Just four miles from my childhood home in Mechanicsville, Virginia in the historical Hanover County a monument has recently been erected which I believe will be of interest...
There was already a marker for the site...
But just a few years ago, as stated on their website:
In 1990 the Presbytery of the James, successor to Hanover Presbytery which had been founded at Polegreen in 1755, authorized the creation of a non-profit foundation, ecumenical in nature, to preserve, enhance and interpret the site of Polegreen Church. The first objective of the foundation was to locate the remains of the colonial church. Archaeologists from Virginia Commonwealth University oversaw the effort, and the remains of the church's foundation were revealed. On the basis of the physical evidence of the church's location and the easily documented record of the important events related to the Hanover Dissenters and Samuel Davies, in 1991 the U.S. National Park Service listed the Polegreen site in the Register of National Historic Places. http://www.historicpolegreen.orgThus began work to create a remembrance of 'what was'
and how it 'came to bear' in our Nation's history as the
"Birthplace of Religious freedom in Virginia"!
The 'little church in the wild wood'!
The Reverend Samuel Davies preached at this little Presbyterian Church
where young Patrick Henry sat with his parents
hearing some of the most powerful sermons of that day.
This is the parsonage a few yards to the right of the church.
Civil War trenches line the area.
In 1739, the Reverend George Whitfield 'lit a fire' in Virginian hearts
with a sermon he delivered in Williamsburg.
It was published and widely read including by a man
in Hanover County who began the Dissenters Movement.
Another point of interest at the Polegreen Church site
is the 'time-line walk-way'
documenting significant marks in history
for the Christian Church, the Bride of Christ.
The Polegreen Church where Rev. Samuel Davies' sermons
planted the seeds
for one of the American Revolution's greatest cry...
"Give me liberty or give me death!"
Patrick Henry
How blessed we are by folks who want to preserve our Christian heritage!
Thank you Historic Polegreen Church Foundation.
~Katherine
