DeLoachCemetery

History of Rhodesville Baptist Church
Rhodesville, Orange County, Virginia
From an old typed loose paper purchased in 2005 in Culpeper, Virginia

On the third Sunday in May, l882, in response to a letter written by Mrs. Lillian R. Faulconcr in consultation with Mrs. Thomas J. Hatch, Dr. W. H. Hill (then pastor at Antioch) delivered the first sermon in the immediate community of Rhoadesville. Miss Susan Anne Rhoades volunteered the use of her home as the place for the service. So successful was this first meeting that, following the sermon, a Sunday School was organized.

Miss Rhoades continued to provide the School a warm Sunday welcome until an increasing attendance made it necessary to move the School to a near-by log cabin. Soon thereafter, the site of the School was moved to the ”Brush Arbor”, thence to the Free School House.

Through the several stages, as outlined above, Mr. J. J. Mann served as superintendent. He was followed by Willie Harris of Louisa County, Virginia, then succeeded himself the next summer. The visible growth of religious influence in the Rhoadesville area matured into the development, on November 11, 1888, of a full-fledged church. Here, on this day, the Rhoadesville Baptist Church was born.

Organization took place in the storeroom belonging to Mr. Thomas J. Hatch. Mr. H. E. Hatcher served as chairman, Dr. W. J. Crittendon, acting cleric. Charter members of the new church who were present were W. James Bledsoe, Mrs. Virginia Bond, Isaac Britton, Mrs. Virginia S. Britton, John Will lean Clark, John James Clark, Mrs. Susan II. Clark, Mrs. Josie Coleman, W. J. Crittendon, James William Faulconer, James L. Gardner, J. J. Mann, Mrs. Mary Hughes, Mrs. Mary Watkins, and g. Robert Waugh.

To have met unofficially in mid-1882 and to organize in late 1888 certainly indicates that the Rhoadesville Baptist Church was a strong religious influence throughout the area. There were, however, several conditions which greatly stimulated the organization and growth of this young Church. The following are considered foremost among the many considerations; (l) a Sunday School of increasing popularity and usefulness, (2) the disbanding of neighboring Mt. Pisgah Church; many of her membership finding a

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church home at Rhoadesville, (3) the Baptist Church at Unionville chancing her doctrinal belief to the faith and practices of Mr. Alexander Campbell (minister in the Disciple's Church); those not finding the new doctrinal position their doctrinal belief joined the Rhoadesville Baptist Church, and (4) a great increase in local sermons and area evangelistic efforts on the part of Messrs, H. E. Hatcher, J. A. Osborne, J. K. Sizer and Prof. G.B. Moore.

The fourth Sunday in May, 1889, less than one year following the founding of the Church, marked the organization of the Rhoadesville Baptist Church's first Woman's Missionary Society. The following are listed as charter members (W.M.S.); Mrs. Lillian R. Faulconer, President; Mrs. Ella Richards, Vice President; Mrs. W. J. Clark, Secretary; Mrs. W. J. Crittendon, Treasurer; Mrs. J. J. Mann; Mrs. Sarah J. Mann, Mrs. Virginia Bond; Mrs. Virginia S. Britton; Mrs. Mary H. Hughes; Mrs. Virginia Goldman; Mrs. Ellen C, Waugh; Mrs. Parry Lumsden; Mrs. Lucy Lancaster; Miss Mamie Mann; Miss Julia Mann; Miss Stella Clark; Miss Mary Clark; and Miss Molly Brown. The Women’s Missionary Society has contributed greatly to the Church through the years since its founding.

On September 3, 1889, the Church sent Messers. W. James Bledsoe, John B. Herndon and James M. Gardner as delegates to the Goshen Baptist Association meeting at Beaver Dam Baptist Church in Fluvanna County, The purpose of their mission was to seek admission into the Goshen Baptist Association. Following examination of the covenant and constitution of the Rhoadesville Church, the same was duly admitted to membership into the Goshen Association.

Soon after official organization in 1888, the Church called Mr. E. G. Baptist to fill the post of her first pastor. As the direct result of strenuous efforts and great personal sacrifices on the part of both pastor and membership, the first house of worship was soon completed. Of great assistance was the gift of one acre of land by Mr. Thomas J. Hatch for the church building site and the Goshen Baptist Association which contributed $20.00. For those members who could contribute neither land nor money, theirs was a contribution of goods and cervices. For example, Mr. Robert Waugh volunteered to provide foundation stone raid floor

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beams for the now building. This he did; and while the rock foundation has since been replaced by concrete, the hand-hewn beams are visible today in the basement of the Church — as solid and durable as the day they were installed. Mr. James W. Faulconer supplied all the lumber for the Church from his sawmill. Cut from the Bulloch tract, some ten miles distant, all the lumber was sledded in by numerous teams of oxen. One of those whose teams brought many loads of lumber to the construction site was “Uncle Billie” McIntosh. An elderly Negro, much-beloved by the entire community, “Uncle Billie” made countless trips to and from the Faulconer sawmill without charge to the membership. It is thought that he was one of the founders of the still-existing Negro Church just east of Rhoadesville. Another important contributor to this early Church was Mr. John Clark. Living then near the vicinity of the overhead bridge (east of Rhoadesville), Mr. Clark supervised practically, all of the Church construction and later reconstruction. The steeple, added in about the- year 1900, was under his close supervision.

Suddenly, on March 20, 1892, the Rhoadesville Baptist Church burned. It was beyond use or repair. A much-discouraged and long-suffering Christian group met for its next assembly in the self-same Free School it had occupied several years earlier. Planning began immediately for a new Church. Fortunately, the building was adequately insured and a check in the amount of $400 assured that the Church would be restored. Now, however, instead of the previous structure size (32 feet X 40 feet), the new Church grew to 32 foot X 50 feet. The now Church, scarcely eleven months under construction, was dedicated on the fourth Sunday of January.

In November, 1893, the Rhoadesville Baptist Church reluctantly accepted Mr. E. G. Baptist's resignation as pastor. Since that time, we have had the following pastors; T. W. T. Noland. H. T. Mussleman; J. W. T. McNeil; Tupper Wingfield; Samuel Saunders; A. J. Coons; W. R. Flannagan; A. B. Bass; Joseph Snead; M. G. Leaman; E. V. Peyton; C. L. Eubank; Scott Craig; R. T. Hayes; E. W. Marshburn; John F. Robinson; A. C. Walker; James A. Beale; and

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George W. Strickler, Jr.

The present century has witnessed many additions and improvements to the Church facilities. In 1929, Sunday School rooms were added and a new parsonage was built. During this sane period, Mr. P. H. Faulconer presented to the Church a brick serpentine wall fronting the cemetery and the numerous boxwood plantings inside the cemetery. In 1955, a basement was added to the church providing kitchen facilities, recreation room, rest room facilities, and additional Sunday School rooms. In 1963, a baptistry was added. Through the years constant effort has been directed toward the beautification of our Church grounds. Through the combined efforts of members of the Rhoadesville Baptist Church many other improvements have been made to our church buildings -and provision has been made for the perpetual care and upkeep of our cemetery.

Our Church has had a great history because GOD has led us. Let's all give HIM thanks for HIS blessings in the past and pledge together to seek HIS will and leadership in the future.