e it had been sent for safe
keeping. When Union forces took possession of Richmond, they went to
the state library and scattered papers all over the floor, taking
what they wanted. They overlooked Washington's will, however, and
Mr. Lewis, who was Secretary of the Commonwealth, picked it up and
kept it until after the war, when Mr. O. W. Huntt was sent by the
County of Fairfax to Richmond to retrieve the will.

Later on, at the Centennial, copies of Washington's will were
evidently sold amidst much criticism from a metropolitan newspaper,
for we find a letter from Mr. Richardson, Clerk of the Court,
explaining--

"Mr. Andrew Jackson some years ago being a resident of this place
made a complete copy of the will (Washington's) and had it certified
by the Clerk and published as such. He was assisted in this by the
Honorable W. W. Corcoran of Washington, D. C., and these are the
copies sold at the Centennial."

[Illustration]

XII. RECONSTRUCTION

As the reconstruction period came after the war, Fairfax found
herself in a very destitute position. Most of her churches had been
burned, her fields destroyed by constant skirmishes, her homes used
as headquarters or hospitals by Union soldiers. The Willcoxon
Tavern, Duncan's Chapel and doubtless other places had been used as
stables for Union horses. Deflation closed in; the people again
found themselves having to "pick up the pieces".

Zion Church had been used as a storehouse for munitions for a while
and had then been torn down by Union soldiers to provide material
for their winter quarters. In February, 1867, Rev. W. A. Alrich was
sent to undertake reorganizing the Church. He found eighteen
communicants for whom he held services in the court house. He
reported "a deep interest manifested in religious matters, and a
willingness to make every sacrifice for the sake of the Master and
his cause. The people, in their impoverished condition, are making
an earnest effort to rebuild their Churches."

Bishop Whittle visited on December 13th, 1869, and there were
fourteen persons attending services at the Court House. He reported
the new church as being under roof but completion delayed for lack
of funds. He wrote, "I think there is no congregation in the Diocese
more deserving of help than this, where the people have shown such a
determination to help themselves."

By 1872 the second Zion Church had been completed. By December of
1876 the church had been furnished