Keeping Wrights Alight
For more than two centuries, Wright’ s United Methodist
Church has been a beacon of faith, music and community spirit in the Village of Venetia— and is working hard to keep that light shining for generations to come.
BY NICOLE TAFE
In Venetia, Wrights United Methodist Church stands as one of Peters Township’ s oldest and most cherished landmarks— its story stretching back more than two centuries to the very beginnings of the community itself.
The church’ s roots trace to 1762, when brothers James and Joshua Wright settled in what was then northern Virginia and built a log cabin— now restored as part of the Enoch Wright House and Museum of Western Expansion. In 1823, Joshua’ s son— Enoch— donated the land for the original Wrights Chapel, located just across Peters Creek from today’ s church. Though a tornado destroyed the original structure in 1923, local congregations rallied to rebuild it within six months, raising funds to ensure that Wrights’ legacy endured.
34 724.942.0940 TO ADVERTISE | icmags. com