Part 19 (2/2)

Broaddus, D. D., Rev. Wm. H. Williams, Rev. Thomas S. Dunaway, D. D., Rev.

Jacob S. Dill, D. D., and Rev. R. Aubrey Williams, who is now serving the church. Dr. Dunaway's pastorate covered a period of thirty-two years, during which he greatly endeared himself to the church and people of the town, and was eminently successful in winning souls and building up the church. The Baptist church has a large and flouris.h.i.+ng Sunday school connected with it that has had but four superintendents for sixty-three years. George W. Garnett[80] was superintendent for thirty and Prof. A. B.

Bowering served nearly twenty-three years, S. J. Quinn ten, and B. P.

Willis, having just been elected, has entered upon the work.

THE METHODIST CHURCH.

The Methodists, who, for a number of years, were designated as a society, held services in Fredericksburg as early as 1786. For a number of years they held meetings from house to house, and were very active workers. It is not known when the first church or society was formed, or by whom it was organized, but it is known that persons united with that denomination before the dawn of the nineteenth century, and that Father Kobler commenced his ministry here as a local preacher in the year 1789, and continued his labors as such for over half a century. Therefore it may be concluded that the first organization of that denomination in Fredericksburg held its meetings in private houses for more than thirty years.

The first house of wors.h.i.+p built by the Methodists in town, that we have any record or tradition of, was erected in 1822, on the lot in rear of Hurkamp park, fronting on George street, and occupied by Colonel E. D.

Cole as a stable and lumber yard. It was then outside of the city limits and was known as Liberty Town. It was a small frame building and was occupied until 1841, when the old church on Hanover street was finished.

The services were then held in the new house and the old frame church building was turned over to the colored Methodists, who occupied it for some time. It was destroyed by fire about 1852.

Some years after occupying the church building on Hanover street, the question of slavery, which had been so vigorously discussed by the denomination North and South, was the theme of discussion in the church at Fredericksburg. The feeling became strong between the parties and increased in intensity until it resulted in a split in the church. One division was known as the Northern Methodist, as its members opposed slavery, while the other division was known as the Southern Methodist, its members favoring slavery. When the difference became so marked and the feeling so bitter, that the parties could not longer wors.h.i.+p together, the Southern Methodists withdrew, and held services in the second story of the town hall for some time. The Northern wing remained in the Hanover street house until the beginning of the Civil war.

In the year 1852 the southern division of the church erected a handsome brick building on the south corner of George and Charles streets, where Mr. P. V. D. Conway's residence now stands, in which they wors.h.i.+pped until the war came on, when the sessions of the church were almost suspended.

Since the Civil war the two churches united and occupied the George-street church until about the year 1879, when the old building on Hanover street was torn down and a house of modern architecture erected in its place.

Since that time the new church has been occupied and the George-street building was sold. About fifteen years ago an addition was built in rear of the church for the accommodation of the Sunday school. The church also has a parsonage on the same street, which was donated to it by Rev. John Kobler.

[Ill.u.s.tration: ”Kenmore,” Mansion of Col. Fielding Lewis, who married Betty Was.h.i.+ngton; now residence of Councilman Clarance R. Howard. (See page 155)]

[Ill.u.s.tration: ”Union House,” where Gen. Lafayette was entertained in 1824 by his friend, Mr. Ross. (See page 144)]

In 1843 Rev. John Kobler, widely known as Father Kobler, a citizen of the town, a venerable local preacher of the Methodist church, distinguished for his piety and ability and greatly beloved by all who knew him, died and was buried beneath the pulpit of the Hanover-street church. Prior to his death he wrote his ”farewell to the world,” which he requested should be read as a part of his funeral service, which was done. The farewell is almost as long as a sermon and is ”the very perfume of piety and Christian a.s.surance.” 1st. He bids farewell to the ministry of the gospel and all the ordinances of the church of G.o.d. 2nd. He bids farewell to the church in her militant state. 3rd. He bids farewell to the communion of saints.

4th. He bids farewell to prayer. 5th. He bids a final and hearty adieu to temptation and to every species of the Christian warfare. 6th and lastly.

He bids farewell to his Bible. This history of him is given on the first page of the pamphlet: ”John Kobler was born 29th of August, 1768; joined the Methodist Episcopal church 6th of December, 1786; was converted 24th of December, 1787; commenced his itinerating ministry 3rd of October, 1789; and died with glory on his lips, July 26th, 1843.”

Some ten or twelve years after the death of Father Kobler his devoted and saintly wife followed him to the glory land and she was interred by the side of her husband. When the old building was torn down and the new one erected the sacred dust of these two sleeping saints was left undisturbed, and so under the pulpit of the new church their mortal remains still repose. The present pastor of the church is Rev. W. L. Dolly, a faithful and zealous servant of the Lord.

THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH.

About the year 1832 the religious movement, in which Alexander Campbell was the leader, began in Fredericksburg. A number of citizens, adopting the views held by Mr. Campbell, were organized into a Christian or Disciples church. With commendable energy and zeal they went to work, purchased a lot and erected quite a comfortable church building on Main street, between Amelia and Lewis streets. The church prospered until the breaking out of the Civil war, when, like those of the other churches, its members were scattered and church services were suspended.

Several efforts have been made since the war to reorganize the church, but they were unsuccessful until 1897, when Rev. Mr. Rutledge preached here for some days, got the members together and the church was organized. The old building has been remodelled and modernized and is now occupied by the congregation. After the church was reorganized Rev. Cephas Shelburne was called as pastor, and by his energetic labors the members.h.i.+p was very much increased. Mr. Shelburne was succeeded by Rev. F. S. Forrer and he by Rev.

I. L. Chestnutt. The church now has no pastor.

ST. MARY'S CATHOLIC CHURCH.

The Roman Catholics had no church organization in town until the year 1859. In 1856 Bishop McGill visited Fredericksburg and preached a sermon of great ability and spiritual power, and under his influence a nucleus was formed, out of which the church was organized three years afterwards.

The newly organized church went earnestly to work at once to build a house of wors.h.i.+p, and from amounts subscribed by the members and friends in town, and the a.s.sistance they received from abroad, a neat and comfortable brick building was erected on Princess Ann street, between Charlotte and Hanover. A frame parsonage was purchased some years afterwards just below the church building, which was destroyed by fire about the year 1875, after which the present brick parsonage was erected.

The church at different periods has been visited by Bishop Gibbons, now Cardinal, and Bishop Keene, by whom it was greatly strengthened. It has had for pastors since its organization Rev. Fathers Hagan, Donnelson, O'Farrell, Sears, Brady, Becker, Tiernan, Donahoe, Wilson, Kennefick, Demunych and Coleman. Rev. Father Perrig is pastor at this time.

THE COLORED BAPTIST CHURCHES.

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