The original church was a one story construction built of brick and stood 15 or 21 ft. west and parallel with the present church. Church services were held occasionally during the Civil War by the Rev. Mr. Kelly who was also a school teacher, conducting a school and operating a general store in the parsonage . A. W. Wilson, was a junior preacher and later was made Bishop. Rev. Wm. Hedges followed Rev, Kelly.

It is recorded in the Old Baltimore Conference that Bishop Francis Asbury visited here in 1781 and spent the night with a Brother Bruce.

In 1873 there was a deed recorded in the Frederick County Clerk's Office to the trustees of the Brucetown Methodist Church, South for a parcel of land. The said trustees were to pay Isaac E. Pidgeon the sum of fifty dollars.

In 1874 the corner stones were laid for the present church by the Free Mason Organization with appropriate ceremonies. George Philips of Berryville was the architect and supervised the construction of the building. Only the first floor was completed at this time. The Rev. Mr. Sylvanas Townsend was the pastor in charge, with Dr. J. P. Hyde (also a school teacher) preaching occasionally. Later it is said a parcel of land was added from the Jobe Estate.

Later years the church was completed and during the Rev. Mr. F. A. Strother's pastorate, 1885-1889 the belfry was added and the iron fence built.

William Noland was the first Sunday School Superintendent, followed by Dr. W. J. Best, the well-known physician of the village; Mr. William Timberlake being the third supt. and Mr. Henry Jobe the fourth, followed in 1916 by the present Supt. James R. Smith.

The church was renovated and rededicated during Rev. W. 0. Talbert's pastorate, 1938-39. Unusually handsome lighting fixtures were donated by Mrs. H. L. Myerly as a memorial to her late
husband Rev. H. L. Myerly.

This church stands as a monument to the following notable men:

Dr. W. J. Best., William Noland, William Timberlake, Sr.; William Tanquary, Sr.; William Jobe, Sr.; John H. Frazier, J. Lee Grant, Alfred Jackson, Isaac E. Pidgeon, James Smith, A. J. Ridgeway, John Grim, C. W. Henshaw, Samuel Huvett, Benjamin F. Locke, John Locke Sr.; Timothy Locke, William H. Boden, Chas. Boden and others.

Many of these men lie buried in the adjoining church cemetery along with Rev. John C. Green, Rev. John L. Gilbert and Rev. R. S. Heironirnus.

The cemetery itself is quite old. The oldest marked grave is 1822, there are possibly older graves, but they are marked only with some type of field stone. The cemetery is now cared for by a part-time caretaker and the grounds are in excellent condition due to the efforts of church members and interested individuals.

 The Brucetown cemetery has been part of the community since close to the time a post office was first established for the village Nov. 1, 1819.

The cemetery, which once contained the church preceding this one, has been extended westward twice. The first time, in 1910, saw the addition of 35 feet, six inches. The second was in 1975 and added about 3,900 square feet, running for 20 feet along the Brucetown Road, Rt. 672, and 30 feet along the tract’s northern boundary. Old church records indicate the iron fence in front of the church and along the cemetery was installed in 1912, replacing one of wood.

A numbered list of tombstone inscriptions from the cemetery was compiled in 1984 by Ben Hitter of Winchester and Jerry Reid of Brucetown. It listed 464 identifiable graves, pointing out that many unlettered fieldstones and unmarked graves existed. A number of these were marked by depressions in the earth. In the summer of 1987, these and other uneven spaces that made mowing difficult were filled in with 18 loads of topsoil. Grass seed was planted.

The cemetery today is cared for by a community organization called the Brucetown Memorial Association. This church-sanctioned group began in the 1940s and was reorganized with new officers March 14 of this year. Some of the earliest recorded writings of  appear below.

Many founders of the Brucetown church are buried in the cemetery: Among them are William Timberlake, William Tanquary Sr., A.J. Ridgeway, Benjamin F. Loce, and J. Lee Grant.

As we remember these and others, the association hopes that as funds are available through activities and donations; work can go beyond maintenance and include the cleaning and repairing of the weathered stones. They hold a wealth of history, roughly 170 years of it.

The names of former ministers are to be found on either side of the record  which was prepared in 1948 during the ministry of Rev. E. S. Ellmore.

One of the first written indications of the re-establishment of the Brucetown Memorial Association are the minutes from a meeting held on June 21st, 1946..

For additional notes from from the early Brucetown Memorial Association, Please click here

For additional information please contact Mrs. Frances Dorsey - Church Historian - E-mail

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