In 1790, Abraham Garber and his wife, Elizabeth, migrated from Shenandoah County to Augusta County near New Hope. There, they began meeting in homes until 1824, when they constructed the original red brick church building, establishing the first Brethren congregation in Augusta County known as Middle River. Since most early meetinghouses were built primarily using wood, this meetinghouse was known for a half-century as the Brick Church of Augusta County. Large fireplaces were built into each end of the building to support use of the building year-round.
Middle River was the host congregation for the Annual Conference in 1851, and reportedly 500 people attended. Another important meeting was held at Middle River in 1862 after several Brethren and Mennonite men were taken captive and sent to Richmond for being unwilling to bear arms in the Civil War. A General Council meeting was called at Middle River to discuss what should be done about the incarceration of these men. The Virginia legislature had already enacted the Exemption Act to allow dissenters to pay a $500 fine and 2% of the value of their property. Benjamin F. Bryarly and Christian Kline were chosen at this meeting to go to Richmond and secure the men’s release after the Brethren raised the necessary funds to pay the fines.
When the tide turned in the Civil War in 1864, Union forces marched through the Valley, and Confederates engaged them on June 5 at Piedmont, a small settlement just north of New Hope. During this battle, the Confederate troops sustained 1,600 casualties, and Union troops had 875. The Middle River church served as a hospital, and at least one soldier was buried in the cemetery there.
The original red brick church burned down and was replaced in 1884 with a white wooden structure. In 1964, a new brick building was erected on portions of the old foundation of the original church. An additional wing was added to the new church building in 1975. The sanctuary was damaged by fire in 2006 and has been restored.
Contributed by Jonathan B. Scarr
Sources
- Many lines come directly from Shenandoah District of the Church of the Brethren in “Middle River Celebrates 200 Years of Ministry” in Sharing Our Story, Mar. 13, 2024.
- Roger E. Sappington, The Brethren in Virginia (1973).