Kopp in Prince William County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Belle Haven Baptist Church
December 20, 1885 – September 30, 1945
Photographed By Kevin W., October 8, 2007
1. Belle Haven Baptist Church Marker
Belle Haven Church is named after Isabelle Woolfenden. The foundation of the Belle Haven School is directly across the street.
At the time of Thomas Woolfenden’s death at the age of 86, he owned approximately a thousand acres of Prince William County.
(In memory of my grandfather, Thomas Woolfenden, Sr. by Raymond “Cousin Ray” Woolfenden, Sr.)
Kopp, Virginia Post Office
Erected 1945 by Raymond “Cousin Ray” Woolfenden, Sr.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Churches & Religion • Settlements & Settlers • War, US Civil. A significant historical date for this entry is September 30, 1752.
Location. 38° 34.921′ N, 77° 26.103′ W. Marker is in Kopp, Virginia, in Prince William County. Marker is on MCB-1. Marker is on Quantico Marine Corps Base. Authorization is required to visit the base. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Quantico VA 22134, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Range 14 Training Complex (within shouting distance of this marker); The Lost Community of Kopp, Virginia
this page online
Regarding Belle Haven Baptist Church. Please note the photo #9 is out of date. The gravestone for Thomas Woolfenden, Sr. has been replaced with a newer stone showing his military service in the Union army, 8th Maryland Regiment, Infantry. Thomas is one of two Union veterans buried at Belle Haven. The other is Daniel H. Magee. You may find a photo of Thomas' new stone at: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=pv&GRid=17277483&PIpi=89091515 .
Also see . . . Additional information about the church and cemetery. According to the Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission survey form at this link, "the church, which parishioners had hoped to save, was demolished in 1946. In 1947 the cemetery was again made available for new burials, though the title of the land remains with the U.S. government."
Also, the following Luck family graves were
Photographed By Kevin W., October 8, 2007
2. Belle Haven Baptist Church Marker and Cemetery
May Linton H-284-3A interred 12/16/42
Guy Luck H-284-3C interred 12/16/42
Arthur Luck H-284-2A interred 12/16/42
Edith Luck H-284-1A interred 12/16/42
James Luck, Sr. H-284-1C interred 12/16/42
Additional information on these individuals may be found on their memorial pages at findagrave.com by searching cemeteries, Belle Haven, United States, Virginia, Prince William County. (Submitted on June 17, 2016, by Raynee Woolfenden of Fairfax, Virginia.)
Additional commentary.
1. Kopp, Virginia
The largest acquisition of land in Quantico MCB history took place in 1942 to meet World War II Marine Corps training requirements. Almost 51,000 acres of land west of U.S. Highway 1 were purchased in 1942 and became a permanent part of the base in 1943. Included in this land was the town of Kopp.
Kopp, located near the current town of Independent Hill on the western portion of the Marine Corps Base, began in 1885. Once home to about 100 local farming families, it consisted of, at one time, a country store, a school, post office, and the Bellehaven Baptist Church.
Photographed By Raynee Woolfenden, 1930's
3. Belle Haven Baptist Church
This is a photo of the Belle Haven Missionary Baptist Church as it looked during the 1930's. Note the concrete sidewalk in front of the church. That sidewalk, added in 1912, is all that remains of the church today.
The town of Kopp can still be located with internet mapping software.
— Submitted October 10, 2007, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia.
2. Foundation of the Holmes School
On the foundation of Holmes School, someone has affixed a temporary marker with historical information about the founding of Holmes School. It reads:
Belle Haven Missionary Baptist church records:
In the fall of 1883 Mr. Luck and Mr. Morath moved a saw mill onto their recently bought land. Mr. W. B. Lynn wanted a school closer for his two girls. The public school system was getting underway in lower Prince William. Mr. Luck agreed to saw the lumbar free if the neighbors would bring the logs. Thus the Belle-Haven community took its first communal steps and shortly A tiny schoolhouse, crude but useful, appeared on a half acre of land given by Mr. and Mrs. M. G. Holmes. The neighbors celebrated its advent with a Christmas tree. The Christmas of 1884. The old foundations of the school are still there across
Photographed By Kevin W., October 8, 2007
4. Sidewalk leading up to where Belle Haven Baptist Church used to be.
Belle Haven Baptist Church was demolished about 1945. The cemetery on the grounds is one of about 33 cemeteries maintained by base personnel.
The sidewalk, according the the church records, was built in 1912, and is all that remains of the church today. (Source, Raynee Woolfenden of Fairfax, VA, submitted September 16, 2010).
The sidewalk, according the the church records, was built in 1912, and is all that remains of the church today. (Source, Raynee Woolfenden of Fairfax, VA, submitted September 16, 2010).
The first warm spring Sunday afternoon of 1885, three young ladies went for a walk down the old Bellfair Mill Road from Ben Murphy's: Anna Dewitt Annie Murphy and Lizzie DeWitt. Recalling recent doings as girls have a way of doing Holmes School xmas tree came in for comment. Said one, "Why can't we have Sunday School and preaching in our new schoolhouse?" Again, W.B. Lynn rides into the picture and the girls put the proposition up to him. Sure the house was built by the people for the people, go ahead. But a minister? Mr. Lynn was sure Mr. Lieber a retire Methodist minister living about 2 1/2 or 3 miles south of the new schoolhouse would be glad to speak to them when he could. So the request was sent and Mr. Lieber preached the first sermon at what was to be Belle-Haven Baptist Church. W.B. Lynn's brother A. Lynn came to visit W.B. and heard of the little schoolhouse and what was being done around his birthplace. Fired with a zeal to tell the old, old story he made an appointment and began to preach regularly in the new school house.
In 15 years Bellhaven had 8 pastors
Rev. A.T.
Photographed By Raynee Woolfenden, circa unknown
5. Rev. Andrew Jackson Cummings of the Belle Haven Missionary Baptist Church
This is a photo of Rev. Andrew Jackson Cummings. He served as pastor of the church from 1889 to December of 1914.
Rev. A.J. Cummings 1889 to December 1914
Rev. R.P. Rixey 1915 to April 1917
/s/
"Buck Jones"
— Submitted October 9, 2014, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia.
3. Manassas and Dumfries Telephone Company
James Luck, Jr. and Mr. James Arthur Vetter founded the Manassas and Dumfries Telephone Company in the parlor of the home of Thomas and Isabelle Woolfenden on March 1, 1903. James Luck, Jr. was the son-in-law of Thomas and Isabelle. He married their daughter Sarah Catherine "Katie" Woolfenden on 24 Jan 1900 at the Belle Haven Church. This phone company later became Commonwealth Telephone before being purchased by GTE. The company has since changed hands a couple of more times.
— Submitted September 17, 2010, by Raynee Woolfenden of Fairfax, Virginia.
Photographed By Raynee Woolfenden, circa Mar 2010
6. Belle Haven Baptist Church Hymnal
This is the first page of the hymnal that the church used in the 1933-1942 time period.
Photographed By Raynee Woolfenden, 2007
7. Foundation of the Kopp, VA school across the street from Belle Haven Baptist Church
This is the remains of the school, which was founded in the mid 1880's, as was Belle Haven Missionary Baptist Church. It is located across the street from the church cemetery. Walk across the street from the cemetery gate, turn right, and walk over to the trees appropriately 25- 30 yards.
Photographed By Kevin W., October 8, 2014
8. Foundation of the Kopp, VA school across the street from Belle Haven Baptist Church
The Belle Haven Baptist Church Marker is directly behind the photographer. Someone has affixed some historical information about the foundation to the chimney support column.
Photographed By Kevin W., October 8, 2014
9. Temporary Marker about Holmes School
See commentary for the text on this temporary marker.
Photographed By Raynee Woolfenden, circa unknown
10. Kopp store and post office
This picture shows the old store and post office. It was west on the road from the church approximately 1/2 mile on the right. It is listed on the historic map of Prince William County as T. Lynn's store and Post Office. The map was made in 1992 by Eugene M. Scheel.
Photographed By Kevin W., October 8, 2007
11. The Wolfendens are interred in this corner of the Belle Haven Baptist Church Cemetery
Photographed By Kevin W., October 8, 2014
12. Thomas and Isabel Woolfenden Gravesites
Photographed By Kevin W., October 8, 2007
13. Gravesite of Raymond “Cousin Ray” Woolfenden, Sr.
Credits. This page was last revised on November 26, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 10, 2007, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia. This page has been viewed 3,680 times since then and 94 times this year. Last updated on September 15, 2014, by Raynee Woolfenden of Fairfax, Virginia. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 10, 2007, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia. 3. submitted on September 17, 2010, by Raynee Woolfenden of Fairfax, Virginia. 4. submitted on October 10, 2007, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia. 5, 6, 7. submitted on September 17, 2010, by Raynee Woolfenden of Fairfax, Virginia. 8, 9. submitted on October 9, 2014, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia. 10. submitted on September 17, 2010, by Raynee Woolfenden of Fairfax, Virginia. 11. submitted on October 10, 2007, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia. 12. submitted on October 9, 2014, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia. 13. submitted on October 10, 2007, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
