Little River Baptist Church
Enter to worship. Depart to serve.
History of Little River Baptist Church
A Church Bound Together through Its Past, Present, and Future
AN EXTENSIVE AND IMPRESSIVE COLLECTION of documents and photographs chronicling nearly 250 years of the church's history is on file at the church, as well as in the archives of the Virginia Baptist Historical Society in Richmond (www.baptistheritage.org). Included among these documents are deeds and plats dating from 1769; abstracts of minutes from 1871 to 1992; membership records from 1871 to 1955; lists of pastors, trustees, officers, and teachers from 1918 to 2002; and brief histories that were prepared for special occasions, as well as newspaper clippings, newsletters, and bulletins. A few items regarding the Woman's Missionary Union (WMU) also are included.Mrs. Louisa S. Hutchison has dedicated many years of her life to collecting historical papers related to local and county history. As church historian, she has lovingly and meticulously compiled and preserved these valuable records. Mrs. Hutchison is a native of Loudoun County with deep roots in the Little River community, and a former deputy clerk of the Loudoun County Circuit Court, making her uniquely qualified to serve as curator of the history of Little River Baptist Church.
It would be a daunting task to condense nearly 250 years of the church's history into a few paragraphs that will accommodate the short attention spans of today's website visitors. Rather than "repeat history" — and Mrs. Hutchison's good work — this page provides several essays from the church archives that bring the past into the light. Also included are photographs that show the 1890 church (shown above) and the 1973 (current) building at various stages of use and construction.
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Photo Gallery
Click any photo to view the gallery in full screen mode. (Photo credits are provided at the bottom of the page.)
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From Morgan Edwards' 1772 Virginia Notebook:
LITTLE-RIVER (Regular)
So called from a branch of Goose-creek (and that empties into the Potowmak) near to which the meeting house is, in Cameron parish, Lowden county, 212 miles nbw from Williamsburg and 230 ssw from Philadelphia. It consists of 5 branches; one near Little-river where is a house 25 feet by 20, built in 1767 on land given by Wm West; another at Goose-creek; another at Shenadore; Bull-run another; another at Monacacy in Maryland in each of which places is a meeting house. The families about whereof 362 persons are baptized and in communion which is celebrated once a quarter in each branch viz 5. Ruling elders, laying on of hands, and devoting children admitted. ...
John S. Moore, ed. The Virginia Baptist Register, No. 18, 1979. Richmond, Va.: Virginia Baptist Historical Society, pg. 867.
LITTLE-RIVER (Regular)
So called from a branch of Goose-creek (and that empties into the Potowmak) near to which the meeting house is, in Cameron parish, Lowden county, 212 miles nbw from Williamsburg and 230 ssw from Philadelphia. It consists of 5 branches; one near Little-river where is a house 25 feet by 20, built in 1767 on land given by Wm West; another at Goose-creek; another at Shenadore; Bull-run another; another at Monacacy in Maryland in each of which places is a meeting house. The families about whereof 362 persons are baptized and in communion which is celebrated once a quarter in each branch viz 5. Ruling elders, laying on of hands, and devoting children admitted. ...
John S. Moore, ed. The Virginia Baptist Register, No. 18, 1979. Richmond, Va.: Virginia Baptist Historical Society, pg. 867.
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Essays
Click on the title to read the essay.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE LITTLE RIVER BAPTIST CHURCH
Address of Rev. Westwood Hutchison Given at the Celebration of the 160th Anniversary, September 1, 1929
REMARKS ON HISTORY OF THE LITTLE RIVER BAPTIST CHURCH GROUND-BREAKING CEREMONY
L.V. Ray, Jr., Building Committee Chairman, July 8, 1972
THE PASTORS OF LITTLE RIVER BAPTIST CHURCH
Louisa S. Hutchison, Prepared for Homecoming, Aug. 5, 2001
THE HISTORY OF LITTLE RIVER BAPTIST CHURCH
Mrs. Louisa S. Hutchison, August 2, 2009
A HISTORY OF THE LITTLE RIVER BAPTIST CHURCH
An Essay. Author and Date Unknown
A HISTORY OF THE WOMEN'S MISSIONARY UNION AT LITTLE RIVER BAPTIST CHURCH
Mrs. Louisa S. Hutchison
Click on the title to read the essay.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE LITTLE RIVER BAPTIST CHURCH
Address of Rev. Westwood Hutchison Given at the Celebration of the 160th Anniversary, September 1, 1929
REMARKS ON HISTORY OF THE LITTLE RIVER BAPTIST CHURCH GROUND-BREAKING CEREMONY
L.V. Ray, Jr., Building Committee Chairman, July 8, 1972
THE PASTORS OF LITTLE RIVER BAPTIST CHURCH
Louisa S. Hutchison, Prepared for Homecoming, Aug. 5, 2001
THE HISTORY OF LITTLE RIVER BAPTIST CHURCH
Mrs. Louisa S. Hutchison, August 2, 2009
A HISTORY OF THE LITTLE RIVER BAPTIST CHURCH
An Essay. Author and Date Unknown
A HISTORY OF THE WOMEN'S MISSIONARY UNION AT LITTLE RIVER BAPTIST CHURCH
Mrs. Louisa S. Hutchison
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Timeline
1757
Loudoun County established
September 2, 1769
One-half acre of land deeded by William West to Benjamin Hutchison, John Smarr, John Shippey, and William Berkley, Trustees, purchased for one shilling
Little River Baptist Church constituted
First church was a one-room log building that already stood on the site and was also used as a school
March 2, 1772
One acre of land deeded by Samuel Wyckoff to John Lewis and Joseph Hutchison, Trustees, purchased for 20 shillings
April 1775
Revolutionary War begins
c. October 1775
Second church built, erected of logs (this is the first building erected on the permanent site at Braddock Road)
June 1788
Virginia becomes the 10th state
1814
Third church built, erected of brick
1861
American Civil War begins
1889
Brick building determined unsafe and demolished
July 5, 1890
Fourth church dedicated (timber-framed building)
1894 – 1895
Baptistry rooms added
1952
Two-story addition for Sunday school rooms completed
1957
LRBC withdraws from all field associations and becomes full-time church
December 11, 1971
Church building destroyed by fire (caused by over- heated water-circulating pump used to heat water in baptismal font)
January 1972 – July 1973
Services held at Arcola Elementary School during church construction
August 5, 1973
Fifth church dedicated
1757
Loudoun County established
September 2, 1769
One-half acre of land deeded by William West to Benjamin Hutchison, John Smarr, John Shippey, and William Berkley, Trustees, purchased for one shilling
Little River Baptist Church constituted
First church was a one-room log building that already stood on the site and was also used as a school
March 2, 1772
One acre of land deeded by Samuel Wyckoff to John Lewis and Joseph Hutchison, Trustees, purchased for 20 shillings
April 1775
Revolutionary War begins
c. October 1775
Second church built, erected of logs (this is the first building erected on the permanent site at Braddock Road)
June 1788
Virginia becomes the 10th state
1814
Third church built, erected of brick
1861
American Civil War begins
1889
Brick building determined unsafe and demolished
July 5, 1890
Fourth church dedicated (timber-framed building)
1894 – 1895
Baptistry rooms added
1952
Two-story addition for Sunday school rooms completed
1957
LRBC withdraws from all field associations and becomes full-time church
December 11, 1971
Church building destroyed by fire (caused by over- heated water-circulating pump used to heat water in baptismal font)
January 1972 – July 1973
Services held at Arcola Elementary School during church construction
August 5, 1973
Fifth church dedicated
PHOTO CREDITS (this page): (1) Sketches of early meeting houses, Loudoun Times-Mirror, July 20, 1972. (2, 3, 4, 5) Photos of sanctuary and baptistry decorated for Christmas, c. 1917-1930s, from church archives. (6) Church with baptistry rooms added, c. 1940, from church archives. (7, 8, 9, 10) "The country preacher," The Sunday Star Pictorial Magazine, Jan. 28, 1951. (11, 12) Construction of Sunday school addition, 1952, from church archives. (13) "The big guys changed things," The Evening Star, April 8, 1972. (14) "Church to re-build," letter to the editor, Piedmont Virginian, Feb. 16, 1972. (15) "Little River tries again," Loudoun Times-Mirror, July 20, 1972. (16, 17) Construction of foundation and building, 1972, from church archives. (18) "Church to be dedicated," Piedmont Virginian, Vol. III, No. 16, August 1, 1973.
Richard Major (1769 until his death in 1796 or 1797)
Robert Latham (15 years – shown on Association minutes in 1821)
John Johnson (1824–1827 – shown in minutes)
Lovell Marders (shown 1828)
John Ogilvie (shown 1829)
Lovell Marders (was pastor when members left for Mt. Zion in 1851)
T.W. Greer
Samuel Rogers (died young)
John W. Jones (shown 1868)
Samuel M. Athey (shown 1870, resigned Jan. 1872)
William M. Davis (July – Oct. 1872; excluded May 1873)
A.E. Rogers (Nov. 1874 – May 1875)
S.M. Athey (June 1875 – May 1880)
Luther R. Steele (June 1880 – May 1881)
Timothy A. Hall (June 1884 – Sep. 1888)
John J. Bailey (Feb. 1891 – Feb. 1892)
Oscar C. Peyton (Nov. 1892; left for seminary in fall 1893)
Charles Wirt Trainham (Jan. 1894 – Dec. 1903)
Willis E. Lowe (Interim)
T.D.D. Clark (Dec. 1904 – Dec. 1913)
George T. Baker (Oct. 1914 – May 1920)
Charles Wirt Trainham (Feb. 1921 – Feb. 1924)
W.J. Banks (July 1924 – Sept. 1926)
J.H. Strong (Interim: June 1927 – April 1928)
Joseph M. Long (Dec. 1928 – Dec. 1933)
Fletcher Ford (Feb. 1935 – April 1936)
C.W. McElroy (July 1936 – June 1948)
Warren L. Oliff (July 1949 – Oct. 1953)
John C. Adkerson (March – Sep. 1954)
Willie S. Davis (Jan. 1955 – July 1956)
James H. Smith (June 1958 – Aug. 1966)
Joseph B. Anderson, Jr. (July 1967 – Feb. 1972)
Jesse H. Parker (Nov. 1973 – Dec. 2007)
Daniel Hough (Interim: Jan. 2008 – Feb. 2011)
Malcolm McMillan (Feb. 2011 – present)
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Today we are left to wonder at God's purpose and His plan. Why has Little River Baptist Church continued as a living body for over 200 years while so many other churches have fallen by the wayside?... Does God have special plans for Little River?
One thing we know is that it is the members of this, or any other, church who makes it live, keep the faith, and work for the Lord. It is God-loving people – past, present, and future – who bind a Church together and make the difference between success and failure.
"Remarks on History of the Little River Baptist Church Ground-breaking Ceremony," L.V. Ray, Jr., July 8, 1972
One thing we know is that it is the members of this, or any other, church who makes it live, keep the faith, and work for the Lord. It is God-loving people – past, present, and future – who bind a Church together and make the difference between success and failure.
"Remarks on History of the Little River Baptist Church Ground-breaking Ceremony," L.V. Ray, Jr., July 8, 1972