Jamestown Presbyterian    Church     "A Brief History"

Many of our old church directories began with a page or two of our church  history and year after year they also included this invitation: 

"To those who are weary and need rest; to all who are  lonely  and desire  companionship; to all who mourn and need comfort;     to all who sin and need a savior; this church opens wide its doors and in the name of  CHRIST, says Welcome !" 

The church history in the directory dated 1970 ended like this:  

“Thus, we can see that a great deal worthwhile happened before many of us came here. It should help us to realize that the future we plan for today is, in reality the heritage of tomorrow; and that regardless how significant or insignificant a part we play in that future,  we will still be a part of the heritage. Our actions and our deeds of today will be the history of tomorrow.” 

1970 was our fiftieth anniversary as a Presbyterian church. There were 161 members on our active roil and 79 families. That was over 30 years ago; however our story began more a century ago.  

In 1894 Mr. W.J Campbell from Pennsylvania traded a Clydesdale horse for 100 acres of land here in our community and generously donated 2 acres in May of 189f for the purpose of establishing a church. Sunday school classes were started m an old store across the street and during the winter of 1895-96 the original part of the church was constructed. The men furnished the lumber and labor. Many money-raising projects were undertaken to aid the building fund. The minister, a Methodist, came from Surry each week. In May, 1896 “ Powhatan Temple ” was dedicated. The original structure had a low ceiling with a stove pipe extending through the center of the roof leading from a cast iron stove furnished heat. That spring a reed organ was purchased and the first wedding ceremony was performed.

The church was used as a school house in 1896-97. By 1901 attendance began to decline and the minister stopped coming. In 1905 several new families moved into the community and there was new interest in a place of worship. The church was renamed Forks Church . Baptist and Methodist ministers serving churches in Williamsburg came to conduct services twice a month.  In the late teens, Dr. W.W. Powell, who was serving Williamsburg Presbyterian became interested in the church at Five Forks and agreed to conduct services every other Sunday afternoon. Norfolk Presbytery approved and officially organized Five Forks Presbyterian Church in 1920.   A decade later the name “Jamestown Presbyterian Church was adopted.

Interest and attendance continued to grow and by 1926 additional space was needed. The ceiling was raised and two classrooms were added at both the front and back. The basement was dug in 1933. The men of the church engaged in the task of raising the whole structure and digging a full basement. A serious seepage problem caused this project to be referred to as “Emurian’s Pool”, after the Rev S. K. Emursan who came as the supply minister in 1933.

The first manse was built on Ironbound Road in 1949, by sharing of the congregation in contributing land, lumber, furnishings and many hours of labor. In 1950 a well was dug at the church. (Imagine no running water until 1950).  In 1952 the church got its first full time minister. For over 30 years the minister was shared with other churches, some as far away as Gloucester . A new education building was constructed and dedicated in October 1959. A new and larger manse was built on Ferncliff Drive 1963. The church has been self supporting since 1957 and help support several missionaries since 1961. The first woman to be elected the Deaconate was Mrs. Virginia Bowen in 1964. The first women to be elected to the Session as a Ruling Elder were Mrs. Mary Andrews in 1967.

 In 1988 a special planning committee was formed to examine the church as it was and the direction it should take. Should it stay a cozy little church or expand to embrace its ever growing community? In 1990 a building committee was formed. The first financial campaign for the building fund was kicked of in January of 1991. Many fund raising projects were undertaken to aid the building fund. The Women of the Church sponsored bazaars and yard sales. Many months of research and work went into efforts to obtain a clear title to the property. The ground breaking ceremony for the new facilities was held  May 22, 1994 . In August 1994 the manse was sold and the proceeds from the sale went into the building fund.  Renovation work on the education building was started in October and the congregant moved into the new 300 seat sanctuary in June of 1995.

The large cross in the sanctuary was made from a tree that was cut down to make room for our new facilities. A tree given new purpose, but an ever presents of our roots. Buried under a pillar of our new sign, is a time capsule, put there to commemorate our 100 anniversary as a place of worship. The capsule will be opened in 2020, it’s  an ever present symbol of our future. The highest point in  Five Forks is the steeple of the new Jamestown Presbyterian Church.  We have a modern new building connected to a completely renovated education wing, but the original old frame church building is still being used. Its basement was filled in, it was moved and updated with siding, and still serves as our fellowship hall and as our reminder. The members of this congregation have been dedicated - determined and faithful throughout the past one hundred years in Gods work and we hope to continue in that strong tradition in the future.

In the church directory dated 1980 a brief church history ended like this:

"Many have given their devotion and support.  All have been sinners, and some have been saints. Stewardship and attendance is good. What we do in the future depends on you and on the grace of our Heavenly Father.”

This history was taken for the most part from the 1995 calendar prepared by the XYZers. The history prepared for the Fiftieth anniversary celebration, and church directories. Many thanks to those unknown authors.