Stumbling Upon St John’s, Wytheville!

Hallowed Spaces on Halloween Eve!

It was still early October when after picking up a set of maple twin beds from Jeanette and meeting her for lunch in Staunton (See THAT POST for a refresher!) I took the backroads down past Wytheville, VA to get me to Mouth of Wilson where I would be dropping off my cargo at Quiltville Inn.

You know how it goes – audio book playing, deeply engrossed in the story line – and all of a sudden “PING!”  Uhoh.  Low fuel light.  I needed to pull off at the next exit for gas.

As I’m pumping gas, I look just there – just across the slightly busy country road, and there on a hillside is an OLD cemetery, complete with old church to go with it.

I finished pumping.  I moved the van into a regular parking space away from the pumps, and I watched both ways until it was safe to cross.  I had to explore.

From the edge of the road looking toward the church.

MUST ALWAYS READ SIGNS!

Old white church, and a little log house behind!

What I didn’t find out from the sign, I found out much later when I finally got to the cabin for the night and could do a bit of googling. 

Beautiful stone carving.

The precise time when the present burial ground was first occupied as 'God's Acre' cannot be ascertained from church or civil records. It is probable that the graveyard was commenced before Wythe County was formed in 1790. Some of the graves bear evident marks of extending back into the 18th century, although no legible inscription dates further back than 1805.

Once I read this marker – I started looking for the artistry of this stonecutter!

There is a sacredness attached to this hollowed ground, the final resting place of Wythe County's rich and poor, old and young, famous and forgotten, who now rest from their labors. Among the first graves that were marked, we find the names of Rader, Kegley, Sharitz, Repass and Brown.

Check out the foot stone!

One of the most recognizable graves is that of Pastor George Daniel Flohr. His grave is marked by a native stone known as 'mountain marble', hewn and chiseled in the form of a coffin. Another burial plot of note is the Gibboney square which is located within the foundation of the original church. First intended to be reserved for pastors, the plot was sold to the Gibboney family by special concession.

A number of members of Wytheville's founding families are buried at old St. John Cemetery, including such names as the Simmermans, the Spillers, the Hallers, the Crocketts, the Baumgardners and others.

The graves, the monuments, and the inscriptions of this old cemetery are witnesses to the faithful departed and memorials of the devotion of the living for their dead. [source]

Distinctive edging on this one -

Is this the work of Laurence Krone?

Interesting things about this stone – beyond the typo (In MAMORY of  - October IS Breast Cancer Awareness month – get your Mammories checked, ladies!) This child was 7 months, 29 days when she passed.  Heart breaking – but also, no mother is mentioned.  It just says “The daughter of John Baumgardne – and the R is squeezed in just above the name -  Good save, Mr Krone!  Those German last names can take up more space than you think they will.

With no wife listed on the stone, one might think that perhaps mother had passed during child birth – but right next to this stone, heartbreakingly so -

Little Francis Ann

1831 – the year after Emmalina.

The name still runs off the edge with the R of Baumgardener above -

By this time my heart has truly broken for this family – all “interesting observances” from these stones set aside, (Such as – if there is a typo, do you get a discount?!) and I walked the rows of stones and just let the tears flow for all of the lost little ones, my own included.

This was only 2 weeks after returning from Mark’s memorial in Arizona, and I mourned him as well as my lost Heather Leann. 

And I still wondered – who was Mrs. John Baumgardner?  Did they have any more children?

Some crumbling stones have been replaced -

War of 1812 veteran.  Wow. 

Born the year of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Some family plots were fenced.

I couldn’t get close enough to read names.

Marker that looks like a tree stump.

Feathers and flowers.

Gone too soon.

Up toward the newer part of the cemetery there are even some benches – it was nearing evening, and temps were still very warm, so I sat and had a good hour long conversation with my dad.  The wonder of cell phones.  Being able to call at any time from nearly anywhere.  I couldn’t have done that 30 years ago. 

The Flohr House!

The Reverend George Daniel Flohr, born in Germany in 1763, was the founding father of St. John Lutheran Church and served as its first pastor from 1799 until his death in 1826. 

His home, located about one mile north of the church, was built on 47 acres of land purchased in 1807 by Pastor Flohr from Andrew Brown, an elder of the congregation. It is uncertain whether the house was built by Flohr or whether it was on the property when he purchased it.

The original structure was a two room house constructed of hewn logs. It has a large fireplace made of native stone, used for heating and cooking, and all indications are that it had a dirt floor. 

The house was later enlarged with two additional rooms and other structural improvements. After Pastor Flohr's death is 1826 the home was owned by his widow, Elizabeth Baer Flohr, until her death in 1858. The Flohr House has been owned by a number of persons since that time.

In 1984, when the house faced destruction for a real estate development, effort was initiated to save the old Flohr home and to relocate it on the St. John Church property. The house was purchased by Everett Kegley, then disassembled, moved to the new site, and reassembled using stone from and spring house and chimney for the foundation. 

The project to develop this house into a museum continues as funds become available from private contributions. [source]

I hope they do get to open it as a museum. I would love to see the insides!  I can also appreciate what it must have taken to disassemble the house log by log and like a jigsaw puzzle put it back together again.

I am so glad I took a long time out from my drive for this visit!

I feel enriched that I was able to learn a bit more about the hearty hardworking and faithful people from this corner of Virginia where I plan on spending the rest of my life. 

Take the small moments and make the most of them!

More stone artwork by Laurence Krone -

McGavock Family Cemetery, near Fort Chiswell, Wythe County VA

Through my google search I found more work by Laurence – There are now more places on my “Must see!” list for future driving trips around the area.

Halloween (Oct 31) All Saints Day (Nov 1) and All Souls Day (Nov 2) have such rich historical traditions and meanings, many of which have been diluted or lost due to the over-commercialism of Halloween.

In thinking on these things, I was reminded of a trip I took to San Antonio, and was there for Dia de los Muertos.  Irene and I toured several of the missions in the area, and I shared photos and more IN THAT POST.  I love it when a community and a culture keeps their own traditions alive.

As for here in Quiltville, Halloween also has significant meaning – MYSTERY INTRODUCTORY POST TOMORROW!!

In other news around here!

Yesterday was fraught with machine problems from bad tension, to shredding thread and a lot of un-stitching and restarting.  More life lessons!

But it’s still getting there, even if it isn’t as fast as I’d like it to go.

Quiltville Quote of the Day -

Vintage Quilt found in Virginia.

Mama said there’d be days like this -

She also said that I’d get through them!

And you will too -