Bryan Austin as James Madison with daughter and Beau Robbins, yellow, as Col. James Monroe. (Photo/Luke Christopher)
A political debate, utterly free of animosity, took place July 20 at Hebron Lutheran Church in Madison County where two men in 18th-century breeches and tricornered hats reenacted an event that occurred on the same spot in January 1789.
Friends James Madison and James Monroe were candidates vying to represent Virginia when Congress convened for the first time in history.
Madison ultimately prevailed in the 1789 election and later became the fourth president of the United States. Monroe served as a Virginia senator from 1790-94 and followed Madison as the young nation’s fifth president.
“This was the first time that this historic debate has been reenacted here,” said Frances L. Vaughn, Hebron church council member. “It was so neat to be a part of this.”
While the debate’s themes 236 years ago are not recorded, the hot topic of the day for this rural congregation would have been the recently ratified Constitution (1788) — and how rights such as the freedom of religion would be defined by the two candidates. The first 10 amendments, which we know as the Bill of Rights (1791), would be the work of this Congress.
Sunday worship at the church last weekend, followed by the debate, was the closing event of the three-day Historic Germanna’s annual conference at Germanna Community College in Locust Grove. It included historic tours across the region, Oktoberfest at Old House Vineyards Brewery in Culpeper, workshops and speakers.
Historic Germanna is the memorial foundation of colonists who emigrated to Virginia from Germany in the early 1700s. Their descendants are estimated now to number in the millions. Hitt, Aylor, Holzclaw, Fishback, Miller, Yowell, Kemper, Rush, Smith, Hoffman, Utz — these are among the top 100 surnames listed in Germanna’s database.
Bryan Austin as James Madison and Beau Robbins, yellow, as Col. James Monroe. (Photo/Luke Christopher)
“Historic Germanna is not a lineage society. Membership is open to all with an interest,” said Cathi Clore Frost, chair of Germanna’s Education and Publications Committee and past board chair. “All are welcome, no matter how they connect to the rich tapestry that makes up the Germanna story.”
Frost’s ancestors were among Germanna immigrants brought to the colonies in 1717 by Virginia Gov. Alexander Spotswood as indentured servants. After fulfilling their work commitment, they settled in communities across the region, including the Robinson River Valley, with the spectacular Blue Ridge Mountains as backdrop.
These settlers built the Hebron meetinghouse in 1740. It is the oldest Lutheran church operated continuously by Lutherans in the United States and one of only four remaining wooden 18th-century church buildings in Virginia. The church’s organ, which dates to 1802, remains in use today.
The church is also known for its elaborate ceiling murals painted in 1885 by Italian artist Joseph Oddenino in the “trompe l’oeil” style — a technique creating a three-dimensional decorative illusion, with Gothic and classical motifs. Mitchells Presbyterian Church in Culpeper and the Culpeper County Courthouse also feature murals by Oddenino.
Historic Germanna hosted the debate in partnership with The Rev. James Kniseley, pastor, and the Hebron church members, and the estates of Monroe and Madison — Highland and Montpelier — who supplied the reenactors.
“At this present moment, myself, James Madison, and my worthy friend, Col. James Monroe, are endeavoring to pass through areas that will comprise the Sixth District of the first Congress of the United States,” Madison said on Sunday.
Pastor John Kniseley concludes the service at Hebron Lutheran Church in Madison, Va. (Photo/Luke Christopher)
He explained the men journeyed across Virginia together, by horse-drawn carriage. Upon arriving at the church, they disembarked using a horse block built for that purpose, original to the building.
“The frigid cold has made travel difficult — I lost a piece of my nose to frostbite,” Madison said. “And I will confess I have suffered as the result of my friend’s popularity.
“Was it the last place that we stopped, Col. Monroe, that I paid for a gentleman to be brought, by a sedan chair, to hear us speak, and he promptly gave his vote to you?”
