Leesburg in Loudoun County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Highlights of History / The Old Stone Church in Nineteenth-Century Leesburg

Highlights of History side of the marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), January 21, 2023

1. Highlights of History side of the marker

Inscription.

Highlights of History, also, The Old Stone Church in Nineteenth-Century Leesburg. . Highlights of History. Methodist Beginnings in Leesburg 🕀 Leesburg was a frontier crossroads in the early 1760s when a Methodist society was formed here. that society probably resulted from the preaching of Irish immigrant and Methodist lay preacher Robert Strawbridge., The first building, completed by 1770, was built of local soft stone; hence the popular name for the church., "For All the Saints" 🕀 The story of the Old Stone Church is told in the lives of the saints who have labored in the faith in this place. Their number includes:,

William Duke, who came from the Frederick Circuit to preach in Leesburg amid the gathering storm of the American Revolution., Thomas Rankin, appointed by Methodism's English founder John Wesley to work in the colonies, who found a deeply serious congregation" in Leesburg in 1775., Captain Wright Brickell, Norfolk sea captain, who in 1775 was one of the original book stewards of the Methodist Societies in America. His tombstone, dated 1777, is the earliest identified in the cemetery., Francis Asbury, American Methodism's first bishop, who preached here on his first recorded visit on February 29, 1776., William Watters (1761-1827), first American-born Methodist traveling preacher, who presided here at the Sixth Conference of American Methodism in May 1778., Richard Owings, first American-born Methodist local preacher, who died in Leesburg in October 1786., Joseph Pilmoor, John Wesley's emissary, who dedicated the second Old Stone Church building on July 24, 1790., Bishop Thomas Coke, who preached when the Virginia Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church met in Leesburg in August 1790.

, Artwork by F. Erle Prior, 1955, The Old Stone Church in Nineteenth-Century Leesburg. 🕀 The year 1812 saw the church at Leesburg in the Baltimore Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. That year the church hosted the Annual Conference, with Bishops Francis Asbury and William McKendree, and 57 preachers present., John Littlejohn, sheriff of Loudoun County and a Methodist lay preacher, frequently preached in and near Leesburg. To him was committed, during the War of 18 12, the keeping of the Archives of the United STates., Leesburg was made a "station," no longer on a circuit, in 1828, with 300 white and 80 "colored" members. Their membership was of its time, the men and women entering by separate doors and seated, segregated, on each side of the church. White and "colored" members were further segregated, with the latter seated in the balcony surrounding the interior of the church., The church interior was simple and unadorned, save for the inscription on the archway above the pulpit recess, from Genesis 16, verse 13, "Thou God Seest Me.", The Last Days of the Old Stone Church 🕀 The nineteenth century saw both the rise and the fall of Methodism's Old Stone Church in Leesburg., As sectional feelings on the slavery question caused discord among Methodists, the division reached Leesburg. By 1848 the Southern sympathizers withdrew to form a church of their own and to affiliate with the new Methodist Episcopal Church, South., The Old Stone Church continued to decline thereafter. As the remnant in the church dwindled the black members withdrew to form the Mt. Zion Church in Leesburg., The decline of the Old Stone Church after that was rapid and flat. Abandoned by the 1890s and the subject of an ownership dispute between black and white former members, the church building was sold by court order, netting the sum of $416.05. By 1902 it had been torn down, its materials scattered about the town.

Highlights of History Methodist Beginnings in Leesburg
🕀 Leesburg was a frontier crossroads in the early 1760s when a Methodist society was formed here. that society probably resulted from the preaching of Irish immigrant and Methodist lay preacher Robert Strawbridge.

The first building, completed by 1770, was built of local soft stone; hence the popular name for the church.

"For All the Saints"
🕀 The story of the Old Stone Church is told in the lives of the saints who have labored in the faith in this place. Their number includes:

William Duke, who came from the Frederick Circuit to preach in Leesburg amid the gathering storm of the American Revolution.

Thomas Rankin, appointed by Methodism's English founder John Wesley to work in the colonies, who found a deeply serious congregation" in Leesburg in 1775.

Captain Wright Brickell, Norfolk sea captain, who in 1775 was one of the original book stewards of the Methodist Societies in America. His tombstone, dated 1777, is the earliest identified in the cemetery.

Francis Asbury, American Methodism's first bishop, who preached here on his first recorded visit on February 29, 1776.

William Watters (1761-1827),
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first American-born Methodist traveling preacher, who presided here at the Sixth Conference of American Methodism in May 1778.

Richard Owings, first American-born Methodist local preacher, who died in Leesburg in October 1786.

Joseph Pilmoor, John Wesley's emissary, who dedicated the second Old Stone Church building on July 24, 1790.

Bishop Thomas Coke, who preached when the Virginia Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church met in Leesburg in August 1790.

— Artwork by F. Erle Prior, 1955

The Old Stone Church in Nineteenth-Century Leesburg
🕀 The year 1812 saw the church at Leesburg in the Baltimore Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. That year the church hosted the Annual Conference, with Bishops Francis Asbury and William McKendree, and 57 preachers present.

John Littlejohn, sheriff of Loudoun County and a Methodist lay preacher, frequently preached in and near Leesburg. To him was committed, during the War of 1812, the keeping of the Archives of the United STates.

Leesburg was made a "station," no longer on a circuit, in 1828, with 300 white and 80 "colored" members. Their membership was of its time, the men and women entering by separate doors and seated, segregated, on each side of the church. White and "colored" members

The Old Stone Church in Nineteenth-Century Leesburg side of the marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), January 21, 2023

2. The Old Stone Church in Nineteenth-Century Leesburg side of the marker

were further segregated, with the latter seated in the balcony surrounding the interior of the church.

The church interior was simple and unadorned, save for the inscription on the archway above the pulpit recess, from Genesis 16, verse 13, "Thou God Seest Me."

The Last Days of the Old Stone Church
🕀 The nineteenth century saw both the rise and the fall of Methodism's Old Stone Church in Leesburg.

As sectional feelings on the slavery question caused discord among Methodists, the division reached Leesburg. By 1848 the Southern sympathizers withdrew to form a church of their own and to affiliate with the new Methodist Episcopal Church, South.

The Old Stone Church continued to decline thereafter. As the remnant in the church dwindled the black members withdrew to form the Mt. Zion Church in Leesburg.

The decline of the Old Stone Church after that was rapid and flat. Abandoned by the 1890s and the subject of an ownership dispute between black and white former members, the church building was sold by court order, netting the sum of $416.05. By 1902 it had been torn down, its materials scattered about the town.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Churches & Religion

Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), January 21, 2023

3. Highlights of History side of the marker

• Colonial Era. In addition, it is included in the Francis Asbury, Traveling Methodist Preacher series list. A significant historical date for this entry is February 29, 1776.

Location. 39° 7.04′ N, 77° 33.957′ W. Marker is in Leesburg, Virginia, in Loudoun County. Marker is on Cornwall Street just west of Wirt Street Northwest, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 106 Liberty St, Leesburg VA 20176, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Site of The Old Stone Church / Successors to the Old Stone Church (here, next to this marker); An Early Methodist Parsonage / The Archaeology of a Church (here, next to this marker); In 2018 during the construction of new residences… (here, next to this marker); Old Stone Church Site (a few steps from this marker); Early Methodism in Leesburg (a few steps from this marker); In Memory of Richard Owings (a few steps from this marker); Mrs. Sarah Armat (within shouting distance of this marker); Capt. Wright Brickell (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Leesburg.

Credits. This page was last revised on January 21, 2023. It was originally submitted on January 21, 2023, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 115 times since then and 23 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on January 21, 2023, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.