Bill Text: VA HJR162 | 2024 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Commending Pohick Episcopal Church.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2024-02-22 - Bill text as passed House and Senate (HJ162ER) [HJR162 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2024-HJR162-Enrolled.html
WHEREAS, Pohick Episcopal Church, the home church of George Washington and George Mason, has provided inspirational religious leadership and transformative outreach to the members of the Lorton community and the Commonwealth from its current location for 250 years; and
WHEREAS, Pohick Church is listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places and bears historical significance as an elegant specimen of Georgian-style architecture, reflecting its Colonial-era origins, while continuing to serve as an active Episcopal Church; and
WHEREAS, originally known as the Occoquan Church, Pohick Church was established around 1724, and as the first permanent church established north of the Occoquan River, it has been called "the Mother Church of Northern Virginia"; and
WHEREAS, Pohick Church played a pivotal role as the spiritual sanctuary of George Washington; as a Truro Parish vestryman, he assumed responsibilities for overseeing financial matters, church and community leadership, and clergy elections, and was himself elected as church warden; and
WHEREAS, George Washington surveyed the land and played a crucial part in the relocation, design, and construction of the current Pohick Church, which was completed in 1774; and
WHEREAS, in addition to George Washington, fellow vestryman George Mason and other significant figures of the era, claimed Pohick Church as their spiritual home; their faith and unwavering commitment to individual liberties was a fundamental and integral component of the drafting of the Virginia Declaration of Rights, and the church was the location of the early discussions leading to the Fairfax Resolves; and
WHEREAS, Pohick Church stands as a testament to the collective endeavors and achievements of its congregants, including noteworthy individuals like George Washington and George Mason, other local tradespeople and business owners, community members, and numerous enslaved Africans, and in 2023, the church immortalized many of their names in bronze to serve as a commemoration and a lasting reminder of their contributions to the early history of the nation; and
WHEREAS, Pohick Church has solidified its role as a spiritual haven and welcoming community for military veterans, reflecting its historical association with George Washington in its present-day congregation, which has counted veterans of every branch of service among its membership, as well as numerous alumni from institutions such as the United States Military Academy, the United States Naval Academy, United States Coast Guard Academy, the Citadel, and Virginia Military Institute; and
WHEREAS, Pohick Church continues to welcome seekers and newcomers of all backgrounds, races, and cultures, reaching out to the wider community through a variety of ministries in the spirit of its forebears; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Pohick Episcopal Church, one of the most historically significant churches in the Commonwealth and the nation, on the occasion of its 250th anniversary of the completion of its 1774 church building; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Pohick Episcopal Church on Presidents' Day 2024 as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for the church's unique role in American history as the home church of George Washington, and for the ways the church has carried forward the spiritual legacy of its founders to current and future generations.
