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    1. Re: [VAROCKIN] Peaked Mountain Church
    2. Mike and Amber Sellers
    3. I have two references for the location of the original PMC being in McGaheysville. Hopefully they will be of some help. The first is cited from a report by W. A. Byerly for the WPA on June 15, 1938. A picture of the PMC was included in the report and can be viewed and read in its entirety online thru the Library of Virginia's "Virginia Historical Inventory". A portion of Byerly's 1938 report reads as follows: PEAKED MOUNTAIN CHURCH LOCATION: North end of McGaheysville, Virginia, on National Highway OWNERS: The original church was built in 1769, jointly by the Reformed and Lutheran congregations and stood near the site of the present Union Church, built by the German Reformed and Lutheran congregation in 1800 (aka, Brown Memorial UCC). DESCRIPTION: This old building is unique in its architectural construction in many ways and is hard to describe by writing. It is two story, double height in one story, with gallery formerly all around, but now only in the front entrance of the building. The old spiral stairway and pulpit have been changed to a samll, plain pulpit, three or four steps aobve the floor. A small, narrow, open stairway to the right of the entrance lends to a gallery across the front end of the church. The benches are plain, straight backed, pine, painted. The furnishings are very simple, with oen or two old fashioned hanging lamps. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Mr. J. W. Boreden, eighty years old, was sexton of this early church for twelve years; and he gave me [Byerly] much information as to the ways, customs, etc., of this early church, and its preachers. He has an early communion cup, pint size, used in their religious services. there were two sizes, one pint and one and one half pint, communion cups. Byerly then goes on to include the original church agreement between the Reformed and Lutheran congregations dated October 31, 1769. A 2nd source is cited from John Wayland's "A History of Rockingham County", Chapter 14, 'Churches and Religious Life', page 258: LUTHERAN CHURCH Lutheran Churches in Rockingham (1912) "3) McGaheysville: Peaked Mountain Church, built in 1769, and held jointly by the Lutherans and Reformed, stood at or near the site now occupied by the old union church (aka, Brown Memorial UCC). The latter is said to have been built about 1800 by Nicholas Leap, and to have been dedicated May 25, 1804, by Christian Streit and John Brown; used only by the Lutherans since 1885." The 1885 date is of importance in Wayland's next discussion of the Reformed Churches in Rockingham County, pages 269-270: REFORMED CHURCH "3) Brown Memorial: At McGaheysville; built in 1885, after a separation of the old Reformed and Lutheran congregation. Additional references cited by Wayland's but not addressed in full in his book were as follows: "On Brown Memorial Church, see "Our Assistant", May, 1899, published at Mt. Crawford; On Father Brown, Rockingham Register, March 29, 1895, and March 12, 1897". Wayland did state on page 267 that there was indeed a Peaked Mountain congregation "probably at Cross Keys". However, from his writings it seemed clear (at least to me) that McGaheysville was the site/location of the original, and perhaps more well known, "Peaked Mountain Church". Michael Sellers ----- Original Message ----- From: <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, September 05, 2006 2:08 PM Subject: Re: [VAROCKIN] Peaked Mountain Church > The book, The Heartland by Nancy B. Hess, Harrisonburg, Va., 1976, p. 59 > says that Peaked Mountain Church was also known as Cross Roads Presbyterian > Church. It does not give a location. > >

    09/05/2006 09:12:09