A Noted Preacher
William Elbert Munsey was born a few miles
east in the mountains of Giles (present-day Bland)
County on 13 July 1833. Despite little formal
schooling, Munsey possessed an insatiable
appetite for knowledge. He entered the ministry
of the Methodist Church in 1855, preached
his first sermon near here, and extended his
ministry to several states. Regarded by many
who heard him as the greatest Methodist
preacher of his day, Munsey was poetic by
nature, and his unrivaled word pictures held
large audiences spellbound. His kindness
extended to giving his own shoes and coat to
a Confederate soldier who had none. Munsey
died on 23 Oct. 1877.
Marker is at the intersection of North Scenic Highway (U.S. 52) and Interstate 77, on the right when traveling south on North Scenic Highway.
Courtesy hmdb.org
