The original or first Ebbing Spring church is mentioned in Lewis Preston Summers’ "History of Southwest Virginia and Washington County," on pages 138-139: "... two congregations of Presbyterians had organized in the county -- one at Sinking Spring (now Abingdon) and another at Ebbing Spring, on the Middle Fork of the Holston river, near the James BYARS farm; and in the month of April 1773, Samuel EDMISTON was commissioned by the two congregations above mentioned to present a call to the Rev. Charles CUMMINGS ... This call was reduced to writing and signed by the members of the Sinking Spring and Ebbing Spring congregations ... " The early Ebbing Spring church congregation moved to Glade Spring Presbyterian church about two years prior to Edward CRAWFORD becoming the 3rd pastor of the church. (Rev. Thomas Brown CRAIGHEAD was the 2nd pastor). Rev. CRAWFORD first appears in the marriage registers in 1794, the same year the Lexington Presbytery dismissed him. [Source: "The Marriages of Washington County, Virginia, 1781 - 1853," by D.E. BROWN, page 74]. - - - - - - - - - - A survey for 122 acres was made on 06 May 1788 for the Ebbing Spring Congregation Trustees. The survey was made for William EDMONDSON and James DYSART, acting Trustees, by virtue of a Virginia Land Office Treasury Warrant no. 1984. [Source: Washington County Survey Book 1:382]. James THOMPSON’s adjoining tract on the east in 1788 was originally a 20 Jun 1753 Patent granted to James PATTON that contained 2,600 acres at a place called "Killmacknonan" on both sides of the Middle Fork of the Indian (now Holston) River in Augusta (now Washington and Smyth Counties) [Source: VA Patent Book 32:181-184]. Philip GREEVER’S 400 acre tract also adjoined the above 122 acres on the north. GREEVER’s tract was surveyed on 05 Jun 1782 [Source: WC Survey Book 1:35]. Col. William EDMONDSTON’s [also EDMISTON or EDMONDSON] 600 acre tract adjoined the above 122 acres on it’s southwest boundary line. One survey made for EDMONDSTON’s tract was dated 09 May 1801 [Source: WC Survey Book 2:220]. - - - - - - - - - - By virtue of a VA Land Office Treasury Warrant no. 1984, there was granted by the Commonwealth of VA unto John SCOTT, assignee of William EDMISTON, Samuel EDMISTON, and James DYSART, acting Trustees of the Ebbing Spring Congregation, a tract containing 122 acres by survey dated 06 May 1788. The Land Grant was dated 29 Sep 1796. [Source: VA Land Grants Book 35:728-729]. Deed dated 19 Oct 1807 from David CLARK and Ann SCOTT [widow of John(?)] to Robert BUCHANAN, all of WC VA, for $686.66, a tract of land containing 116 acres lying on the north side of the Middle Fork of the Holston River, being a tract of land whereon the said CLARK now liveth. Deed ordered to be recorded 20 Oct 1807. [Source: WC Deed Book 3:611-612]. The above 116 acre tract was part of the 122 acre tract. Ann SCOTT had deeded the other 6 acres (of the 122 acre tract) to her son Andrew SCOTT on 01 Jan 1804, "in consideration of the natural love and affection I bear to Andrew SCOTT," for one dollar -- a tract of land containing 6 acres lying on the north side of the Middle Fork of the Holston River, being part of the tract of land whereon the said Ann SCOTT now liveth. Witnesses: John STEWART, Mathew RYBURN, and Thomas EDMISTON. Deed ordered to be recorded 17 Jan 1804. Two bo undary lines of the 6 acre tract were James THOMPSON and "down the several courses of the Middle Fork of the Holston River" for 38 poles. [Source: WC Deed Book 3:118-119]. The 6 acre tract was located at the southeast corner of the 122 acre tract. A deed dated 12 May 1816 from Robert BUCHANAN to Mathew RYBURN and William BEATIE, Trustees for the Ebbing Spring graveyard -- for ten dollars -- a tract of land containing 48 poles and eighty seven links, lying on the north side of the Middle Fork of the Holston River, being a part of the tract of land whereon the said Robert BUCHANAN now liveth. Bounds: Beginning at a stone on the west side of the gate, N72W 3 poles & 15 links to a stone, N2W 5 poles & 13 links to a stone, N89E 7 poles & 5 links to a stone, S26E 4 poles & 5 links to a stone, and S63W 6 poles & 14 links to the beginning. [Source: WC Deed Book 6:298-299]. The area of the 5 sided tract is approximately 3 tenths of an acre and the gate was at the southern most point of the tract. Note: the deed book has the deed date as 12 May 1818, but 1818 is underlined as an error on page 298 as the deed was actually recorded in 1816 (as was a prior unrelated deed also on page 298). Go to: http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?lat=36.745&lon=-81.785 for a topographic map that shows Ebbing Spring Church. Click on "large" map size and "update map" You can copy the maps to the clipboard and save and or print them. Bob Ford