harrison Dodge (†1937) — Vestryman of Pohick Church and longtime Superintendent of Mt. Vernon (1885 - 1937).

William Brown (†1792) — Surgeon General of the Continental Army and personal physician to George Washington.

Alexander Family — The remains of members of the Alexander family, for which the city of Alexandria is named, were moved to the Pohick cemetery in 1922 from Preston Plantation. Among the family members whose remains were re-interred at Pohick Cemetery are: John Alexander — grandson of Capt. John Alexander, who originally seated Preston before 1677; buried with his wife Susanna.

Gen. Alexander Hunter (†1849) — Veteran of the War of 1812.


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On this page, you will find an ongoing collection of stories and records of the servicemen and servicewomen buried on the Pohick Church grounds. This project, kickstarted by Caden Ritchie’s “Pohick Church’s Military Legacy” Eagle Scout project, aims to highlight the service and sacrifice of those who have served the United States in uniform throughout history. Regardless of branch or era, we seek to remember the Church Members who have served in the Armed Forces.

Civil War

Private Samuel Cornelius Beach
Company H, Fifteenth Virginia Cavalry and Company H, Forty-third Battalion Virginia Cavalry. Prisoner by August 31, 1864, when he was hospitalized for typhoid fever in Old Capitol Prison. Paroled in Fort Warren, Boston harbor on June 10, 1865.

Captain Rayner Brookfield
Company C, Fifth North Carolina Infantry. Wounded on May 31, 1862 at Seven Pines. Wounded and captured, leg amputated May 9, 1864 at Spotsylvania Court House.

Private Thomas Foster Chapman
Signal Company and also stated that he was in the Secret Service of the Confederacy.

Private John Hammitt Clagett
Company A, Fourth Virginia Cavalry. Captured February 1865. Unable to locate stone.

Private Andrew Jackson Haislip
Company E, Forty-third Battalion Virginia Cavalry. He was wounded in 1864.

Private Joseph Mason Kilby
Company A, Sixteenth Virginia Infantry. Hospitalized with epilepsy in May 1863. Detached to the Quartermaster Department.

Private Collin H. Lambert
Company A, Fourth Virginia Cavalry. Captured at Woodstock on December 29, 1863.

Private Aristides (Tide) C. Landstreet
Company F (old Fairfax Company), Sixth Virginia Cavalry. Also assigned to duties in Richmond.

Private Everard Meade
Company I, Fourth Virginia Infantry. Wounded at Second Manassas on August 28, 1862 and at Sharpsburg, Maryland on September 17, 1862.

Private John Henry Morgan
Company H, First Virginia Cavalry and the Third Company of Richmond Howitzers. Wounded at Manassas on July 21, 1861. Discharged due to wounds on October 12, 1861.

Napoleon Bonaparte Nevitt
Surgeon for Company F, Sixth Virginia Cavalry and the Thirty-eighth Battalion of Virginia Artillery.

Private Samuel Eli Nevitt
Company F, Sixth Virginia Cavalry

Private William Henry Nevitt
Company F, Sixth Virginia Cavalry. Captured in Culpeper County on September 13, 1863.

Private Thomas Henry Selecman
Company A, Fourth Virginia Cavalry. Enlisted March 9, 1862. Captured at Strasburg on October 10, 1864 and sent to Point Lookout Prison, in Maryland.

Private Benjamin F. Trice
Company F, Forty-third Battalion Virginia Cavalry. Private Trice's house was located on the Old Colchester Road going toward Lewis Chapel, on the upper side on Giles Run on the right was the Trice house. The Trice house burned down before 1936.

Lieutenant Alexander Chapman Williams
Company D, Seventeenth Virginia Infantry. Absent sick May and June 1862. Paroled in Winchester, Virginia May 4, 1865. Died at Mainside, his residence in Fairfax County on January 14th, Fifty-nine years of age. Originally interred at Preston, however, the grave was moved when National Airport was built.

Vietnam War

Wayne Kirkland
Wayne Kirkland, a Philadelphia native, was drafted into the US Army in 1970 when he was 26 years old. Kirkland graduated basic training in October 1970, and was being sent to Vietnam when he was pulled out and sent to Germany as a Military Policeman, or “MP.” Kirkland was stationed in Nuremburg with the 793rd MP Battalion, serving from 1970-1972. His partner was African American. The duo were referred to as a “Salt and Pepper Team,” and drew a lot of controversy from fellow MPs. While breaking up a bar fight in Germany, Kirkland was pushed down a flight of stairs by a rowdy soldier, giving him a back injury which eventually led to his discharge. Kirkland left the Army qualified as Expert Marksman with the M14, and sharpshooter with the M16. He also earned the National Defense Ribbon and a Good Conduct Medal.

Korean War

William Wilson Wright
William W. Wright of Arlington, VA, born in 1918 had an extensive service record, spanning numerous eras of military history. During WWII, serving in the Pacific Theater, Wright earned a Silver Star on the island of Guadalcanal for destroying no less than 9 Japanese tanks. In Korea, Wright earned a Bronze Star at the Chosin Reservoir, a battle characterized by freezing temperatures and barren landscape. During the Vietnam War from 1967 to 1968, Wright was the USAFI (United States Armed Forces Institute) Officer at the University of Virginia.

Boyd Nesaw
Boyd Nesaw, born in August 1929, served in the US Airforce during the Korean War. Nesaw served during the early Airforce, as it only separated from the Army in 1947. Nesaw achieved the rank of Airman First Class.

World War II

George William Cyr
George W. Cyr was born on February 20, 1920, in Amesbury, Massachusetts. Cyr served during WWII in the Army Air Forces in Europe with the 455th Bomb Group, 743rd Squadron, 15th Air Force. Cyr earned the Distinguished Flying Cross (awarded for heroism or extraordinary achievement while in aerial flight) and four Air Medals (awarded for heroic or meritorious achievement while in aerial flight). Once, while on a mission, his copilot was hit by anti-aircraft shrapnel in the leg. Concerned that he would bleed out, Cyr took the plane to low altitudes and dropped the payload in order to return to base to seek medical attention. The copilot lived, and the piece of shrapnel from his leg is now a family heirloom. Cyr was awarded three bronze stars, and left the military at the rank of Captain. In addition to serving the nation through military service, Cyr also served as the Executive Director of the U.S. Constitution Council and the Council of the Thirteen Original States. George W. Cyr died February 8, 1981, at the age of 60.

Archibald Erskine Nevitt
Archibald E. Nevitt was born on August 25, 1923. Nevitt served in the 29th Infantry Division during WWII. Nevitt participated in the Normandy Invasion, and was scheduled to hit the beach with the 2nd wave. His landing craft’s door would not go down, which delayed landing several hours. After landing, Nevitt would go on to be promoted in the field to Sergeant, and was recommended for a Silver Star for his actions. Nevitt fought through St. Lo with the 29th, and recalled numerous close encounters with enemy forces, once almost committing suicide to avoid capture. Through all this, Nevitt refused to go home with a medical discharge. Archibald E. Nevitt ended the war with two Purple Hearts, and died at the age of 79 of natural causes.

Robert Cockroft
At 23, Colonel Robert Cockroft served during WWII as one of the youngest Majors in Patton’s 3rd Army. Cockroft was the Executive Officer of the 748th Tank Battalion, nicknamed the “Rhinos,” which saw extensive action in the European Theater of Operations. Cockroft was a ROTC graduate, and after tank training at Camp Bouse, Arizona, Cockroft was shipped to a training camp in Whales. In August 1944, Cockroft’s Battalion came ashore at Utah Beach, where he participated in the Liberation Campaign, from Western France to the Elbe River. Cockroft participated in liberating numerous Concentration Camps all over Germany with the 3rd Army, including Mauthausen and Buchenwald. Cockroft was awarded a Bronze Star, cited for a period when the 748th advanced 500 miles from the Saar River to the Danube. Like many of his fellow 3rd Army soldiers, Cockroft was quite the fan of Patton for his colorful language and big personality. As Cockroft would often say, “Patton was Old Blood And Guts, but he didn’t lose many men.” Cockroft served in the Army Reserves until 1980, where he retired as a Colonel.

Irving L. Hicks
Irving Hicks, born in 1923, enlisted in the US Army Air Corps on December 8, 1942. Hicks, a sales clerk in civilian life, served as a Private during the war.

Stewart Stranahan Pease
Stewart S. Pease was drafted into the US Army March 13, 1941. He was serving as guard on duty in the Southern US on December 7, 1941. (Pearl Harbor Day) He later served in North Africa and eventually in Germany achieving the status of Sergeant in the US Army.

World War I

Robert Nevitt
The brother of Archibald Nevitt, WWII Pohick Church Veteran, Robert Nevitt served in the US Army during the First World War. Nevitt left the army with a dishonorable discharge, and took his own life in 1942.

Hugh Williams
Hugh Williams born March 19, 1891 in Medaryville Indiana, was the son of Williams P. Williams and Julia E. MacArthur. He served in WWI as a private 1st class in Battery D of the 140th Field Artillery (cannon). He departed from Hoboken NJ bound for the Northern Pacific on August 31, 1918.