Mr. M. E. Church is a native of the State of Vermont, but has been a resident of Virginia for nearly twenty-five years, and of Falls Church for the past eighteen years, during which period he has been closely identified with every public movement. He it was who first established telephonic communication between Falls Church and Washington City over sixteen years ago, and from a small beginning has built up an extensive telephone system extending over Fairfax and Alexandria Counties and reaching to Bluemont in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The company operating this system is incorporated under the name of the Falls Church Telephone and Telegraph Company, and Mr. Church is the chief stock-holder, President and General Manager. Exchanges are operated at Falls Church and Rosslyn. Mr. Church has brought to his adopted home a large share of the energy and sterling business qualities for which his native state is noted. This has been manifest from the moment he set foot on the soil of his adopted state. He first engaged in the drug business in Falls Church which he successfully conducted for over twelve years, during which period he trained several young men who have since been conducting a successful business of their own. The esteem in which he was held by his fellow-pharmacists in the state was evidenced by his unanimous election to the office of President of the State Pharmaceutical Association, a position which he filled with great credit, as well as many other positions of trust and responsibility. He still remains an active and esteemed member of that Association. [Illustration: Miss B. C. Merrifield] About fifteen years ago he entered into the real estate, loan and insurance business, and notwithstanding his lack of previous training or experience, has been eminently successful along that line, and to him more than any other one man, is due the growth and development of our beautiful little village, as he has been untiring in his efforts to locate here in homes of their own a desirable class of moral and intellectual citizens. One of his first ventures along this line was the organization of the Falls Church Improvement Company, of which he was general manager and a large stock-holder. His associates in this company were: Hon. Schyler Duryee, then Chief Clerk of the U. S. Patent Office; Judge A. A. Freeman, now of New Mexico, and others. This company successfully developed the "Sherwood Sub-Division," one of the first sub-divisions put on the market in Fairfax County. [Illustration: Mr. R. C. L. Moncure]