The History of the City of Fredericksburg, Virginia

by S. J. Quinn

Up to the first of the nineteenth century the only denomination holding regular services in town was the Episcopalians, as that was the only denomination that had a house of worship, but in the early part of that century other denominations organized churches in town, built houses of worship and have continued to occupy them to the present. Since then Fredericksburg has not been without a sufficient number of churches for the accommodation of her entire church-going population. There are at present eleven church buildings in town—seven for the whites and four for the colored people. The seating capacity of the white church buildings is about three thousand and that of the colored churches about one thousand five hundred, making the total seating capacity of the churches of Fredericksburg about four thousand five hundred, being ample accommodation for the church-going population, both white and colored.

Jackson Monument. Erected where he was mortally wounded May 2, 1863.
(See [page 96])

ST. GEORGE’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH.

The history of the Episcopal church in Fredericksburg is of peculiar interest to the people of the town because of its antiquity and because of its intimate connection with the history and affairs of the town. In the year 1732, seven years after the town was laid out and named, the first church building was erected in Fredericksburg.[69] It was in St. George’s parish, which embraced the whole of Spotsylvania county, which then contained all the territory west, as far as it was or might be settled by the whites. A church building had previously been erected in the county, on the Po river, for the accommodation of the people of the county. This church is said to have been located on the Catharpin road, on the top of the hill west of Mine run, on the south side of the road, where the Yellow church was afterwards built by the Baptists and which was destroyed some years ago. This stream is not the Po, but one of its tributaries and may then have been called the Po.

The first pastor the Fredericksburg church had after the completion of its building was Rev. Patrick Henry, uncle of the great orator and statesman of that name. He served the church for two years, and in 1735 was succeeded by Rev. James Marye,[70] of Goochland county, who died as rector of the church in 1769, having served it faithfully for thirty-four years. Rev. James Marye was succeeded in the rectorship by his son, Rev. James Marye, Jr., who was rector for eleven years. From 1780, when the second James Marye closed his labors, to 1813 the church had many rectors, but their stay was of short duration.

In the year 1787 the Common Council, through a committee of its members, repaired and enlarged the church building by adding another wing, (one having been previously constructed, mentioned elsewhere,) which made the building a cross in shape. The cost for this work amounted to four hundred and six pounds, a part of which was raised by the committee by an appeal to the private citizens for donations, because of the depleted condition of the city treasury. In the same year the Council prepared and adopted a petition to the Legislature of Virginia, praying for a division of St. George’s parish and for vesting “the property of the old church and the new burying ground in Fredericksburg in the corporation of said town.”

Mr. James Monroe,[71] who was a member of the Council and a vestryman of St. George’s church, (who was afterwards a member of the Legislature, a Representative in Congress, a United States Senator, twice Governor of Virginia, twice Minister to France, twice Minister to England, Minister to Spain, Secretary of State, Secretary of War, two terms President of the United States, Presiding Justice of Loudoun county and Visitor of the University of Virginia,) was appointed chairman of the committee to present the petition and secure the desired action of the Legislature. If any report was ever made by Mr. Monroe, neither it nor any reference to it can be found. It is quite likely that the law separating church and State, which was passed that year, made it unnecessary.

As has been stated, that after the death of the younger Marye, for more than thirty years the pastorates of the church were short and unsatisfactory. The cause for this state of things has not been recorded and conjecture is needless. In 1813 Edward C. McGuire, of Winchester, Virginia, came to the church as lay reader, being highly recommended by Rev. Wm. Meade (who afterwards became bishop of the diocese) as a young man of character and piety. Mr. McGuire was soon ordained and became rector of the church, serving it with great acceptance and success to the day of his death, in 1858, a period of forty-five years.[72]