Mechanicsville in Hanover County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
The "Dissenters' Glebe" Of The Rev. Samuel Davies
Photographed by Bernard Fisher, November 6, 2024
1. The "Dissenters' Glebe" Of The Rev. Samuel Davies Marker
Just west was Polegreen Church's 18th-century glebe, a farm and residence provided for the benefit of its pastor. Polegreen was a congregation of Presbyterians dissenting from Virginia's established Church of England. The Rev. Samuel Davies (1723-1761), a leader of the Great Awakening in the South, was Polegreen's first pastor (1748-1759). A powerful orator, he gained converts, founded churches, defended the rights of dissenters, and influenced the oratorical style of Patrick Henry. Although holding at least two people in slavery, he worked to spread literacy among enslaved people, converting many to Christianity. Davies died at the age of 37 while president of what is now Princeton University.
Erected 2023 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number ND-19.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Religion & Religious Structures. A significant historical year for this entry is 1748.
Location. 37° 40.472′ N, 77° 22.843′ W. Marker is in Mechanicsville, Virginia, in Hanover County. It is on Chamberlayne Road (U.S. 301) south of Rural Point Road (Virginia Route 643), on
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Virginia’s Piedmont, in Central Virginia, and in the Richmond Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Rutland (approx. 1.4 miles away); Patrick Henry's Birthplace (approx. 1.7 miles away); Totopotomoy Line (approx. 1.8 miles away); Hanover Veterans Memorial (approx. 1.9 miles away); a different marker also named Totopotomoy Line (approx. 2 miles away); Lives on the Line (approx. 2.1 miles away); Totopotomoi (approx. 2.1 miles
Photographed by Bernard Fisher, November 6, 2024
2. The "Dissenters' Glebe" Of The Rev. Samuel Davies Marker
Another marker is no longer nearby. Shelton House Under Fire (was approx. 2.1 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Also see . . .
1. Historic Polegreen Church Foundation. (Submitted on November 6, 2024.)
2. Samuel Davies (17231761). Encyclopedia Virginia (Submitted on November 6, 2024.)
Public Domain
3. Samuel Davies
Oil on canvas. Union Theological Seminary and Presbyterian School of Christian Education, Richmond, Virginia
Credits. This page was last revised on November 6, 2024. It was originally submitted on November 6, 2024, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 288 times since then and 44 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 6, 2024, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. 3. submitted on November 6, 2024.
