Community Chronicles

The corner lot at Church and Moss Streets in Uptown Martinsville, where the Farmer’s Market now stands, has a rich history. Once part of the renowned Beaver Creek plantation, the lot was sold to the Episcopal Church by Marshall and Ann Hairston in 1847 for $50 (equivalent to about $2,000 in 2025). Before this, the congregation met in parishioners’ homes. A small brick church was built on the lot, marking the church’s first permanent location in Martinsville.

This half-acre lot was across from the home of Dr. James Moss Smith, which once stood where Martinsville City Hall is today. The lot included a cemetery along the church’s eastern wall. Today, the church’s former location corresponds to the Farmer’s Market parking lot, with the cemetery once located where the Jessup & Associates CPA firm now stands.

By the 1890s, the Episcopal Church had outgrown the site and relocated to a new location further east on Church Street, deeded to them by the Hairston family. The original church building sat vacant until Senator Thomas G. Burch purchased it in 1898. In 1899, Burch transferred the building to the trustees of the Martinsville Primitive Baptist Church, which occupied it until 1965.

The western half of the lot was sold in 1927 to A.J. Tuggle, who opened the Piedmont Creamery there. This later became the Coca-Cola Bottling plant. In 1965, the law firm of Young, Kiser, and Frith purchased the church and cemetery. The building was demolished, and while it’s believed the graves were moved to Oakwood Cemetery, records confirming this have not been found. The Farmer’s Market opened in the 1970s and is still in operation today. 

In April 1865, Martinsville witnessed one of the final skirmishes of the American Civil War in Virginia, near the intersection of Liberty Street and Clearview Drive. Six soldiers (five Union, one Confederate) were killed. With a main field hospital located across the street at Dr. Smith’s home, it’s likely the fallen soldiers were buried in the Episcopal Church cemetery. The Union soldiers were later moved to Danville National Cemetery upon its creation in 1867, while the Confederate soldier was reinterred at Oakwood Cemetery.

The former Episcopal and Primitive Baptist Church, seen in the center from a 1960’s aerial photo of Martinsville. The home of Dr. James Moss Smith, now city hall, is seen across the street. (Photo courtesy of the Martinsville-Henry County Historical Society)

Jarred Marlowe is a local resident and historian. He is a member of the Col. George Waller Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, the Blue & Gray Education Society, and the committee chair for the Martinsville-Henry County 250 Committee. He may be reached at marloweja15@gmail.com.