The first house of worship erected in town by the Baptists was a small, frame structure built on the ground now occupied by the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad Company as a depot, but before many years had passed the congregation had so increased in size the small building was found to be inadequate and a large, brick building was erected on Water street, where Shiloh church, old site, now stands, and for thirty years or more the church worshipped in that building. Under the preaching of able and faithful pastors the membership rapidly increased and the congregations became larger, and by the middle of the century the house on Water street was found to be too small to accommodate the increasing attendance. In the year 1854 the present large and commodious brick building was erected on Princess Ann street, mainly through the efforts of Rev. Wm. F. Broaddus,[79] the pastor, J. B. Benwick, Jr., architect, notwithstanding on a tablet in the front of the church that work is credited to another. The new house, with a large addition to it about twelve years ago, has proved ample for the church and congregation to the present. Rev. Andrew Broaddus, the first pastor, was succeeded by the following ministers: Rev. Robert B. Semple, Rev. Carter Braxton, Rev. Mr. James, Rev. John Teasdale, Rev. John M. Waddey, Rev. George F. Adams, Rev. S. C. Smith, Rev. Wm. F. Broaddus, D. D., Rev. Wm. H. Williams, Rev. Thomas S. Dunaway, D. D., Rev. Jacob S. Dill, D. D., and Rev. R. Aubrey Williams, who is now serving the church. Dr. Dunaway's pastorate covered a period of thirty-two years, during which he greatly endeared himself to the church and people of the town, and was eminently successful in winning souls and building up the church. The Baptist church has a large and flourishing Sunday school connected with it that has had but four superintendents for sixty-three years. George W. Garnett[80] was superintendent for thirty and Prof. A. B. Bowering served nearly twenty-three years, S. J. Quinn ten, and B. P. Willis, having just been elected, has entered upon the work. THE METHODIST CHURCH. The Methodists, who, for a number of years, were designated as a society, held services in Fredericksburg as early as 1786. For a number of years they held meetings from house to house, and were very active workers. It is not known when the first church or society was formed, or by whom it was organized, but it is known that persons united with that denomination before the dawn of the nineteenth century, and that Father Kobler commenced his ministry here as a local preacher in the year 1789, and continued his labors as such for over half a century. Therefore it may be concluded that the first organization of that denomination in Fredericksburg held its meetings in private houses for more than thirty years.