by renting
his tobacco barn for regular services.

He received 1000 lbs. of tobacco a year for its rent. The barn was
fitted with six benches which ran the length of the house and two
benches which stood at each end of the building. A Communion table
and a reading desk with a small window on each side of the desk
concluded the specified alterations. This was in 1765. The exact
location of this barn has not been identified but it seems likely
that it was in the vicinity of Edward Payne's home on middle ridge
near the Ox road, where Payne's church was built in 1766. (The
Virginia Army National Guard Nike Site is now located on part of
Payne's land.)

At a meeting on February 3rd and 4th, 1766, the vestry resolved that
a new church be built on the middle ridge near Ox Road ... on the
land "supposed to belong" to Mr. Thomazen Ellzey, young
planter-lawyer, "who being present consents to the same". (Mr.
Ellzey owned a large tract of land including the Magner tract of
which "Brecon Ridge" is now a part. According to local tradition, he
gave the "glebe" land which consisted of 40 acres for the minister
who was allowed to collect as salary whatever he could grow on the
"glebe".) Vestrymen present these two days were "Mr. Edward Payne,
Colo. George Washington, Capt. Daniel McCarty, Colo. George William
Fairfax, Mr. Alexander Henderson, Mr. William Gardner, Thomas
Withers Coffer, William Linton and Thomas Ford."

Edward Payne was to undertake to build the church for 579 lbs. of
Virginia currency agreeable to a plan and articles drawn up by a Mr.
John Ayres who was to be paid 40 shillings for his plan and
estimates. These plans were to be modeled after the Falls Church.

Hearsay relates that "Edward Payne, vestryman and builder of the
church, and Col. George Washington had an argument concerning the
location of the church. A fist fight insued and Mr. Payne, who was a
tall man but not as tall as Col. Washington, knocked Col. Washington
down--it being the first and only time Washington was ever knocked
down". The church was located according to Mr. Payne's judgment and
records show it was accepted on September 9, 1768, as agreeably
built according to plan, with the exception of the brick pediments
over the door which were to be corrected by Mr. Payne.

The church was used for services until the time of the Revolution
after which it was used only occasionally. Early in the last century
the Baptists took possession of it as aban