USA > North Carolina > Edgecombe County > History of Edgecombe County, North Carolina > Part 44
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The church at Tarboro was hardly more than completed before the opening scenes of the war of 1861 checked church activity and left the people adrift in church matters. Reverend Joseph B. Bobbit was at Tarboro station in 1860, and he succeeded in estab- lishing a colored mission on Tar River that year, with M. H. Hight as regular pastor. Swift Creek Mission, under Islam H. Hill, was also erected and the churches generally throughout the county was just beginning the experience of earnest and effective operation.
The zealous attempts for spiritual elevation were consistently carried out by Reverend Mr. Hight, who conducted a revival in Tarboro in 1862 and 1863. The people, however, were too absorbed in war and secular matters to give much attention to church work. The meetings, in spite of this condition, resulted in twenty-five or thirty converts to Methodism. The church also had assistance during the war from Reverend Mr. Mallet, who had been living in Greenville, but had left Washington .to escape from the Union army. His wife had died, and he sent his family to Tarboro to live with a daughter by his first wife, Matilda Anne Keech. The Keech family at this time, as well as at the present, were devout and consistent members of the Methodist Church. Mr. Mallet frequently preached at Tarboro and visited the church as late as 1884. He lived for some time at Rocky Mount and conducted a farm in Nash County.
The closing days of the war found Reverend J. W. Jenkins in charge at Tarboro in 1866. In January Reverend M. S. Moran, the presiding elder of the Washington district, called a meeting of the circuit board of stewards to meet in Tarboro on July 12th. The stewards were H. X. Palmer, E. A. Thorn, Marcus Battle, R. E. Weathersbee, Charles Latham, John Author, James Clark, and S. A. Long. The matter of church business in the county was discussed and an arrangement for the selection of lay dele- gates to attend the General Annual Conference was made. The
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meeting resulted in effecting local cooperation in church matters and created a new interest in the church which had gone down during the war. The ladies of the county and Tarboro, responding to an appeal issued after this local conference, held a festival and fair at Rocky Mount on December 12, where useful and orna- mental articles were sold for the benefit of the church at Rocky Mount, then under construction. In addition to the sale of articles an entertainment was staged and the Duke de Sperry was featured as a source of attraction. The church at Rocky Mount was then in Edgecombe Circuit. In 1888 the Edgecombe Circuit was cut out and Battleboro and Rocky Mount stations were erected. The two churches had one preacher, a Sunday school at each church, 264 members in fellowships at both churches, and a church property valuation of $5,000.
The annual conference in 1870 was held in the church at Tar- boro by Bishop Mckendree, the son of Bishop McKendree who was an . associate of Bishop Asbury. His visits to Edgecombe County were more or less frequent. In 1871 a revival of unusual interest took place near Tarboro. From the results a church was built about seven miles from Tarboro. The name Mckendree was given it in honor of Bishop McKendree. This church was princi- pally indebted to Dr. Nobles and David Britt for its origin under the direction of Reverend C. C. Dodson. Dr. Nobles was a com- paratively early settler in the county, having arrived in about 1849. He was the son of Warren Tillett Nobles. His father died in Warren County, where Dr. Nobles was born. His early educa- tion was obtained at Louisburg and was completed at Cincinnati, Ohio. He became a physician and was associated with the late Dr. Charles Garret. He moved to Tarboro about 1852. Dr. Nobles became interested in politics and ran for the House of Representatives, but was defeated by a negro by the name of Taylor. Later he became a Populist and then returned to the Democratic party in 1903.
Prior to the movement to build McKendree Church Dr. Nobles, a strong Methodist, had his membership, with that of his wife, at Temperance Hall, one of the oldest churches in the county. Tem- perance Hall Church replaced an old store, which was used for a place of meeting for several years. Dr. Nobles wanted a church nearer his home and gave the land for McKendree Church. Mr.
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HISTORY OF EDGECOMBE COUNTY
Britt also gave considerable material for the construction. The church was deeded to the conference in 1875, and at the time had about twenty members. The church was perhaps made up of the best type of Edgecombe citizens, all being prosperous farmers. In addition to the Nobles and the Britts, the Jenkins and the Gor- hams were all early members of the church. The family of Killibrews were also early members and the family is represented there today. Joshua Killibrew, the pioneer of the family, was a one time a representative of Edgecombe County in the Legislature. He was a tailor by profession and came from England. His son, Washington Killibrew, was the grandson of Mack Killibrew. Another son of Joshua Killibrew was G. W. Killibrew, the father of C. B. Killibrew, born March 8, 1818, and died October 26, 1889. C. B. Killibrew was also a member of this church.
On the completion of McKendree Church it was placed in the Elm City Circuit with J. C. Humble as pastor. The church has had a prosperous existence, and at the present has about fifty members and a thriving Sunday school. It has given a few young men to the ministry, the first being J. C. Humble, who was licensed there. About twenty years ago the church was taken out of the Elm City district, and now bears the name of Mckendree Circuit, in honor of Bishop McKendree.
The church known as Temperance Hall is perhaps a survival of one of the most ancient churches in the county. It was estab- lished by the late Dr. Mercer's grandfather, W. P. Mercer. He was a philanthropic member of Edgecombe County more than a hundred years ago. The origin of this church dates back to the beginning of the nineteenth century, when the Sons of Temperance used the hall upstairs for their meetings. The first floor was used as a meeting house in which all preachers of any denomination might preach in passing through the county. When the Sons of Temperance were disbanded about 1860 the church was in a dilapidated condition and was torn down. It was shortly after- ward rebuilt and used as a church for all denominations for several years. The Mercer family had been Methodists since early in the nineteenth century. When the late Dr. Mercer's father died the son received custody of the building, but with a provisional clause in the will. The stipulation permitted the church to be turned over to the Methodist Society, provided this organization
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would pay the sum of $400 to the Mercer heirs. The deed also specified the exclusive use of the Methodists at their own pleasure. The late Dr. W. P. Mercer carried out the wishes of his father by assisting in paying a preacher in charge. Sometimes Dr. Mercer would pay the preacher's entire salary. The church has had a uniform membership of forty and a Sunday school, with one ex- ception, of about fifty pupils. About fifteen years ago, when Dr. Mercer was in his most active career, Temperance Hall had the largest Sunday school in the State, according to the size and conveniences of the church. The number at its highest was 250 active scholars. Mrs. Mercer was superintendent for several years and was active in this capacity in 1914.
The services of Mr. and Mrs. Mercer are worthy of record in that they have proved loyal to the faith which they believed.
While the rise of Methodist Churches in the county has not been rapid, the growth was continuous. In 1875 the results of preach- ing near the county line resulted in the erection of the first con- siderable church in Wilson. John Deans, Josiah Wimborne, and Nathan Anderson, of Snow Hill, organized a congregation over the store of Rountree and Company in 1854. In 1875, as a direct cause of this action, a church was erected on Church Street in Wilson, composed of this first congregation. Willie Rountree, W. M. Gay, Calib Parker, Willie Daniel, Calvin Parker, W. Mur- ray, Robert Johnson, and other prominent members, composed the first Methodist Church in this now thriving city. At first there was no regular preacher, but the conference which met the follow- ing year supplied the needs of this church.
In the meantime, Swift Creek Mission was enlarged under the leadership of H. H. Cunninggin and F. D. Swindell, who suc- ceeded him in 1874 and carried out his religious endeavor with credibility. Mr. Swindell had been actively connected with the Tarboro and county churches for some time, having been pastor of the regular appointment in the county in 1872. In 1875 the records show him riding the Tarboro Circuit, which was changed from Edgecombe Circuit in that year.
During the previous discussion omission has been made of the spiritual development of the colored people, who adhered to this faith. The fact that there were considerable numbers who gave allegiance to Methodism necessitated a place of worship. For
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HISTORY OF EDGECOMBE COUNTY
several years it was the custom to permit the colored membership to occupy a separate place in the white churches. A relic of this custom is yet observable in the older churches in the county. Gal- leries were constructed for the negroes in the Baptist and Meth- odist churches, while the Episcopal churches made provision by setting apart the rear seats for the slaves prior to the war. As results of reconstruction, racial feeling ran to a high pitch, and it was deemed advisable to establish separate churches. In fact negro sentiment demanded freedom in worship as well as in politics. Consequently, the Methodists began to look to this end.
Following the General Conference of 1866, the course adopted was a separate church building. The town of Tarboro was peti- tioned for assistance and the town commissioners conveyed to the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church a part of the tract of land near Tar River landing and lying on Hendrick's Creek. A church was constructed here soon after 1870. The form of discipline and church administration differed in no essential feature from the white church and requires no comment.
The continuous growth and rise of churches by the year 1880 placed the Methodist in strong numerical position, exceeded only by the Baptists. The total number of churches being nine with a substantial number in fellowship. By 1886 further progress was made by the erection of three more Sunday schools and the addi- tion of twenty-four officers and teachers and 116 scholars. The circuit gave an annual report of 274 members, or a gain of sixty over the previous year, and church property was valued at $7,500. Also, $1,005 was spent that year on church and parsonage mainte- nance. The churches in Tarboro and South Edgecombe had 278 members and church property worth $3,500. In 1888 Tarboro was designated as a separate station and had 284 members, a church worth $6,000 and a parsonage worth $2,000. Swift Creek Mission had two preachers, 324 members, five churches valued at $1,500.
Three years later all the churches showed a substantial increase and the Tarboro church went from 118 to 215. South Edgecombe Circuit, which had been established about five years, increased to 402 or nearly as many as was in both the churches at Tarboro and South Edgecombe in 1888.
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In the meantime, two new churches were erected in the county, one at South Rocky Mount and the other at Conetoe. The church at South Rocky Mount had 112 members and the church at Conetoe had 169 members, five societies for young people and church auxiliaries and four additional rural churches that made up Conetoe Circuit.
In January, 1891, the official board of the Methodist Church at Tarboro met and resolved to build a chapel on their lot in West Tarboro. The purpose proposed was to carry out the missionary idea then prevailing in the various churches in the town. A build- ing committee, composed of W. E. Fountain, chairman; T. H. Gatlin, N. M. Lawrence, and W. D. Sharpe, was selected. The work began almost immediately, and a chapel, known as Keech's Chapel, was erected.
This chapel has had an unusual history for so few years' exist- ence. One of the largest revivals recorded on the annals of Meth- odism occurred there under the Reverend Jones. The stability of the church organization, however, has invariably proved uncertain, and the church's success and usefulness constantly fluctuated.
In like manner, Dean's Chapel at the old Tarboro Cotton Mills 1 was erected. This chapel preceded the one at West Tarboro in date, and has usually been used as a Sunday school. The chapels were named in honor of some of the members of the church who had been noted for church usefulness. Hence the name of Keech's Chapel in honor of Bryan J. Keech, and Dean's Chapel in honor of W. T. Dean.
The church at Pinetops is of recent date and is one of the three churches on McKendree Circuit.2 The Methodist Church at Pine- tops, which was erected several years ago, has a close relation to the church at Sparta. Repeated attempts had been made to estab- lish a church there for many years, especially after the town was well under way and gave signs of prosperity. St. Mary's Chapel was situated near the village of St. Lewis. A Methodist Church was at Sparta, four miles away, and a Presbyterian Church was also within close proximity. This fact was discouraging, and the matter was postponed until 1906, when the church at Sparta was sold to the Universalists, and the Methodists, not having a place
1 Now Hart's cotton mill.
' Temperance Hall, Mckendree Church, and Pinetops.
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HISTORY OF EDGECOMBE COUNTY
to worship in the vicinity, the church at St. Lewis was moved to Pinetops and served for membership for both communicants at Sparta and St. Lewis. The land was purchased from the Maccles- field Company and deeded to W. L. Dunn, D. S. Gardener, and W. D. Boyee. The land at St. Lewis had been given by the Suggs family and went back to the Suggs heirs.
The church at Pinetops was mostly composed of women. Ed Pitt, W. L. Dunn, and Frank Walston being the first three men who were members. There were also very few children connected with the church at its formation. It had a total enrollment of sixty children and adults in its Sunday school about 1914, with J. H. Jenkins as superintendent. A parsonage was built at the rear of the church about 1915, and the preacher serving McKen- dree Circuit, living in Tarboro, moved to Pinetops that year. All other places contributed to the building of the parsonage except Tarboro.
Thus in the course of events from 1860 to 1900 Methodism grew from the weakest to be one of the strongest denominations in the county. When it had the misfortune to loose by fire its church built in Tarboro, 1856, a modern and beautiful structure sup- planted the old. It made sacrifices both in means and numbers for the war of 1861, gave its church bell, with the other churches, at the request of the Confederate Government, and withal it has "fought a good fight and kept the faith." It has brought peace and joy to hundreds, and faithfully continues the good work begun by Bishops McKendree, Asbury and other pioneer leaders of the church.
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