Page 27 - History of UB Church by A. Funkhouser Ver 1
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time. On this journey Otterbein preached nearly every night. Services were held at Crum's, at
Geeting's, at Newtown, at Niswander's in Middletown, and at Winchester.
In October of the same year Newcomer and Geeting traveled the Virginia circuit, one or the
other preaching every day for nineteen days and always in German. Their preaching places were
much as before, Stoverstown (Strasburg) being one of the appointments. At Mengen's, their most
southern point, was the great meeting for which they set out. To attend the two-day services the
people came in some instances thirty to fifty miles.
"Year after year for almost thirty years Newcomer made visits to Virginia, continuing them
almost to the time when Glossbrenner began his work as circuit rider.
"The meeting places were changed to suit local conditions. From Hoffman's the meetings were
changed to Peter Myers near the present Pike Mennonite church. George Hoffman moved to
Augusta, taking his religion with him, and Mount Zion became an early preaching place. Peter
Myers built a dwelling house with a large room in it for meetings, which were held regularly here
for many years.
"In the spring 1809 Newcomer made a unique visit to Harrisonburg. He came as a committee to
confer with Bishop Asbury and the Baltimore Conference of the Methodist Church on the subject of
church union. This conference was held in the log church on the hill where the old burial ground
still remains. Two bishops, Asbury and George, and sixty preachers were present. The day after it
closed Newcomer, delighted with his cordial entertainment, rode down the Valley with Asbury and
other preachers, among whom was Henry Boehm, son of the bishop.
"The last visit by Newcomer was in 1828, when he was seventy-nine years old. That summer he
held eight camp meetings, three of them in Virginia. In company with William Brown, afterward
bishop, and William B. Rhinehart, a sweet singer and later the first editor of the Religious
Telescope, he made the usual stops until he came to a camp meeting on Mill Creek, two miles west
of Mount Jackson. Such meetings were held here from 1825 to 1830 inclusive, on the farm of the
great grandfather of A. P. Funkhouser. The camp spring is yet pointed out in the middle of Mill
Creek. After the close of the meeting, the preachers went on to Rockingham and spent the night
with Jacob Whitesell, who had married Brown's sister in Pennsylvania, and who had now an old mill
on Dry River, a mile or two below Rawley Springs. Whitesell and his family later moved to Vigo
county, Indiana, where his descendants are among the pillars of the strong church now in that
section. The preachers then went to the camp meeting on Beaver Creek just opposite the home of
the late John Whitmore. Mrs. Maria Paul attended this meeting, being then a girl, and remembered
the bishop as tall, spare, and clean-shaven. During one of his discourses a large, fat man walked
into the congregation and stood leaning against a tree. His name was Koogler, and he-was a paper-
shaver with a reputation not very savory. Newcomer pointed him out, remarking, 'Oh me, if that
man would become converted, how much religion he could hold.'
"At the close of the camp meeting, Newcomer and his companions rode to Peter Whitesell's,
where Brown preached in German and Newcomer in English. Simon, father of J. D. Whitesell of
Harrisonburg, was then but eight years old, yet preserved to the end of his life a clear recollection
of the visit. Whitesell's church had been built here the year previous. It was the first United
Brethren church built in Virginia, and a most influential center for many years. This house of
worship grew out of the meetings at Hoffman's and Peter Myers': Passing through Harrisonburg to
the head of Brock's Gap, the party took dinner with Henry Tutwiler, a brother-in-law to Whitesell,
and a tanner of buckskin. He was postmaster at Harrisonburg thirty-one years. Tutwiler was a
zealous class leader of the Methodists, and was the father of one of the first graduates of the
University of Virginia. Years afterward, he died shoutingly happy after a sudden illness, the day
after holding a watch meeting on New Year's eve.
"The next day found Newcomer at a camp meeting on the land of Jacob Lentz, at the head of
Brock's Gap four miles above Dovesville. Lentz had come from Loudoun county years before,
bringing his United Brethrenism with him, and though he was more than thirty miles from the
county seat, he was not too far away for his old friends to find him. Near him at Dovesville, was
another United Brethren, Frederick Doub (Dove), who had come from Frederick county, Maryland.
The postoffice was named after him. The descendants of the Lentzs and Doves, and the
intermarried families now form a large element of the population here. The present Keplinger
Chapter VII 27 Planting the Church in
Virginia
Geeting's, at Newtown, at Niswander's in Middletown, and at Winchester.
In October of the same year Newcomer and Geeting traveled the Virginia circuit, one or the
other preaching every day for nineteen days and always in German. Their preaching places were
much as before, Stoverstown (Strasburg) being one of the appointments. At Mengen's, their most
southern point, was the great meeting for which they set out. To attend the two-day services the
people came in some instances thirty to fifty miles.
"Year after year for almost thirty years Newcomer made visits to Virginia, continuing them
almost to the time when Glossbrenner began his work as circuit rider.
"The meeting places were changed to suit local conditions. From Hoffman's the meetings were
changed to Peter Myers near the present Pike Mennonite church. George Hoffman moved to
Augusta, taking his religion with him, and Mount Zion became an early preaching place. Peter
Myers built a dwelling house with a large room in it for meetings, which were held regularly here
for many years.
"In the spring 1809 Newcomer made a unique visit to Harrisonburg. He came as a committee to
confer with Bishop Asbury and the Baltimore Conference of the Methodist Church on the subject of
church union. This conference was held in the log church on the hill where the old burial ground
still remains. Two bishops, Asbury and George, and sixty preachers were present. The day after it
closed Newcomer, delighted with his cordial entertainment, rode down the Valley with Asbury and
other preachers, among whom was Henry Boehm, son of the bishop.
"The last visit by Newcomer was in 1828, when he was seventy-nine years old. That summer he
held eight camp meetings, three of them in Virginia. In company with William Brown, afterward
bishop, and William B. Rhinehart, a sweet singer and later the first editor of the Religious
Telescope, he made the usual stops until he came to a camp meeting on Mill Creek, two miles west
of Mount Jackson. Such meetings were held here from 1825 to 1830 inclusive, on the farm of the
great grandfather of A. P. Funkhouser. The camp spring is yet pointed out in the middle of Mill
Creek. After the close of the meeting, the preachers went on to Rockingham and spent the night
with Jacob Whitesell, who had married Brown's sister in Pennsylvania, and who had now an old mill
on Dry River, a mile or two below Rawley Springs. Whitesell and his family later moved to Vigo
county, Indiana, where his descendants are among the pillars of the strong church now in that
section. The preachers then went to the camp meeting on Beaver Creek just opposite the home of
the late John Whitmore. Mrs. Maria Paul attended this meeting, being then a girl, and remembered
the bishop as tall, spare, and clean-shaven. During one of his discourses a large, fat man walked
into the congregation and stood leaning against a tree. His name was Koogler, and he-was a paper-
shaver with a reputation not very savory. Newcomer pointed him out, remarking, 'Oh me, if that
man would become converted, how much religion he could hold.'
"At the close of the camp meeting, Newcomer and his companions rode to Peter Whitesell's,
where Brown preached in German and Newcomer in English. Simon, father of J. D. Whitesell of
Harrisonburg, was then but eight years old, yet preserved to the end of his life a clear recollection
of the visit. Whitesell's church had been built here the year previous. It was the first United
Brethren church built in Virginia, and a most influential center for many years. This house of
worship grew out of the meetings at Hoffman's and Peter Myers': Passing through Harrisonburg to
the head of Brock's Gap, the party took dinner with Henry Tutwiler, a brother-in-law to Whitesell,
and a tanner of buckskin. He was postmaster at Harrisonburg thirty-one years. Tutwiler was a
zealous class leader of the Methodists, and was the father of one of the first graduates of the
University of Virginia. Years afterward, he died shoutingly happy after a sudden illness, the day
after holding a watch meeting on New Year's eve.
"The next day found Newcomer at a camp meeting on the land of Jacob Lentz, at the head of
Brock's Gap four miles above Dovesville. Lentz had come from Loudoun county years before,
bringing his United Brethrenism with him, and though he was more than thirty miles from the
county seat, he was not too far away for his old friends to find him. Near him at Dovesville, was
another United Brethren, Frederick Doub (Dove), who had come from Frederick county, Maryland.
The postoffice was named after him. The descendants of the Lentzs and Doves, and the
intermarried families now form a large element of the population here. The present Keplinger
Chapter VII 27 Planting the Church in
Virginia
