Galloway Methodist Church & Cemetery
Galloway United Methodist Church and Cemetery is at 306 East Annandale Road in Falls Church, Virginia. Its location is atop a hill near the corner of Hillwood Avenue and Annandale Road, which is located on the Falls Church City/Fairfax County boundary lines. Galloway shares a long, rich history with the surrounding community, beginning with its establishment as the first African American church and school for ex-slaves and their families in “the village of Falls Church.”
The roots of Galloway United Methodist Church began in the Falls Church community in 1867 and was founded by ex-slaves who longed for a place to freely worship. Before that, it is said that enslaved African Americans on the Dulany Plantation, the land where Galloway church now stands, would meet and worship among the grove of trees on the hill. Prior to the end of the Civil War, meetings were held in the home of Harriet and George Brice, ex-slaves of plantation owners in the area. It is said that they were encouraged by Elder Hiram Reed, a local minister, to begin their own church, and on July 1, 1867, the land was deeded over to the first Trustees of the church, and a log structure was built.
Over the years, new structures were built as the church expanded, resulting in the brick church that stands today. Realizing the importance of being politically active and defending the rights of the African American members of the community, Joseph Tinner and Louis Summerall, both members of Galloway United Methodist Church, and another leader in the Falls Church African American community, Dr. Edwin B. Henderson, established the Colored Citizens Protection League which evolved into the first rural N.A.A.C.P. chapter in the country. In March of 2012, Galloway UM Church and Cemetery became part of the Virginia Civil War Trails program in recognition of its rich history.