t was built in 1884, being formally dedicated in October of that year.
The building now used by the Sunday School of the church, which was
built before the civil war by Dr. Simon J. Groot, as a hall for
religious and secular public meetings, was purchased and formally
dedicated as a church November 20, 1866.

Since that date the pastors have been Rev. H. P. Dechert, who resigned
in 1870, Rev. David H. Riddle, Rev. D. L. Rathbun and Rev. R. A.
Davison, D. D.

The Rev. Mr. Riddle's pastorate extended over a period of seventeen
years, and it was during his term that the present handsome stone church
was built.

The Rev. Mr. Rathbun was pastor from 1890 to 1900.

[Illustration: Mr. J. W. Seay]

The church has a large membership and the congregation continues to
increase.

The Sunday School connected with the church, of which Mr. E. C. Hough is
Superintendent, is one of the largest in the village.

DULIN CHAPEL M. E. CHURCH, SOUTH. After the close of the war of 1861-65
the Methodists of Falls Church found themselves without a house of
worship, the church in which they had formerly worshipped having been
destroyed by soldiers of the Union Army while encamped close by. For a
time they held services in the "Old Falls Church," the present Episcopal
Church of the town until some of the leading members, desirous of having
a house of worship of their own, took steps towards the erection of the
present building near the site of their old church, among them being the
late H. W. Febrey, John E. Febrey, B. F. Shreve, Jos. E. Birch and Wm.
Dulin.

Mr. Wm. Dulin gave the site and soon there was erected thereon a church
which was dedicated in the spring of 1869. The parsonage was built a few
years later. The church as first built was remodeled in 1893. The
church officers are as follows: W. H. Torreyson, W. H. Shreve, R. W.
Birch, W. S. Tucker, W. M. Ellison, Trustees; W. H. Shreve, F. L. Birch,
J. H. Brunner, E. J. Febrey, W. M. Ellison, Stewards.

[Illustration: Mr. J. H. Wells]

COLUMBIA BAPTIST CHURCH. Columbia Baptist Church was organized in 1857
by Rev. Hiram Reed, and up to the beginning of the civil war had about
300 enrolled on the church books as active members.

Services were discontinued during the war and the church used as a
hospital by the Union troops. Later it was used as a public school for a
number of years prior to 1870. In that year the State Mission Board sent
the Rev. W. S. O. Thomas to reopen the chur