There have been four superintendents of schools since the inauguration of the free school system in 1870, who have served in the following order: Mr. John Howison, General Daniel Ruggles, Mr. Edgar M. Crutchfield and Mr. Benjamin P. Willis. All of these gentlemen have passed away except Mr. Willis, who is now serving as superintendent. The school board has had but four presidents since its organization, thirty-eight years ago, who served in the following order: John James Young, Captain Joseph W. Sener, Wm. H. Cunningham and Andrew B. Bowering. Only one is now living--A. B. Bowering, who is serving at present. CHAPTER XIV _The Churches of Fredericksburg._ If the morals and correct lives of the people of a town are to be judged by the number of churches within its borders, giving due consideration to the number of inhabitants, the people of Fredericksburg would be rated with the best. One of the first things that received the attention of the founders of the town, under the charter granted by the House of Burgesses in 1727, was the building of a house of worship and its dedication to the service of the Almighty, and since that time Fredericksburg has been blessed with regular divine services. And as the inhabitants of the town increased in numbers, and the little building became too small to accommodate all who would wish to attend upon the House of the Lord, the authorities were not too much engrossed with money-making and money-getting to enlarge the church and provide for the spiritual comfort and necessities of the increasing population. So the church building was enlarged time and again as the growth of the town demanded it. Up to the first of the nineteenth century the only denomination holding regular services in town was the Episcopalians, as that was the only denomination that had a house of worship, but in the early part of that century other denominations organized churches in town, built houses of worship and have continued to occupy them to the present. Since then Fredericksburg has not been without a sufficient number of churches for the accommodation of her entire church-going population. There are at present eleven church buildings in town--seven for the whites and four for the colored people. The seating capacity of the white church buildings is about three thousand and that of the colored churches about one thousand five hundred, making the total seating capacity of the churches of Fredericksburg about four thousand five hundred, being ample accommodation for the church-going population, both white and colored. [Illustration: Jackson Monument. Erected where he was mortally wounded May 2, 1863. (See page 96)] ST. GEORGE'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH.