A.M.E. Church, Berryville
An A.M.E. congregation listed in the People's Journal's church directory as A.M.E. Church, Berryville, with Rev. Geo. Lee as pastor in June 1910. Later directory entries name an A.M.E. church with Rev. A. J. Nixon (January 1912) and Rev. R. A. Mays (February 1914) without naming the town; a May 1913 notice says Nixon had held Berryville.
What the sources support
The People's Journal's standing church directory lists an A.M.E. Church with Rev. Geo. Lee as pastor in June 1910, when the entry reads A.M.E. Church, Berryville; with Rev. A. J. Nixon in January 1912; and with Rev. R. A. Mays, preaching every second Sunday, in February 1914.
See the source and its limits
The People's Journal's standing church directory lists an A.M.E. Church with Rev. Geo. Lee as pastor in June 1910, when the entry reads A.M.E. Church, Berryville; with Rev. A. J. Nixon in January 1912; and with Rev. R. A. Mays, preaching every second Sunday, in February 1914.
What the source supports
That the paper's church directory listed an A.M.E. church with three different pastors between 1910 and 1914, and that in June 1910 it gave the Berryville congregation Sunday preaching, a Sunday school, and prayer and class meetings.
Uncertainty
The wording is a condensed transcription of the People's Journal item, not a quotation checked against the page; the newspaper OCR was not re-read for this claim. Only the 1910 entry names Berryville; the 1912 and 1914 entries are read as the same congregation because they stand in the same directory, which is probable rather than certain. A directory lists an intended schedule, not services held, and says nothing of the congregation's building or size. The three entries come from one newspaper and are not independent of each other.
Source
Evidence role: supports. The June 1910 directory entry, the only one naming Berryville.
People's Journal, Berryville, Va., 1 June 1910, Vol. XVI No. 173
G. L. D. Harris, editor and proprietor · 1910-06-01 (publication)
Locator: Page 1, standing church directory
Relevant passageA.M.E. Church, Berryville, Rev. Geo. Lee, pastor. Preaching 11am and 8pm; Sunday School 3pm; prayer meeting Tuesdays; class meeting Thursdays.
Checked: Original inspected. A digital reproduction was inspected; no original has been handled.
Open sourceSource family: peoples-journal. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
Evidence role: supports. The January 1912 directory entry naming Rev. A. J. Nixon.
People's Journal, Berryville, Va., 1 January 1912, Vol. XVII No. 192
G. L. D. Harris, editor and proprietor · 1912-01-01 (publication)
Locator: Page 2, standing church directory
Relevant passageA.M.E. Church -- Rev. A. J. Nixon.
Checked: Existing OCR reviewed. Original image not independently inspected.
Open sourceSource family: peoples-journal. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
Evidence role: supports. The February 1914 directory entry naming Rev. R. A. Mays.
People's Journal, Berryville, Va., February 1, 1914, Vol. XIX No. 117
G. L. D. Harris, editor and proprietor · 1914-02-01 (publication)
Locator: Standing church directory, printed page not recorded
Relevant passageA.M.E. -- Rev. R. A. Mays, preaching every second Sunday. ... Primitive Baptist ... in Josephine City, fourth Sunday, Brother Robert Williams.
Checked: Existing OCR reviewed. Original image not independently inspected.
Open sourceSource family: peoples-journal. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
AI-assisted source check (Claude Opus 5) · 2026-09-14. How this project checks its sources
The People's Journal of May 1, 1913 reported A.M.E. conference appointments that sent Rev. A. J. Nixon, who had held Berryville together with Howardsville, Va. and Duffields, W.Va., to Boone Mill, and Rev. George Lee to Summit Point, W.Va.
See the source and its limits
The People's Journal of May 1, 1913 reported A.M.E. conference appointments that sent Rev. A. J. Nixon, who had held Berryville together with Howardsville, Va. and Duffields, W.Va., to Boone Mill, and Rev. George Lee to Summit Point, W.Va.
What the source supports
That an A.M.E. conference notice of May 1913 said Rev. A. J. Nixon had held Berryville together with Howardsville, Va. and Duffields, W.Va., and sent him to Boone Mill.
Uncertainty
The wording is a condensed transcription of the People's Journal item, not a quotation checked against the page; the newspaper OCR was not re-read for this claim. The printed page was not recorded. The place name "Howardsville, Va." is as the condensed transcription gives it and has not been checked against the page. That the Rev. George Lee sent to Summit Point is the Rev. Geo. Lee whom the 1910 directory lists at Berryville is probable from the name, not established. The notice does not name Nixon's successor at Berryville, and Rev. R. A. Mays, listed in February 1914, is not claimed as that successor.
Source
Evidence role: supports. The May 1913 report of the conference appointments.
People's Journal, Berryville, Va., 1 May 1913, Vol. XVII No. 108
G. L. D. Harris, editor and proprietor · 1913-05-01 (publication)
Locator: A.M.E. conference appointments notice, printed page not recorded
Relevant passageRev. A. J. Nixon, who held Berryville with Howardsville, Va. and Duffields, W.Va., sent to Boone Mill; Rev. George Lee sent to Summit Point, W.Va.
Checked: Existing OCR reviewed. Original image not independently inspected.
Open sourceSource family: peoples-journal. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
Evidence role: contextualizes. The January 1912 directory naming Nixon as the A.M.E. pastor.
People's Journal, Berryville, Va., 1 January 1912, Vol. XVII No. 192
G. L. D. Harris, editor and proprietor · 1912-01-01 (publication)
Locator: Page 2, standing church directory
Relevant passageA.M.E. Church -- Rev. A. J. Nixon.
Checked: Existing OCR reviewed. Original image not independently inspected.
Open sourceSource family: peoples-journal. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
AI-assisted source check (Claude Opus 5) · 2026-09-14. How this project checks its sources
Also indexed as: A.M.E. Church.
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