Brooks Lane , an unpaved road in the village of Lincoln , dead ends at a small stone church . When you get out of your car and start to poke around , you see the church is old and boarded up . Grace Church was built on land donated by local Quakers in 1872 to freed black families . The black citizens first built themselves a schoolhouse and then in 1885 , nearby the school , they built their church . For decades every Sunday the church bell in the steeple rang out . The congregants walked , Bibles in hand , along Lincoln Road toward the ringing bell . They turned into Brooks Lane to attend
Methodist Episcopal Grace Church and graveyard , Brooks Lane , Lincoln .
Methodist Episcopal Grace Church members , Lincoln , Virginia circa 1910 . Photos : historic and current images courtesy of Lee Lawrence .
service . Soon , the church pump organ was swelling with their voices in song . Visit the Lincoln Preservation Foundation website for more information about the old church and its restoration at : lincolnpreservation . org .
Grace Methodist families were proud to have a church of their own . By 1885 sermons were led by circuit rider preacher , Reverend John Bean . During the week , the Grace church basement was used for vocational school ; Quakers helped teach sewing , cooking , and shoe repair . Sooner or later , a final journey down Brooks Lane would end in a faithful member ’ s burial at the cemetery alongside Grace churchyard . Gravestones of Cook , Simms , Jackson , Trammel , Brown , and Chinn families are scattered under the trees along a little running creek — a lovely spot to rest forever . Visit this place and hear to the gentle stop of your tires on gravel , listen to the birds calling from the trees . That ’ s what peace sounds like , and the knowledge that comes of a life well lived .
Pull away from Grace church and travel eleven miles via Berlin Turnpike toward Lovettsville . Three miles before you reach that town , turn right onto unpaved Bolington Road . The staccato of gravel pings your car along the woodsy road as you pass a steady line of modern homes . Occasionally , old farm pastures broaden your view . Their weary barns are in collapse , awaiting the final death blow of development . Near one field on the left , set far back in the trees is a clapboard covered log house . The property is long abandoned and bent under time ’ s weight , the clock ticking .
According to Yardley Taylor ’ s 1853 map of Loudoun county , this clapboard cabin was home to George and Elenora Hickman . The prolific Hickmans had nine children , five boys and four girls .
16 wander I fall • winter 2020