Concrete poured for new access ramp
August 9, 2009
Archives for 2009:
Progress continues - the floor is poured
August 4, 2009
Status Report
August 2, 2009
A critical donation came in this past week to permit us to contract for the cement work which has been a major objective. We are still short funding for the bricklayer, insulation and T-111 paneling for the interior walls and framing of historical items.
A Cement Finisher has been selected and we hope to have this work done by mid-August.
Once the cement work and electric work donated by Kevin Sanford of KC Electric is completed, our focus will be on getting sufficient funding to do the insulation and T-111 paneling so we can hang our draft history items.
Also, we will be able to start uncovering the old church foundation within our 6ft x 6ft display area within the Museum. I will let everyone know when we can begin working on that while waiting to do other work.
The Germanna Foundation has submitted a historical item for the Museum since some of their folks in nearby Germantown (Midland) also attended Elk Run Church in the Colonial period.
Sarah Gulick has estimated that the cost to formalize the completion of our history items to be about $3,000 to $3,500.
Rod Loggins who owns a small lumber mill southwest of Bealeton has donated the lumber for the privacy fence around the portable toilet. Once he has delivered it in the next two weeks, I will call for volunteers to help install it.
Any help you can provide in getting donations in materials and funds will be greatly appreciated.
Please contact us if you would like to be added to the mailing list for upcoming work day announcements.
Successful Saturday work day
August 1, 2009
We were able to install the Porch supporting steel posts, enclose the handicap portable toilet with a pressure treated wooden framework for the privacy fence, and installed the first layer of stone dust from the parking lot to where the handicap ramp will be installed. Luck Stone in Bealeton donated 8 tons of Stone Dust last week.
Brick by Brick
June 8, 2009
June brick work on Mini-Museum springs ahead after a rainy May.
Historic Park
Elk Run project featured on Episcopal-Life.org
May 6, 2009
The Elk Run Project was featured in the Diocesan Digest section of www.episcopal-life.org. To view a PDF archived version of the article, click here.
Fund Raising Historic Park
Historic Church Seeks Support
April 24, 2009
Great strides have been made at Elk Run! Ten years ago, we embarked on an archaeological quest to discover, and then uncover, the foundation and remains of the 1750s Anglican Church at Elk Run - the first such church in Fauquier County.
Our efforts have been richly rewarded. Now we enter a final phase of the project, the remaining construction and dedication of the Mini-Museum that will capture the history of the Church and surrounding area.
Site work began in 1999 under the direction of a professional archaeologist; that work culminated in exposing the heretofore unknown stone foundation, laid down in the 1750s in the form of a Greek cross.
The southern Fauquier County church site is significant because it was the first brick Anglican Church established in what was the County’s early to mid-1700’s frontier area.
The Elk Run settlement and Church served as a government administrative and jumping off point for further expansion of what is now Fauquier County.
The Elk Run Anglican Church served as the mother church for Hamilton Parish in Fauquier County, and its first rector, the Rev. James Keith, was the grandfather of Chief Justice John Marshall.
Until now, the only recorded description of the church was made by Bishop Meade who, in 1857, wrote that it was “a substantial brick church, cruciform, I believe. I am not certain that the roof was on it when I first saw it in 1811. Its walls continued for many years after this and I saw them gradually disappear during my annual visits to the conventions.”
The Church fell into disuse sometime after 1803 as the younger population moved north and west to more profitable agricultural areas and other non-Anglican churches became established in the area.
The Elk Run Church is located about 15 miles southeast of Catlett, Virginia on State Route 806.
On completion of archaeological field work in October 2006, the foundation stones were covered with top soil to preserve them.
However, a small portion of the original foundation will be left open within the Mini-Museum for public viewing. The Mini-Museum measures roughly 21ft x 21ft and will expose an eventual 6 ft x 6 ft portion of the old foundation.
The unique shape of the Mini-Museum will allow visitors to walk around the foundation unit and view pictures on its walls that will show the history of the surrounding area, the Church and its archaeological discovery captured in maps and photographs since 1999.
Numerous artifacts have come to light, including Indian arrowheads, handmade nails, ceramic fragments, early coins, brick and glass. A burial ground was discovered adjacent to the Church.
The museum at this time is under roof, walls closed in, and windows installed. The Elk Run Church Site volunteers are in critical need of additional funds to continue their work.
They need to install roof shingles, lay a small 2-foot-high portion of brick around the outside of the building, install electric and vinyl siding, finish an inside cement floor and cover the cost of design and framing of the history making information for the walls.
Citizens, organizations and businesses are asked to contribute in establishing, preserving and achieving this important Historic Church Park goal.
More information on efforts over the past ten years can be found at www.elkrunchurch.org.