Emporia, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Bishop William McKendree (1757-1835)
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), May 21, 2026
1. Bishop William McKendree (1757-1835) Marker
William McKendree was born in King William Co., moved as a youth to present-day Greensville Co., and later served in the Revolutionary War. In 1786, the country licensed him to keep a tavern at his house. The next year, transformed by the Second Great Awakening, McKendree entered the Methodist ministry as a circuit rider. In 1790, Bishop Francis Asbury ordained him as a deacon. McKendree became presiding elder in the Western Conference, extending from western Virginia to Illinois, in 1800. He played a leading role in the westward expansion of Methodism. In 1808, he became the first native-born American elected bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, a precursor of the United Methodist Church.
Erected 2024 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number UM-43.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Religion & Religious Structures • War, US Revolutionary. In addition, it is included in the Francis Asbury, Traveling Methodist Preacher, and the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1786.
Location. 36° 40.959′ N,
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Southside Virginia and specifically in Central Virginia. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it is in 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 walking distance of this marker: General Edward E. Goodwyn (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Village View (about 500 feet away); Gordon Linwood Vincent (about 600 feet away); The Worst of War (about 600 feet away); Early Masonic Lodges (approx. 0.2 miles away); Grave of Gen. John R. Chambliss, Jr. (approx.
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), May 21, 2026
2. Bishop William McKendree (1757-1835) Marker
Other markers no longer nearby. Bishop William McKendree (was a few steps from this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it); a different marker also named Village View (was about 600 feet away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Credits. This page was last revised on May 24, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 24, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 12 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 24, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
