|
Chronological
History of Lebanon
1734 -
The Woods Family Crosses Woods (Jarman) Gap
- “Mountain Plains” and “Piedmont” established
- Presbyterian Church established at “Mountain Plains”
1738
Rev. James Anderson preaches throughout the area
1740’s The Great Awakening in
Virginia and America
America
1742
Rev. William Robinson arrives in Virginia
1744 Albemarle
County formed out of Goochland County
Before 1745 Hannah Woods Wallace
weaves communion linen (displayed in Narthex)
1747 - Rev. Samuel Black called to
pastor congregations of Mt. Plains, Ivy, and Rockfish
- Rev. Samuel Davies Petitions Governor in Williamsburg
1750’s Height of the French
and Indian War
1775-1781 American
Revolution- “Presbyterian Rebellion”
1824
Mt. Plains reorganized into “Lebanon
and Mt. Plains and Mt. Plains Church”
1820’s Church moved from
Mt. Plains
location to Dick Woods Road
1831
Bills for new building at Dick Woods Road
paid in fuRoad paid in full
1833
Old Mountain Plains location sold to the
Baptis
Baptists
1855
Current building built
1856
Brookland School established
1861
- Virginia Secedes from the Union and
joins
Confederacy
-
- Presbyterian Church splits, North and S
South
1936
Basement added
1945 Manse occupied for the
first time
1960
T-shaped addition
1970’s Revival and growth
1978
Formation of Church of the Blue Ridge
1983 Reunification of the
Northern and S
Southern Presbyterian Churches (f
formation of PCUSA)
1985 Lebanon leaves the PCUSA
and joins the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC)
|
A
General History of Lebanon Presbyterian Church
From a
presentation by Thomas L. Musselman, Jr. given to the Albemarle County
Historical Society during the summer of 2001 at Lebanon Presbyterian
Church.
On behalf of Lebanon
I would like to welcome everyone to our church. I am proud and in many
ways humbled to be able to share with you a small yet very important
part of the history of Albemarle. Many old churches across the Atlantic
are nothing more than museums. It is our intention at Lebanon to
continue the work of Christ and to propagate His gospel with the same
conviction and fervor of our early settlers. From them we truly have a
great deal to learn.
Throughout the history of Presbyterianism, Presbyterians have time and
time again shown a remarkable inclination to stand up for their beliefs
and convictions, even if it meant going through great hardship. In this
regard, the people of Lebanon and the Presbyterians in this area are no
exception.
Presbyterians predate the county of Albemarle itself- having inhabited
what is now Albemarle for nearly 270 years. Although 1747 is the year
Lebanon has traditionally considered its beginning- it is necessary to
go back a few years earlier for a better understanding of Lebanon’s
roots. In 1734 a hardy group of Ulster Scots made their way through the
wilderness of Virginia and up the sparsely settled Shenandoah Valley,
crossing the formidable spine of the Blue Ridge Mountains at Wood’s Gap
(Display Map). This gap is better known
today as Jarman Gap. This band of settlers was lead by the patriarch,
Michael Woods, who was born in Northern Ireland in 1684. With him came
the Wallaces, who were his sons-in-laws, as well as the Kinceads,
Jamesons, McCords and Stocktons. It was also in 1734 that William
Wallace, Michael Woods’ son-in-law, established “Piedmont”, his
homestead here in Greenwood. Many of these families would become
prominent figures in the history of Mt. Plains and Lebanon Churches, and
Albemarle County itself.
At the
time of their arrival, Albemarle was all but uninhabited, save only a
hand full of Anglicans who were at the same time traversing the rivers
from the east. In my research I was surprised to discover one of my own
ancestors (Howard Cash) was listed with William Wallace as being one of
the first to patent land in Albemarle. Even more ironic, it appears my
ancestor had nothing to do with Lebanon and was most likely Anglican by
faith- but I’ll forgive him for that.
Although
it appears a few Anglicans had permanently settled in the eastern part
of the county, the Woods clan was the first to settle in Western
Albemarle. It is also believed they were the first Presbyterians to
settle on the East foot of the Blue Ridge (footnote). And speaking of
Presbyterians- the Presbyterians had along with other Calvinists the
reputation for being uncompromising in their beliefs, a hardy lot with a
desire to worship freely as their belief in God dictated. England took
advantage of the situation and encouraged these dissenters as the
English called them, to settle the wilderness areas of Virginia and the
New World. Remember- at this time, the British were engaged with the
enemy- not the Americans, not necessarily the Indians- but Catholic
France. Americans commonly refer to this struggle as the French and
Indian War. It had only been a short while since England had rid
itself of Roman Catholicism- and they had no intention of allowing it to
regain prominence in Britain, even if it meant building relationships
with more reformed groups such as the Presbyterians. The British
generally tolerated what they considered dissenters- namely the
Presbyterians- to serve as a buffer, providing protection from the
French and their Indian allies to the west.
Soon
after arrival in Western Albemarle, the Presbyterians built a crude log
cabin to serve as their first meeting house. The house of worship was
on the plantation established by Michael Woods at Mt. Plains, and was
erected in the year of their arrival in 1734. Mt. Plains was the name
of the first Presbyterian church in Albemarle and out of this Lebanon
draws its existence. As we will see, the name Lebabon did not appear in
any documents until 1824, but when it did, the names Mt. Plains and
Lebanon were used together to refer to the same church for some years.
For example, the documents in the display case refer to the church as
Lebanon and Mountain Plains Church (singular).
Over the
next few years, other settlers, and other Presbyterians began to spill
into the area. In 1738 Rev. James Anderson preached to the
Presbyterians in this area. As a result of the difficult and time
consuming nature of travel in Eighteenth Century Virginia- it is
probable there were several meeting places among the Presbyterian
families who, in many cases, lived only a few miles apart. This no
doubt hampered any effort to establish one large meeting house- but
resulted in several small congregations- congregations that in many
cases met in homes. It probably hampered any efforts to successfully
call a full-time minister as well.
The
1740’s ushered in The Great Awakening, which had a tremendous impact on
Colonial America. Although New England was affected first, Virginia
soon became a part of this revival. The Established Church and the
royal government feared many of the evangelical preachers and their
strong criticism of the inequities of the day. Here, we also see how
willing Presbyterians were to stand up for their convictions. Indeed,
Puritan and Presbyterian Calvinists had long since established their
presence in Britain. During the English Civil War, Calvinists took
control of Parliament and eventually beheaded the resistant King Charles
I in 1649. The result was 11 years without a monarch in Britain.
Therefore, it is easy to see why the Established Church and the royal
government were at times fearful, and at other times hostile towards the
Presbyterians- especially during a time of spiritual revival, when
perhaps the threat posed by the Presbyterians was at its height.
In a
spirit of revival, Rev. William Robinson came to Virginia in 1742 and
1743. He began to lay the foundation for the Great Awakening in
Virginia. He preached with great success to congregations throughout
the colony, including those in Albemarle. During his stay, he was
arrested and imprisoned for preaching without a license in Orange
County, Virginia. In 1747, the year Presbyterians in Albemarle called
their first permanent pastor, Rev. Samuel Davies also came to Virginia.
While in Virginia, Davies successfully petitioned Gov. William Gooch
for the right to hold religious worship outside the Anglican Church (Va
pilot). It is said Davies “drew crowds of several thousand when there
weren’t even towns that big” in Virginia. Samuel Davies, an ardent
Presbyterian “upset the status quo and helped pave the way for
revolution”. Presbyterians were known to preach the value of
self-government and used within its own structure a representative
government, and believed with deep conviction that Jesus Christ was the
head of the church- not the king.
With
Davies, it began to become apparent that Presbyterians were having a
tremendous impact on Anglicans as well as those who were traditionally
Presbyterian. Gov. Gooch himself seemed to appreciate Davies’ message.
On one occasion, when a member of the Anglican clergy came to
Williamsburg and demanded of the governor to punish Davies for preaching
without a license, the Governor responded, “I am surprised at you!- you
profess to be a minister of Jesus Christ, - and for preaching the
gospel! For shame, Sir! Go home, and mind your own duty. For such a
piece of conduct, you deserve to have your gown stripped over your
shoulders.” (Foote pg 166). On another occasion the story goes that one
of those who heard Davies petition the Governor said, “There goes a good
lawyer wasted.” (Pilot) Although unclear the exact impact Davies had
on the Presbyterians in Albemarle, it is clear he was largely
responsible for changing the world around them, and changing the
perceptions that non-Presbyterians had of Presbyterians.
On March
29, 1747 (a mere two weeks before Davies petitioned the governor before
the General Court in Williamsburg) the congregations of Mt. Plains, Ivy
Creek, and Rockfish called Samuel Black as their pastor, and probably
the first ordained Presbyterian minister to actually reside in
Albemarle. The signers of the formal call agreed to pay Rev. Black 31
pounds and 11 shillings each year. A May 14, 1967 article in the
News-Virginian said this amounted to $89 a year- not much money, even if
one considers inflation. When Samuel Black came to Albemarle, it is
believed there were only 3 other Presbyterian ministers residing in
Virginia- namely Craig, Miller and Davies.
Not much
documentary evidence exists for Lebanon or Mt. Pains during the time of
the American Revolution. Perhaps due to the incredible turmoil that
took place during this time. One thing is clear, Presbyterians played a
huge role in the Revolution supporting every aspect of it- and the
Presbyterians in Albemarle were of the same mold. Not many people
realize that King George and England viewed the American Revolution as
the “Presbyterian Rebellion”. The following excerpt comes from “Our
Presbyterian Heritage” by Paul Carlson:
Horace Walpole rose from his
seat in the British House of Commons to report on the “extraordinary
proceedings” which had lately occurred in the far-off colonies of the
New World. “There is no good crying about the matter, Cousin America
has run off with a Presbyterian parson, and that is the end of it.”
That “Presbyterian parson” was none other than John Witherspoon,
president of the College of New Jersey (now Princeton), and the only
clergyman to sign the Declaration of Independence.
Presbyterians indeed played
a huge role in our Nations quest for independence. It is important to
note that colonists in Virginia prior to the Revolution (regardless of
persuasion) were bound by law to support the Anglican Church. Their
money was used to pay Anglican ministers and to build and maintain
Anglican churches. As late as the 1740’s, you could be fined for not
attending church. This set of conditions (among others) proved to be
intolerable to Americans.
The
colonial population of America, including Virginia, had become more and
more distant from that of Britain. At the time of the Revolution, the
estimated population of the American colonies was 3 million. Out of
this number, nearly two-thirds were Calvinists- Presbyterians being the
largest of these Calvinist groups. The other groups were English
Puritans of New England, the Dutch Reformed, French Huguenots, and
various German reformed groups. Even in Virginia, the most Anglican of
all the colonies, Anglicans had become the minority. It is easy to see
why paying taxes to the Church of England had become a truly volatile
issue- given the fact that so few were of the Anglican persuasion. In
the Revolution there was no divide among Presbyterians like there was
among the Anglicans. Presbyterians were united in their quest for
independence. Thomas Smyth wrote, “When Cornwallis was driven back to
ultimate retreat and surrender at Yorktown, all of the colonels of the
Colonial Army but one were Presbyterian elders…”
It is
apparent the members of Mt. Plains were, like other Presbyterians,
willing to risk hardship to stand up and fight for what they believed.
Michael Wallace, son of William Wallace was Captain of a military
company during the Revolution and was a ruling elder in Mountain Plains
Church. We also know that in the Wallace family, Michael’s first
cousins Adam and Andrew Wallace displayed great gallantry in the battle
of Guilford C.H. in North Carolina.
Now I am
going to jump all the way to 1824. It is on August 17 of this year that
Mt. Plains was officially reorganized into “Lebanon and Mt. Plains”.
Documents in our display case still refer to the church as “Lebanon and
Mountain Plane Church” as late as 1840. Incidentally, also in 1840- the
list of members included 85 people, 5 of whom were designated as
“coloured” members.
Sometime
in the 1820’s the congregation of Mountain Plains moved to its new
location on the Dick Woods road site. (show map) It is around this time
that they also incorporated “Lebanon” into its name. On this site
there is a tombstone marking the grave of Robert Henderson who died in
1826. In 1831, the bills for the brickwork and carpentry for “Lebanon
and Mt. Plains Church” was paid off. In 1833, the old site of Mountain
Plains Presbyterian Church was sold to the Baptists. Mountain Plains
Baptist Church is still located on this site. In 1855 the building we
are in now was built and Lebanon (as we are now known) stopped meeting
at the Dick Woods Road location and began meeting here.
In 1856,
shortly after Lebanon built our current building, William Dinwiddie
founded Brookland School in Greenwood. William was a member of Lebanon
and assured the students at Brookland received an education rooted in
God’s word. During the Civil War Brookland School served as a hospital
and housed refugees from Northern Virginia. Brookland eventually became
Greenwood School, a school I am happy to say I attended during my
elementary years.
In 1861,
unable to reach any agreement with the Lincoln administration, Virginia
was forced to secede from the Union and prepared to defend itself from
invasion. As always, Presbyterians on both sides were quick to fight
for their convictions. The Presbyterian Church in America (like almost
every other major denomination) split north and south during the Civil
War. Numerous men at Lebanon fought for Virginia and the Confederacy.
Some of these men were Rev. William Dinwiddie, James Iverson Critzer,
George Pilson Wallace, Martin Schultz, and John Thomas Wharton. The
Reverend William Dinwiddie, who founded Brookland School previously
mentioned, was Captain of the Albemarle County Home Guards. He was
captured and taken prisoner toward the end of the war. He went on to
serve as Lebanon’s pastor until 1870.
Concerning the Civil War, a great deal is said about the prisoner of war
camp at Andersonville and the so-called atrocities that occurred there.
Perhaps conveniently, not much is said of the POW camps that were
operated by the North. Lincoln’s own Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton
noted that a higher percentage of Southern POWs died while in Northern
camps than did Northern POWs held by the south. One of Lebanon’s own
is a statistic in this regard. George Pilson Wallace died in captivity
at Point Lookout, MD in 1864. I am proud that our memorial on the wall
in the narthex has preserved this often unspoken portion of American
history.
Much can
be said of the history of Lebanon since the Civil War but in the
interest of time I will briefly cover some of the highlights. Members
of Lebanon continued to serve their country in our various wars and
conflicts. For example, men of Lebanon were present and fought with
distinction at D-Day as well as the Battle of the Bulge.
In 1936,
a basement was added to the original structure to serve as Sunday School
rooms and in 1960 the church dedicated a 22 by 47 foot building joined
in a T-shape to the rear of the original structure. In 1945, the Rev.
Charles Wideman became the first pastor of Lebanon to occupy our manse.
When my
father was the pastor of Lebanon in the 1970’s, the church experienced a
great deal of growth. Lebanon’s weekly attendance was around 200. Also,
about this same time, Presbyterians north and south began to make
preparations to rejoin the northern and southern churches that had split
along sectional lines during the Civil War. In 1978, after refusing to
accept new ordination vows imposed by the church and unwilling to
compromise their convictions on several other issues; my father, all of
the active elders and deacons of Lebanon, and the majority of its
members left the denomination and this building to form Church of the
Blue Ridge- a non-denominational church located on route 6 that
continues to flourish.
In 1983
the two largest Presbyterian Denominations reunited to form the PCUSA.
These two denominations were formed from the mainline American
Presbyterian church that divided along sectional lines during the Civil
War. In 1985, those that remained at Lebanon left the PCUSA and joined
the newer and smaller Evangelical Presbyterian Church- a Presbyterian
denomination my father had joined only a few years earlier.
Today, in
the spirit of true Christian Reconciliation, Lebanon and Church of the
Blue Ridge have a strong friendship and the respective members often
attend each other’s functions.
Lebanon
has indeed seen many changes in its nearly 270 year history. It has
existed under 3 national governments, witnessed and participated in
various wars to include the American Revolution and the Civil War; it
has seen generations of members who have been willing to take a stand,
regardless of the cost. It has been ministered to by nearly 40
pastors. Today, we are more excited than ever
to be Christians living in a free country and like many that have gone
before us- are eager to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with others.
|