Since the majority of the church was destroyed during a storm in September 1950, the current structure is just the narthex and is only about 10 feet deep. But like the title of this post implies, there's big history in this little building.
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| Photo taken in 1927 by Frances Benjamin Johnston. |
Two very important people with the abolition movement worshiped in Union Church. One was Anthony Burns, a Stafford county slave whose escape, capture, and trial in 1854 under the Fugitive Slave Law made headlines across the nation. The other was Moncure Conway, a Falmouth native born into a slave-holding family who went on to become one of the most outspoken Southern abolitionists.
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| Anthony Burns |
Burns and Conway, born just two years apart but in totally different worlds, crossed paths during one of the United States' most contentious times. This little building with big history is one of the places their lives intersected.
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| Moncure Conway |
Once the Civil War broke out, Union Church was used in a variety of ways for the war effort. First and foremost, the brass bell was removed and melted down, likely turned into a cannon tube. Next, the church saw a ton of Union soldiers. It was used as a barracks and a hospital on a variety of occasions between 1862 and 1864.
After the Civil War, the church was pretty badly damaged. All of the pews had been used for firewood or makeshift hospital tables. It wasn't until 1868 that the church was up and running again with new pews and a new steel bell.
Union Church thrived for the rest of the 19th and early 20th centuries. By 1930s, however, things were changing. There were now other denomination-specific churches in Falmouth and Union Church was no longer the only option for worship. The doors were closed for good in 1935.
Sitting vacant for years, a 100-year-old structure cannot survive without general maintenance. A new roof was needed, but the funds never came through. In September 1950, a large storm ripped through Falmouth and caused the roof to collapse, taking the majority of the building with it.
Union Church sat, mostly destroyed and open to the elements, for four years. In 1954, a contractor was hired to take down the rest of the walls and brick up the narthex.
In the decades that followed, a number of efforts were begun by a variety of people to preserve and restore the old building, but none came to fruition.
It wasn't until 2009 that the Trustees of the Union Church Historic Site, a 501c3 organization, was formed to bring the building back to life. In 2010, a fundraising arm called Union Church Preservation Project was formed.
In the four years since being created, we've come a long way. Thanks to a grant from Stafford County, the church finally got a new roof. A number of volunteers have helped clean and maintain the church and make it more presentable. We've removed the bell and put it on display as well as have the church painted. Our first major fundraising event was a huge hit back in May and we're gearing up for year two soon. Students created a digital reconstruction of the church using AutoCAD. We even donated a pew to the Smithsonian! New whiskey barrel planters were put out in front and Union Church once again looks lively and cared for.
Most recently, the University of Mary Washington's Historic Preservation department (where I got my degree) was partnered with us to use the church as a case study for their Building Forensics class. The students will gain valuable, hands-on experience and we will get wood, brick, and mortar analyses that will help us move forward with the proper preservation of the structure.
As we move into Stafford County's 350th anniversary in 2014 and we get closer to Union Church's 200th anniversary in 2019, things are definitely looking up.
Like I said in the title, Falmouth Union Church is a little building with big history.
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| Freshly painted in January 2013. |
I learned something today. Thank you Logan. Keep on being you.
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