STONEWALL JACKSON'S CHURCH BURNS

About 9:30 AM July 18, painters working inside Lexington (Virginia) Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) accidently caused a fire which destroyed the recently renovated sanctuary and surrounding spaces. The firemen prevented the steeple from tumbling down, but the back of the sanctuary had great flames still rising from it and the roof was collapsing two hours after the fire erupted.

This is the congregation of which Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson was a deacon before the war, and through which he established one of the first Sunday School classes specifically for Black slaves. Contrary to revisionist history, Jackson considered the slaves to be God's children that needed God's Word and took an active part in representing their interests.

Bob Williams, Observer Correspondent, Lexington, Virginia bwilliam@wlu.edu

Lexington Presbyterian Church, 120 South Main St., Lexington, Virginia 24450 (540) 463-3873