y decided to build a church "at or near the spring
nigh Mr. Hutchinson's on the mountain road ... with doors, windows &
seats after the manner of the Upper Church." The deed from Andrew
Hutchinson to the Vestry of Truro Parish for two acres of land upon
which this new church was to be erected, recorded in Liber A. No. 1,
page 464, Fairfax County Land Records, does not show this land to have
been in the vicinity of Falls Church.

On October 12, 1747, the vestry records indicate that Mary Bennitt was
sexton of the Upper Church, supposed to be the same which was called the
New Church before this date, and that Wm. Grove was sexton of the more
recently built church on the mountain road near Mr. Hutchinson's. Mary
Bennitt's salary as sexton of the Upper Church was 400 pounds of tobacco
until 1749, when it was increased to 460 pounds. Her salary was again
raised to 560 pounds in 1752, and so continued until 1755, when James
Palmer became sexton at "Falls Church," so designated in the records.
James Palmer appears to have been succeeded by Gerard Trammell, the
Vestry at a meeting held November 12, 1759, having allowed the latter
560 pounds of tobacco as sexton of Falls Church.

[Illustration: Mrs. Annie Eells]

In February, 1749, the Vestry decided to build an addition to the "Upper
Church," and the contract for the improvement was given to Charles
Broadwater, Gent., who undertakes to complete the work by the laying of
the next parish levy for the sum of 12,000 pounds of tobacco. Mr.
Charles Broadwater was at that time one of the vestrymen, and among
those present at the meeting were George Mason and the Rev. Charles
Green. The vestry meeting held October 25, 1762, elected George
Washington a Vestryman in place of Wm. Peake, Gent., deceased, and at
the same meeting it was ordered that the sexton at Falls Church be
allowed 560 pounds of tobacco for his services.

The Vestry of Truro Parish met on March 28, 1763, at the Falls Church.
Those present were: Henry Gunnell, Wm. Payne, Jr., Church Wardens; John
West, Wm. Payne, Charles Broadwater, Thomas Wren, Abraham Barnes, Daniel
McCarty, Robert Boggers and George Washington.

[Illustration: "Eastover" Mr. Pickering Dodge]

It appears that this meeting was called for the purpose of deciding
whether to repair the old church, then greatly in decay, or to erect a
new building. It would seem that the matter of abandonment of the site
of the old church was also to be acted upon, an