Collection open for research.
No physical characteristics affect use of this material.
Old Stone Church and Parsonage Property Research, 1761-2006 (M 062), Thomas Balch Library, Leesburg, VA.
Margaret Welbourn Seccombe Brown, Carmel, CA and Vernon Davis, Leesburg, VA.
CDs (do not contain all the contents that are in the folders)
2010.0326, 2010.0299, 2010.0071
Sarah E. Wycoff, 25 January 2011
Leesburg, Virginia was established 12 October 1758 on a tract of land belonging to Capt. Nicholas Minor (fl. 1740-1766). The original survey included seventy lots and seven streets, and required the initial owners to erect a building meeting certain dimensions within three years or the land reverted back to Minor.
Lot 49 was sold by Minor to John Urquhart (n.d.) in 1761. Urquhart built the house on the property in 1762 and sold the lot in 1764. The lot changed hands several times until Samuel Murrey (?-10 September 1821) bought it in 1804. Samuel Murrey and his wife Betsy (n.d.) were members of the Methodist church located next door on Lot 50. They sold their property to the Trustees of the Leesburg Methodist Church for use as a parsonage in 1816. In 1896, Dr. R.B. Fishbourne (30 May 1848-11 October 1927) and his wife Elizabeth Clagett Rogers (1852-22 October 1923) bought the building from the church. The Fishbournes made additions to the house including Dr. Fishbourne's office which later became the first town library. In the 1930s, the house was passed down to their daughter Margaret Welbourn (29 September 1889-September 1968) and her husband Reverend John Armistead Welbourn (26 January 1875-1960). Their daughter Elizabeth (Betty) F. Seccombe (10 June 1916-24 March 2006) inherited the home upon her mother's death. In 2007 Seccombe's children sold the property to the Trustees of the St. James Episcopal Church.
Lot 50 was sold by Minor to Robert Hamilton (?-1777) on 11 May 1766. The deed stipulated that it be used for a Methodist church or meeting house and graveyard. Parishioners included both white and African American members. By 1770 a small building made of soft stone had been built on the lot. It was replaced by a larger structure between 1785 and 1790 to accommodate the growing congregation, and enlarged in 1802.
The Methodist congregation split in 1848 over the question of slavery and formed the Methodist Church, South and the Methodist Church, North reflecting their respective political ties. After the Civil War, ownership of the church was disputed between the black and white members. The white members joined Leesburg United Methodist Church, which had been established by the southern faction, and the Africa American congregants built Mt. Zion United Methodist Church in 1867. A suit was filed in 1897 over use of the old building, and in 1900 the Loudoun County court ordered the property to be sold and proceeds divided between the two congregations. Shortly thereafter, the church was torn down and its building materials were incorporated into other local buildings. In 1961, the Virginia Conference of the Methodist Church purchased the lot to create a heritage landmark honoring the original Methodist Church, now known as the Old Stone Church.
This collection consists of paperwork and research collected by Margaret Welbourn Seccombe Brown. The collection contains title history for the parsonage and the Old Stone Church, floor plans, and builders' notes for all additions to the parsonage house. There are pictures of the house during the times of the various owners as well as pamphlets on the Old Stone Church. Finally, there are newspaper clippings and letters to Betty Seccombe, the last owner of the house. Two CDs are included in the collection containing digital forms of a portion of the research.
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