Though I have traveled nearly the full length of 1-95, I still dread driving on it! Ashland Presbyterian Church is about three miles from the I-95 exit just north of Richmond in Ashland, so I had to face my dread when I visited recently!
The church sits on a corner lot in a neighborhood dating from the 1920s to today. A true neighborhood church!
While I was snapping a few pictures of the church, a car parked near me, and when the occupants exited their car, I was immediately asked to join them in worship!
The warm and friendly sidewalk greeting was also present inside the building before and after worship.
Worship was quite familiar to me in liturgical style, and the only thing “missing” was the choir—the summer break was not over just yet! Still, great singing was heard all around me.
Ashland PC is led by one of our commissioned pastors (CRE), and a bonus for me was that a called congregational meeting to elect elders followed worship. I got to see one of our congregations going about “the business side of church.” It was a good Sunday!
Ashland was formed in 1871, with the sanctuary constructed around 1875. In the 1870s, Ashland welcomed two good neighbors into their town: Ashland Presbyterian Church and Randolph-Macon College. Ashland is a quaint “town/village” with a pretty vibrant downtown area including good shopping and dining, and it is indeed both a typical Virginia town and a good tourist destination.
While talking with some of the members, I learned a bit of the informal history of the church and will try to share it as best as my memory can deliver.
Story One: The first church building had no narthex or bell tower. The way it came about is known as the “Built by the Bonnets” story. The women of the church got together and developed a plan to raise funds. After doing so, I am guessing, they informed the men that it was OK to use the money for a bell tower. The phrase came about because women generally wore bonnets when out and about, and this simple phrase truly tells the whole story. I was also told this is indeed written in their historical records!
Story Two: I was also informed that the balcony of the church’s sanctuary was fondly called “the balcony of death” (1870s building codes seemed to allow steep inclines and low rails for balconies). They offered to unlock the door for me to see, but I took a pass on that one. You can see two stained glass windows centered on the back wall in the photo below right; the way to the inside of the tower is through those windows!
The town of Ashland has many things to offer visitors and residents, so if you are nearby in your travels, stop and see the town. I would suggest doing so on a Sunday, so your first stop is to worship with the folks of Ashland Presbyterian Church, because they, too, have something to offer to visitors and residents!
Kerry
