Rev. William F. Lee - First Priest Christ Episcopal Church, Clarksburg (W)VA

The Episcopal Diocese of Virginia and the town of Clarksburg, Virginia were both established in 1785.

In the year 1821, the Rev. William F. Lee, grandson of Col. Richard Henry Lee, was sent as the first Episcopal clergyman to the territory then known as Western Virginia, comprising all counties west of the Allegheny Mountains. Clarksburg was his first stop, and the ministrations of the church in Clarksburg date from that visit. The Rev. Lee was succeeded by his cousin, the Rev. Charles Henry Page. Note that both ministered from the area of Clarksburg to Parkersburg. Most likely they held services and stayed in the homes of parishioners. They had to travel by horseback, as the National Turnpike (now Rt. 50) was just a trail through the mountains.