Posted By: Landy Gobes
Date Posted: Nov 21, 2010
Description: From 1765 to 1819 the Goose Creek Friends met in this stone meeting house.
Date Taken: 30 Oct 10
Place Taken: Goose Creek Monthly Meeting Location: Goose Creek Monthly Meeting, Loudon Co., Va., is located nine Wiles west of Leesburg, 45 miles west 3f Alexandria and 8 miles south of Waterford, 2 miles south from "Purcell Station" of Washington & Old Dominion Rail
Owner: Landy Gobes
Landy Gobes - Jan 11, 2011
Diane and Sheila, Thank you very much! I live in CT but I am very lucky to have a son and granddaughter living in northern VA who love to go on ancestor adventures. I was so excited to see this Meeting House still standing and in good condition. Across the street, just behind where I was standing when I took the picture is a historic marker on the spot where the Society of Friends met out in the woods until they could build a meeting house. There is also a small school house there, but dated later than my ancestors would have been there. Then on the final corner of the intersection is the building they use as a Meeting House now.
On the wall of the old Meeting House is a plaque which states, "This stone meeting house served as the place of worship for Goose Creek Friends from 1765 to 1819. It has served as the residence for the caretaker of the Meeting's property since that time."
Therefore, I did not try to look inside, believing that nothing from the early days would have been preserved, as well as not wanting to intrude on the caretaker and his family.
I did get a look through the windows of the old school house. It was relatively empty, but what was there looked like all the preserved or restored old one room school houses that I have seen.
The cemetery was well cared for, and just as we were leaving, the caretaker appeared and told us that there were no legible tombstones from the 1700's there. This is where Shadrack Lewellen d 1785 is buried.
I will look through my pictures and add more for you.
Landy