Longdale United Methodist Church History

Longdale United Methodist Church was built in 1881 by the Longdale Iron Company for its employees. At that time, Longdale was a community of 1,500 people; today, the population is about 175. Longdale Furnace Church, however, still stands as a lighthouse in the area.

Historically, the church has direct ties to Lucy Selina Furnace, built in 1827 by John Irvine and John Jordan. The furnace was named after their wives, Lucy and Selina. The Jordan and Irvine Iron Company dissolved in 1831 when Edwin and Ira Jordan, operating as B. J. Jordan and Company, became owners of the Lucy Selina.

In 1854, Jordan and Company began operating a steam-driven furnace named Australia. Australia Furnace was used to supply iron for the Confederacy during the Civil War. Joseph R. Anderson of Tredegar Iron Works in Richmond, bought Australia Furnace in Longdale and used it supply the Southern army with rails, cannons and munitions.

After 1865, the Australia Furnace and the Lucy Selina Furnace were abandoned. According to folklore, Australia Furnace was torn down soon after the war ended and its stones were used to build a nearby church which may have been Longdale United Methodist.

In 1870, Harry Firmstone, an English immigrant, became the owner of Lucy Selina Furnace and organized the Longdale Iron Mining Company. Firmstone, had developed the first hot-blast furnace in the United States in 1836 and he upgraded the Lucy Selina in 1871 and renamed it Longdale No. 1 - the furnace produced the first coke-smelted iron in Virginia. A second coke furnace, Longdale No. 2, was constructed during the same time period and by 1903, Alleghany County accounted for almost 50 percent of the 544,034 tons of iron that were produced in Virginia.

Recognizing the need for a church in the bustling community of 1,500, the company brought preachers from Philadelphia twice a month to hold worship services.

The furnaces shut down in 1911 under competitive pressures from giant furnaces and steel mills operated by Bethlehem Steel, U. S. Steel and Pittsburgh Steel in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Nevertheless, church services were continued by preachers of various denominations from nearby towns.

A. J. Conner, caretaker of the company's property, took great pride in the care and use of the church. In the 1920s, the company's 22,000 acres were sold to Richard Wight of Richmond. Wight incorporated Wight and Company in 1920 and converted slag, a byproduct of the iron ore industry, for use by the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad, the state highway department and general contractors, Wight and Company employed 100 workers and helped support more than 500 local families. Ten years its founding, the company processed more than 1.5 million tons of slag.

The Wights spent their summers here and took an active interest in the church. They provided pews and carpeting from a Richmond Church, the bell off the first locomotive, "Selina," which still rings every Sunday. The Selina locomotive was part of a 25-mile narrow-gauge rail line that linked the mines and furnaces to the main railroad line. The piano that was given to the church by the Wight family is still used in the fellowship hall.

The Wights gave Longdale Church to the Methodist Episcopal Church, South in 1930 after they sold the company land to the federal government to become part of the national forest system. The Rev. Paul Tyler of Clifton Forge playing an instrumental role in the transfer of the church.

In 1932, Longdale church became part of the South Covington Iron Gate Charge and continued in that until 1939. The Unification Conference of 1939 united the Methodist Episcopal Church, South and Evangelical Methodist into the Methodist Church and the Longdale Church was assigned to the Eagle Rock-Iron Gate Charge. In 1954, Longdale was reassigned to the Staunton District and a new charge, Iron Gate, Longdale and Wilson Creek. In 1966, the Methodist Church and the United Brethren Church joined to become the United Methodist Church.

In 1954 under the Rev. Frank Jones, an interest in remodeling arose and the interior of the church was renovated. The 1970s initiated another building program to provide a fellowship hall, a kitchen and two restrooms. By 1978 when ground was broken $17,000 had been raised and $30,000 was borrowed from First National Bank in Clifton Forge to complete the project. In 1985, the bank note was burned after it was paid off and the fellowship hall was dedicated by the Rev. Howard Wells.

The Rev. Charles T. Gregory is the present pastor of Longdale United Methodist Church, which remains a part of the Methodist Charge including Walton Memorial United Methodist Church on Wilson Creek and Iron Gate United Methodist Church. Sunday morning worship services are conducted at 9 a.m. in Longdale.

The Rev. Gregory is in his first year as minister, having retired as manager of Virginia Beach Motor Company. He says his call to the ministry was prompted by a recurring dream about a small, white country church empty of congregation because no minister was available. His move to Alleghany County was further prompted by a quick sale of his house in Virginia Beach: a for-sale sign was placed in the front yard one day and the house sold the next. The Rev. Gregory and his wife now reside in Clifton Forge,

While attendance is small at Longdale United Methodist, the congregation is very active. The United Methodist Women's group has made major contributions in raising funds to buy new pews, carpeting, ceiling fans, and recently, the pews were upholstered for added comfort. The United Methodist Women's group is also noted for its outreach efforts to care for the sick and elderly in the community. Longdale United Methodist's facilities are often used for special receptions, picnics, annual Christmas programs and Bible School.

By Buck Rumpf and Linda Rumpf Archer

published in the Virginian Review, July 21, 2001