"A Brief History of Tangier Island, Va.

With A Review Of The Rise and Growth of the Methodist Episcopal Church"

 by Pastor C. P. Swain


 The following book, written around 1900, titled "A Brief History of Tangier Island, Va., With a Review of the Rise and Growth of the Methodist Episcopl Church" by C.P .Swain was a history of the currently named Swain Memorial United Methodist Church located 16094 Main Ridge Rd, on Tangier Island, Virginia.

This book was discovered among the possessions of William  B. L. Bonneville's daughter, Carolyn Bonneville, after her passing. Among his papers were business journals, accounting and documents.

View PDF Files of Book pages        View JPG Image Files of Book  

The Church organization had been active on the island for many years, meeting in homes and other buildings. The congregation had out grown the previous places of worship so July 23, 1897 construction of a new church began. The building was deemed completed February 4, 1899 and the first sermon preached on February 5th.

The contractor, Mr. William B. L. Bonneville of Snow Hill, had written to the church asking to be considered for the contract to build the new church. A lot was purchased from Wm. R. Parks for $825, ground was broken and the foundation laid.

Mr. Bonneville arranged for the lumber purchased in North Carolina to be brought by the schooner "Annie Reynolds" of Norfolk, Virginia. A total 85,000 feet of lumber was off loaded from Tangier Harbor by islanders. Other building materials were brought from Philadelphia, Baltimore and Pittsburgh.

Swain Memorial Methodist
 

The above images of the current Swain Memorial Methodist Church from HMdb.org, Historical Marker Database.  Please visit them it is very interesting.

January 18, 2024 Web page author George Buddy Richardson