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VOL. III. RICHMOND,
The Presbyter
U^*S1RESBYTERIANISM in Winchester
-TP] antedates the organization of the
Church by many years. When the
iqS?i?ci?i^> town was incorporated, in 1752, a
large Scotch-Irish element was already
here. These, of course, were Presbyterians,
whose membership was in the Opequon Church,
three miles from town, which they regularly attended.
But true to their traditions, they very
early banded themselves together for worship at
home; and as frequently as possible
secured preaching by the ''Supplies"
sent to the Valley. When H
they were first able to provide such I
service statedly, is not known; but I
as early as 1779 they had become I
such an important appendage of
Opequon as to be associated with it |H
by name in a call for the pastoral ]
services of Rev. John Montgomery;
and during his ministry of about
ten years he had a stated appoint- e?
ment in the town. When the Rev
Nash Legrand succeeded him, in
1790, these regular services were continned.
The growth of the member H
ship, however, and the inconvenience
to many of attending worship in the
country, suggested the importance of fl
a separate organization in the town; H
and for several years supplies were BBipBpSg
engaged with a view to set.tlpmpnt 9
as pastor. But they failed to agree
upon any one that could be obtained, BrayR
until in 1799, the Rev. Wm. Hill.
then at Charlestown, Va., accepted
their call, and in 1800 began his long
and eventful ministry of thirty-four
years in Winchester.
The church in Winchester was on
ganized September 7, 1800, with four j
ruling elders and over thirty members.
Under the able and faithful
ministry of Dr. Hill (who was early recognized as
? i?J?
n uiotiuguiaiicu icaUCI" 111 lilt} X I't'JSDyieri8Jl unurcn
of America, and in 1821 was chosen moderator of
its General Assembly), the new church grew
rapidly in numbers and strength. But unfortunately,
after many years of perfect harmony,
differences arose in the session on questions of
-T2V church policy, producing dissention in the congregation,
and issuing, in 1826, in a division of
%?io\ the church. An influential minority, including
of the nine Elders, withdrew, organized an
, ^ ,C7~ other church, built a house of worship and settled
^ Ov Rev. David H. Riddle as pastor. This unhappy
division was of brief duration. Early
in 1832 the two churches came together again
with Drs. Hill and Riddle as co-pastors. This
speedy reconciliation was brought about largely
through the influence of that wonderful revival
jgg^n
NEW ORLEANS, ATLANTA, OCTOB
ian Church, W
which followed the meeting of Synod in "Winchester,
in 1830, and the fruits of which were
richly shared by both churches.
The year following this reunion Dr. Kiddle
was called to Pittsburg, and resigned Oct. 22,
1833. The next year, April 26, 1834, Dr. Hill's
resignation was accepted, and he removed to
Prince Edward county. The Rev. J. J. Royall
was installed over the vacant church Nov. 8,
1834. Under his ministry the church enjoyed
I . M
WP^l^v^v? ' ' - '-^?
^ESBYTERIAN CHURCH. WINCHESTER. VA
great prosperity. But this was a pertaPUl! ujj**
trovcrsv and strife in thp ,.hur,.h ot 1..I5S,- a?* ,.v, _
-w
the eve of the great Disruption Mr/2Koy<ijfr Resigned,
April 4, 1838. That Disruptiloi seri?uS|ly
affected the congregation in Winjfeestfe^&A
minority of the members sympathizing .wi&ilie
New School, and including all thdUEilderj* thten
living, withdrew from the old church, and at
once established themselves as a separate organization.
Following first the historv of this, the Npw
School branch of the divided church, we find that
very soon a house of worship was erected on S.
Loundoun street, and the pastoral services of
Rev. Moses H. Hunter were secured. After two
years Mr. Hunter entered the ministry of the
Episcopal Church; and on May 4, 1842, Rev.
A. H. H. Boyd, D. D., began his distinguished
'.'l
'esternPresbyter/am
\l Presbyter/an c
ver/v Presbyter/an
ER 25, 1911. NO. 43.
rinchester,Va.
pastorate of nearly twenty-four years, ending
with his death, Dec. 16, 1865. For the next
eighteen months the church was served, as stated
supply, by the late Rev. Dr. J W. Lupton. He
was succeeded by the Rev. G. L. Ley burn, D D.,
who served as pastor from Dec. 13, 1367 to Jan.
10, 1875, when he resigned to join his parents in
missionary work in Greece. The next pastor of
this church, and its last as a distinct organization,
was the late Rev. Henry M. White, D. D., who
was installed December 11, 1875, and
I released, because of failing health.
The history of the Old School
Branch can be told more briefly. The
Rev. "Win. M. Atkinson, D. D., who
had been installed February 2, 1839,
before the division of the local church
which occurred the following June,
continued his wise and conciliatory
ministry until April 4, 1847. Ilis
successor, Licentiate Beverly T. Lacy,
afterward the well known Confederate
chaplain, was ordained and installed
June 19, 1847, and resigned,
in impaired health, April 18, 1851.
mi vacant church then called Licentiate
J. R. Graham, who was ordained
and installed October 9, 1851.
Soon after the resignation of Dr.
In. Ai. White negotiations were begun
for healing the breach which had so
long existed as a grief to many in
each church, and on May 20, 1900,
this was happily accomplished. The
two organizations, which, from the
respective location of their churches
were popularly designated as the
*'Kent Street church" and the "Loudoun
Street church," and which
stood apart since 1839, were merged
in one, to be known thereafter by
the name given at the organization,
in 1800, as "The Presbyterian Church of
Winchester." In accordance with the terms
of the merger, six Elders and six Deacons were
chosen from the two former congregations, and
the pastor of the former Kent St. Church was
retained with the title of pastor emeritus of the
re-united shurch. In a short time the Rev.
Julian S. Sibley was called as pastor, and installed
Sept. 6, 1900. He resigned July 12, 1904,
and after a protracted vacancy the Rev. J. Horace
Lacy, D. D., the present pastor, was called, and
entered upon his ministry Sept. 25, 1905.
In the former rmininn nf +Vio A -l 1
uuu ^amicu ciiurunes
(in 1832), it was for some time a question,
which of the two buildings should be used as the
permanent place of worship. The one on Kent
St. was at length chosen as the more accessible.
In the recent reunion, by unanimous agreement,