~ Report provided by Trustees of Mauck Meeting House
HAMBURG — The Trustees of the Mauck Meeting House gathered on Sept. 17 and unanimously elected the following new officers:
President – Rod Graves
Vice President – Mark Andrew Bauserman
Treasurer – Nancy Brubaker
Secretary – Cathy Mauck
Special recognition was given to Gary Bauserman, who passed away in June, for his lifetime services on the maintenance and preservation of the Mauck Meeting House.
Mauck Meeting House, formally known as Mill Creek Church, circa 1770, is one of Page County’s oldest buildings. The one-and-a-half story log building was built on land owned by Daniel Mauck in Hamburg, Va.
In 1807, Daniel Mauck’s son, Joseph, deeded the property to ”friends of religion and good order” (Virginia Department of History). The history is sketchy, but the early congregation were both Mennonite and Baptist. The Mennonite left the area and the Baptist took over the church. They remodeled the building about 1830 adding weather boarding, a roof of chestnut shingles and an inside balcony.
The congregation consisted of “all people” — slaves, freemen of color and women. The church was used by all Christians and attracted preachers of many denominations. (Virginia Department of History)
During the Civil War, the church is considered a “likely place that Confederate General Thomas ‘Stonewall’ Jackson stopped late on the night of May 22, 1862 for reflective prayer as he was in the middle of his legendary Valley Campaign.”
In 1959, the weather boarding was removed, the log walls were restored and a tin roof was added. It is maintained as a national shrine and meeting place in Page County and is listed in the National Registry of Historic Places. Restoration is starting to repair the roof, preserve the logs and repair rodent holes. Additional repairs are planned.
The Trustees are looking for donations, pictures, mementos, and any memories of Mauck Meeting House. This information will be used to update and replace the interpretive marker in front of the building. All pictures and mementos will be noted and returned to the sender.
Please send all items to:
Mauck Meeting House ℅ Cathy Mauck,
2552 Old Forge Rd., Luray, Va. 22835
or call 540-742-3905.
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Page County Courthouse, court records and the Library of Virginia
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