Little Fork Church (16461 Oak Shade Rd Rixeyville, VA) and The Society for the Preservation of Culpeper History invite you to an authentic 18th century Anglican church service in the oldest colonial church in the area! In place of the traditional 11:00 am service, Reverend William E. Eberle will be officiating an authentic 18th century service in period dress. Join us for tours of beautiful Little Fork Church, along with Brunswick stew directly following the service.

The first vestry meeting of Little Fork Church took place at Germanna, where it was voted into existence as a "chapel of ease" to accommodate Germanna families and their English neighbors.

In October 2000, the Grayson family donated Salubria to the Germanna Foundation. Salubria is the name of the colonial manor house built by Reverend John Thompson, the rector of Little Fork Church from 1740 to 1772. Salubria remains as a testament of his love for the woman Reverend Thompson sought to be his wife. The story of their union is romantic and endows Salubria with no small amount of rich historical texture. The story goes like this. At his death in 1740, colonial Virginia’s Governor Alexander Spotswood left a widow named Butler Brayne Spotswood.

Reverend Thompson of the Little Fork Church longed to make this widow his wife and he was crushed when she first rebuffed his advances. The widow Spotswood's family opposed the proffered marriage on the grounds that a clergyman was beneath the station of Lady Spotswood. Undaunted, Reverend Thompson appealed directly to Lady Spotswood imploring her with these words:

"Now, if I can make it appear that the ministerial office is an employment, in its nature most honorable and in its effects most beneficial to mankind, I hope your objections will immediately vanish and that you will keep me no longer in suspense and misery, but consummate my happiness.

"I make no doubt, Madam, but that you will readily grant that no man can be employed in any work more honorable than immediately relates to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and to the salvation of souls, immortal in their nature and redeemed by the blood of the Son of God. And therefore if a gentleman of this sacred and honorable character should be married to a Lady, though of the greatest extraction and most excellent personal qualities... it can be no disgrace to her nor her family... "And therefore, Madam, your argument being refuted, you can no longer consistently refuse to consummate my happiness."

Signed by the Reverend John Thompson, May 1742

They were married on November 9, 1742 and built Salubria for their home. More information on the Germanna Foundation's project to preserve Salubria for future generations is found at http://www.germanna.org/salubria

Contact Person: Lauren King, Parish Secretary, Little Fork Church Phone: (540)937-4306 Email: rector@littleforkchurch.net Web site: www.littleforkchurch.net