>From the Lexington Prebytery Heritage, pg. 208 - Chapter XI "Churches in Augusta County" ....: " the Stone Meeting House in Augusta", nine miles north of Stauton on U.S. highway 11, had it's beginning when JAMES ANDERSON formed in 1738 a Christian Society, called "The Triple Forks of the Shenando". The society encompassed the settlements on South, Middle, and North rivers between the Blue Ridge and the Allegheny Mountains. John Craig, after supplying (?)in Virginia during the winter of 1739-1740, accepted from among several calls the one to a people later to become Augusta Stone and Tinkling Springs churches. This group continued as a unitied congregation until 1764 when he gave full time to Augusta Stone. During a meeting of Donegal Prebytery in Pennsylvania in 1740, Craig was ordained and installed with Robert Poage taking the vows for the Augusta Stone congregation. Messy Creek, Mt. Horeb, and Spring Hill churches were developed within the bounds of the congregation, and the church operated Bezetha Chapel at Burketown. According to an old letter, the congregation first worshipped in a log building adjacent to the old cemetery. The front part of the present structure, built 1747-1749 solely as a place of worship, is the oldest Presbyterian Church building in continuous use in Virginia. Tradition says the women carried sand on horseback for the mortar. The old sanctuary enlarged and Sunday school rooms added in 1922. The John Craig Fellowship Hall was dedicated in 1956. The membership declined to 92 in 1866, rose to 378 in 1916, and was 270 in 1970. ----------------------------------------- notes: ....The Rev. James Anderson who founded the Augusta Stone Church in 1738 was from Scotland, first settled in PA and was sent to Augusta (then territory of Orange Co., VA) to establish a base of worship for the pioneers. ....Rev. John Craig served as Pastor of the Augusta Stone church between 1740-1774. a six year gap lasted until : Rev. William Wilson became Pastor of Augusta Stone Church between 1780 - 1810. ****** it was Augusta Stone Church where the Rev. William Wilson married in 1792 ...: WILLIAM SPENCE & POLLY ANDERSON. --------------------------------------------------------------- FOR YOUR INFORMATION ........Jim James F. Carver 610 Gay Street, Box 214 Portsmouth, Ohio 45662-0214 e-mail: heritage@zoomnet.net