* to find Colonial Churches and Church Sites
* to map Population Growth along the Rivers
* to track the eventual development of Roadways.
Early in my research, I discovered a collection of Colonial Records collected and printed
after the American Civil War.
Among this collection were several pages entitled
"A List Of the Parishes in Virginia in 1680."
I vowed to myself that I would research,
find and map the churches included here.
In 1634, the Virginia Parish System was created.
The original plan placed a Church
every six miles, designed to be accessible
to every home in the colony.
As the Population in Virginia grew,
the Assembly added new boundaries
for more Parishes.
By 1671 there were forty-eight Parishes in Virginia.
In 1726 there were fifty-three Parishes in Virginia.
By the time of the American Revolution
there were more than one hundred
parishes in Virginia.
Each Parish contained several Churches,
often an Upper and Lower Church,
and perhaps a Chapel of Ease.