Mount Olivet United Methodist Church
Mount Olivet United Methodist Church is the oldest church site in continuous use in the county
In the mid 1800’s, Methodist preaching in Arlington began in the area known as Walkersville near the north intersection of Glebe Road and Dittmar Road. Homes in the area were used for services. The Methodist Protestant Church separated from the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1830. Its ministers were young, vigorous, evangelistic and looking for opportunities to establish new churches.
On March 12, 1855, John B. Brown and his wife Cornelia deeded approximately nine-tenths of an acre of disputed property in Alexandria County, now known as Arlington County, to seven individuals in Trust for a Methodist Protestant meetinghouse and burial ground.
On March 30, 1855, William Marcey and his wife Ann deeded the same piece of property to the same individuals in Trust for the same purpose. The location was the southwest corner of Glebe Road and Brown’s Bend Road (16th Street North.) Thus a disputed parcel of land became the focus of attention as a location for Mount Olivet United Methodist Church, the oldest church site in continuous use in Arlington County.
The first building on the site was a two-story structure that measured approximately 35 feet by 50 feet. Its cornerstone was laid in 1855 and it was completed in 1860, just a year before the start of the American Civil War.
During the summer of 1861, Union soldiers who were retreating from the First Battle of Bull Run took refuge near the church and took control of it, first using it as a hospital and later as a stable. The soldiers eventually dismantled the church building and used its materials for firewood and other supplies for the war effort. However, despite this setback, a small congregation persisted and built another meetinghouse on the same site in 1870.
The 1870 meetinghouse was remodeled in 1875 and remained until 1897 when a larger church was built. In 1920, an education wing was added to the south side of the building and the bell tower and vestibule were relocated. After the Second World War, rapid population growth in the area spurred the construction of a larger church. Construction completed in 1949 added a new sanctuary, a social hall, and a kitchen, as well as the stylized tall steeple that adorns the church to this day.
In 1920, an education wing was added to the south side of the church. The bell tower was relocated along with the vestibule and stucco was placed on the entire outside. In April 1921 it was reported that the construction was complete – all for $15,000.
In 1954, a two-story north wing with a chapel, church offices, and classrooms was added. In 1962, the sanctuary was expanded and a two-story south wing with additional classrooms was added. Most recently, construction in 1997 renovated the sanctuary, added an elevator for handicapped access, expanded the chancel, created a gathering space, renovated and added classrooms, and created a Columbarium.
The Mount Olivet cemetery, which is located next to the church, is a part of the original land that was deeded in trust in 1854. Unfortunately, the burial records were destroyed in a fire in 1920 and the information on the grave sites is limited to what is inscribed on the tombstones. One of the notable graves in Mount Olivet cemetery belongs to Sue Landon Vaughan, who was one of the founders of Decoration Day (now Memorial Day). In 1865, she began the tradition of decorating the graves of Civil War dead, both Confederate and Union.
The church is a United Methodist Church. As of June 30, 2007, the church had a membership of 1,262 and an average Sunday worship attendance of 411. On January 24, 2004, the Arlington County Board issued a proclamation commemorating the church’s 150th anniversary and recognizing that “Mount Olivet’s members continue to play an active and vital role in the Arlington community, contributing human and financial resources to a myriad of charitable organizations in Arlington and other communities throughout the country and the world”.
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