[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 168 (Friday, October 10, 2025)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E949]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING THE 125TH ANNIVERSARY OF CRANFORD UNITED METHODIST MEMORIAL 
                                 CHAPEL

                                  _____
                                 

                       HON. DONALD S. BEYER, JR.

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 10, 2025

  Mr. BEYER. Mr. Speaker, I seek to recognize the 125th anniversary of 
Cranford United Methodist Memorial Chapel, a spiritual home deeply 
rooted in the history of Fairfax County and the American story itself.
  The site predates Fairfax County, which was found in 1742, starting 
and still serving as a place of worship and gathering. Originally home 
to Pohick Church, established in 1730, it counted among its vestry 
members George Washington and George Mason. The surrounding cemetery, 
the oldest in the county, dates back to the same year and has been 
researched and preserved for centuries. Over 200 unmarked graves have 
been discovered and marked. This historic grave is where soldiers from 
the Revolutionary War and the Civil War lie to rest.
  The site's spiritual legacy continued through the Methodist movement, 
with John Lewis and early circuit riders holding meetings here as far 
back as the early 1800's. By 1830, a formal Methodist congregation had 
been established, leading to the construction of Lewis Chapel in 1857, 
a humble building that served as a chapel, schoolhouse, and even a 
Civil War hospital. Its walls still bear visible traces of that 
history.
  In 1900, local craftsman James Cranford built the present-day church, 
consecrated as Cranford United Methodist Memorial Chapel. 125 years 
later, it remains a sacred house of worship in Northern Virginia, 
interweaving community, service, history, and faith.

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