August 30, 2011

Stained Glass Window, Tangier Island


We saw this beautiful window in the Swain Memorial Methodist Church on Tangier. The original church was built in 1835, but members had been meeting in private homes for 20 years before that. According to plaques, the church was rebuilt in 1870 and 1897. It looks like it was originally Lee's Bethel and was renamed in 1900.
The Methodist Church played a role in the island's Civil War history. It was affiliated with the Northern Methodist Church, which opposed slavery. Because of this, islanders voted against secession, as did residents of Chincoteague Island on the ocean side of the Eastern Shore. Both islands remained with the Union during the war.
We read about the island's history in the nearby museum. In August of 1861, the USS Fanny stopped by. The islanders were gathered together and they all swore an oath of allegiance to the United States. 

Several families from the mainland found refuge on Tangier Island during the war.

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