IV. Pohick Church Historic POHICK CHURCH, the parish church of Truro Parish, which shared with Christ Church, Alexandria (p. 514), the distinction of being for many years the place of worship of the Washington family, is situated about seven miles almost due W. of Mt. Vernon. It is difficult of access except by automobile, the only railway communication being by the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac R.R., the schedule of which is so arranged that the visitor must waste his entire day from 7:35 A. M. to 6:40 P. M., except on Saturdays when the round trip may be made between 2.05 and 6.40 P. M. The train stops on signal at Pohick station. In History. The original edifice of Pohick Church was situated about two miles N.W. of the present location, on what was known as Michael Reagan's Hill, on the road leading from Alexandria to Colchester and the south, and it was in this earlier building that George Washington's father, Alexander, served as Vestryman from 1735 throughout his brief residence on his Hunting Creek property. George Washington, in his turn, was first elected Vestryman October 25th, 1762, and took an active part in church affairs during the following twelve years. In 1705 Truro Parish was divided by Act of Assembly which created the new Parish of Fairfax. Since Dogue Run was part of the dividing line, Mt. Vernon found itself transferred to the new parish. The general protest raised by the parent parish resulted in the appointment of a Committee of Burgesses, including Washington, who two months later secured the passage of a supplementary Act transferring the northern boundary to Little Hunting Creek; consequently Mt. Vernon is to this day included in Pohick Parish. 1767, when the present surviving edifice was projected, the membership of the church included, among other distinguished men, George William Fairfax, George Mason, Captain Daniel McCarty and Edward Payne. These four men, together with Washington, constituted the building committee who, on April 7th, 1769, signed an agreement for the construction of the church, the contractor agreeing to complete the work by September 1st, 1772. The new site was chosen by Washington, being two miles nearer his home than the old building. The cost of its erection was met mainly through the generosity of another member, Daniel French, who did not live to see its completion, for it is recorded that his executor, George Mason, tendered the completed church to the Vestry February 15th, 1774. Washington purchased pew No. 28 in the new church, situated in the centre, before the Communion Table, on the N. aisle. Pew No. 29 was first taken by Lund Washington (for many years manager of Mt. Vernon), but later bought from him by George Washington, who retained both of these large square pews throughout his life, notwithstanding that in later years he and his family worshipped chiefly at Christ Church. Among the Rectors of Pohick Church were two men somewhat intimately associated with Washington; Parson Weems, author of the famous cherry tree and hatchet story, and Dr. Charles Green, who was an M.D. as well as a D.D., and during the 50's was the family physician at Mt. Vernon. The venerable church survived in fairly good condition until the Civil War, during which the whole interior was ripped out by soldiers, and the building used as a stable for their horses. After the war, practically nothing remained but the brick walls and a dilapidated roof. No steps were taken to restore or preserve the church until after the election in 1895 of Miss Amy Townsend of New York as a Vice-Regent of the Mt. Vernon Ladies' Association. She promptly interested herself in this undertaking, and thanks to her energtic efforts through twenty years, Pohick Church is now completely restored. The work of restoration was carried on under the supervision of the well known Washington architect, Glenn Brown, who has endeavored so far as practicable to reproduce the original features, both in design and decoration. The double pews and pulpit and chancel are painted cream color with enamel finish, the walls are light buff and the ceiling ivory. The windows which, as well as the doors, were donated by J. Pierpont Morgan, are of ground glass, and the outside is of a green tint in keeping with the original window lights. Special interest attaches to the railings from the fact that a Federal soldier who had taken a baluster as a souvenir, sent it back when he heard of the proposed restoration, thus enabling the architect to make duplicates. The stone Baptismal Font, missing for many years, was finally found in a neighboring farmyard where it was utilized as a watering trough. The belfry, directly opposite the church, was donated by Augustus Schermerhorn of New York. It contains a large bronze bell inscribed "In Memory of Washington." The wrought iron gates and colonial brick wall at the entrance to the grounds were the joint gift of Roger Winthrop, James Ludlow, Gerard Beekman and Van Horn Stuyvesant, all of New York. During the Civil War the sandstone trimmings of the church were much chipped by soldiers, and today many of their names and initials may still be read. For explanation of abbreviations used see p. xii, most Ardsley, W. and G., Atzeroth, hanged, 351 sculp., 436 Area, xvii embassy, 40, 235; former le- Auditors' bldg., 348 Austin, S. F., 95 Barse, G. R., Jr., mu- Bartholdi, A., sculp., 244 Austria-Hungary, for- Barye, coll. of bronzes, mer "Avenue of Presi- Avenues, arrangement,| B Baseball, 27 Bastille key, 498, 500 "Battle Hymn of Re- -, R., home, 238 B., Baltimore, Lord, 415 trolley route, 19; R. R. station, 358 hotel, rates, 5 521 Banks, 42 Baptist churches, 34 grave, 410 Barlow, J., home, 224 fleet burned, xxxii 192, 414 Barry, Com. J., statue, 150 - 228 Beall, Charles, 413 Gen. E. F., home, Belasco Theatre, 187 Belknap, Gen. W. V., Bell, Alex. Graham, Melville, death, Farms Lunch, 9 415 mar- ing, Boardman, Mabel T., Braddock, Gen., land- Bodley, arch., 457 'F... Boggs, T. K., coll. 40, 352; Brad 519 cross, 436 - 136 H., home, W. A., pres. "Old- 40, 191; former legation, Borglum, G., sculptor, -, Rev., 93, 163, 165, 229, 241- 242 188, 193, 231; grave, Blashfield, E. H., mu-, W. M., Georgetown rals, 400, 401 home, 238 142 Board of Trade, Wash., home, 478 373 Boyle, J. J., sculptor, Boys' Club of Wash., John. 136 Rev. est., 433 Harewood W. D., botanist, 241 Brice, C. S., home, 192 relics, 330 95 "Brother Jonathan," 93 229 -, Dr., phys. to Wash- G. H., 114 229; -, Justice H. B., home, M., home, 236 |