History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 72

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts & Co.
Number of Pages: 1314

USA > Pennsylvania > Fayette County > History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 72

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1 At the time of the opening of the free schools in Uniontown there was in the borongh an institution known as the " Union High School," of which Mi. J. M. Smith was principal. To the Genius of Liberty uf May 25, 1836, he announced that " Miss Pears, a gradunte of Mr. Beat- ty's female seminary, will be in town in the course of a few days to aid in this [the young Indies'] department," etc. The period of the contin- nation of this high school has not been ascertained.

Under date of July 26, 1837, is found the advertisement of the " Fay- ette Seminary." Located at Unioutown. Open for male and female studente ou the first Monday in September. Embracing two depart- ments, "one principal, the other preparatory." The year divided into two sessions of twenty-two weeks each, quarters of fourteen weeks. Charge for tuition in principal department, $12.50; in preparatory de- partment, $7,00 per session. Sammel Wilson, principal. Mr. Wilson was succeeded by Smiith F. Grier, who was principal of the seminary in 1839-40.

In 1839-November 19th-a select school was opened "in Mr. E. West's school-room" by George W. Brown, of Monongalia County, Va., but no later notice of it is found.

was erected on the same lot, at the corner of the alley and Church Street. These two buildings were found sufficient until the present school-house was erected.

In 1857 an addition was made to the school lot on the west by a purchase from Moses Sheahau, on the 19th of August in that year; and on the 6th of June, 1860, the lot known as the Molly Lyon lot was purchased at sheriff's sale. The three purchases above named form the school-house lot as it is at present.

The law creating the office of county superintendent of schools was passed in 1854. Joshua Gibbons, of Brownsville, held the office for twelve years. The first report which has been found (that of the year 1857) shows that there were then in the borough of Uniontown four hundred and one scholars, with seven teachers employed in the schools. The sum of $156.80 was received from the State, and $344.41 from the collector.

The schools of Uniontown were graded in 1855, under James H. Springer, who was then the principal.

The present brick school-house was erected in 1868, the commencement being made by breaking ground on the 15th of April in that year, and the building being completed and ready for occupancy in the suc- ceeding fall. It was planned by J. W. Kerr, an archi- teet of Pittsburgh ; the contractors were R. and H. Fulton, of Sewickley, Westmoreland Co. The stone- work was done by John Wilhelm, of Connellsville ; brick-work by Alfred Dearth, of New Salem, Fayette Co. The contract price was $30,644; cost of furni- ture, 82800. The building stands on the corner of Barclay's Alley and Church Street. It is ninety feet in length by sixty-five feet in width, and three stories high. The first floor contains four school-rooms, each forty-two feet eleven inches by twenty-four feet eleven inches in dimensions. The second floor is also divided into four rooms, similar to those below. The third floor has two rooms and an exhibition hall, eighty- seven by thirty-six feet.

In 1870 a school-house for colored children was erected at a cost of $1500. The lot on which it stands was purchased of William Baldwin, who donated one- half the price. It is situated in the settlement known as " Hayti," on the east side of Redstone Creek.

The following statistics have reference to the schools of Uniontown Borough for the year 1880 :

Number of pupils .. 536

Number of teachers. 10

Total expenditures for the year .. $6,771.69

Valuation of school property ... $50,000.00

Indebtediness $15,065.61

The school board of the borough for 1881 is com- posed of Daniel Kaine, G. W. K. Minor, J. N. Daw- son, Joseph White, Alfred Howell, and Joseph Beatty. President, Daniel Kaine; Secretary, Joseph Beatty ; Treasurer, A. C. Nutt.

The following is an imperfect list of the school directors of Uniontown from 1835 to the present time :

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UNIONTOWN BOROUGH.

1835 .- Richard Beeson, James Piper, appointed by tho conrt, January, 1835.

1836 .- John Dawson, A. L. Littell, William Reddick, James Baylis, Hugh Espey, William Wilson.

1837-42 .- No return.

1843 .- James F. Cannon, Wilson Swain.

1844 .- E. Brownfield, R. G. Hopwood.

1845 .- William Gaddis, H. F. Roberts.

1846-48 .- No return.

1849 .- R. T. Galloway, A. Hadden. 1850 .- William Gaddis, Daniel Kaine.

1851 .- James F. Cannon, William Thorndell.

1853 .- William Gaddis, Daniel Kaine.

1854,-Joshua B. Houcell, Ellis Bailey. 1855 .- Eleazer Robinson, William A. Donaldson.

1856 .- William Gaddis, E. W. Power.

1857 .- Ellis Bailey, James McKean.

1858 .- Eleazer Robinson, Everard Bierer.

1859 .- Smith Fuller, E. W. Power.

1861 .- Everard Bierer, Amos Jolliff.

1862 .- Edward G. Roddy, Benjamin Courtney.

1863 .- Henry White, C. S. Seaton.

1864 .- James Darby, Anderson Jolliff. 1865 .- William Doran, Alexander Chisholm.

1867 .- James H. Springer, Frederick C. Robinson.

1872 .- Adam C. Nutt, Alfred Howell.

1875 .- Adam C. Nutt, Henry M. Clay.

1876 .- Joseph Beatty, William H. Bailey. 1877 .- Smith Fuller, Daniel Kaine.

1878 .- William II. Bowman, Jacob D. Moore.

1880 .- Daniel Kaine, George W. K. Minor. 1881 .- Alfred Howell, Joseph White.

UNION ACADEMY AND MADISON COLLEGE.

The Union Academy was incorporated by an act of the Legislature passed Feb. 4, 1808,1 which pro- vided "That there shall be, and hereby is, established in the borough of Uniontown, in the county of Fay- ette, an academy or public school for the education of youth in the useful arts, sciences, and literature, by the name and style of 'The Union Academy.'" The trustees appointed by the act of incorporation were James Guthrie, Thomas Hadden, Presley Carr Lane, James W. Nicholson, Christian Tarr, Charles Porter, Thomas Mason, John Kennedy, Zadoc Walker, James Allen, Maurice Freeman, Jesse Pennell, and James Findley.

The sum of two thousand dollars was granted by the act, out of any unappropriated money in the State treasury, in aid of the academy, to be applied under the direction of the trustees; and it was fur- ther provided by the act that "there shall be ad- mitted into the academy any number of poor children who may at any time be offered, in order to be taught gratis; provided the number so admitted shall at no time be greater than four, and that none of said poor

children shall continue to be taught gratis in said academy longer than two years."

The academy was continued with varying success for many years. Finally it was taken under charge of the Pittsburgh Conference of the Methodist Epis- copal Church, and under these auspices was incorpo- rated March 2, 1827, as Madison College. By the act of incorporation thirty-eight trustees were appointed, of whom the following named were residents of Uniontown, viz .: Thomas Irwin, John Kennedy, Thornton Fleming, John M. Austin, H. B. Bascom, Samuel Evans, Henry Ebbert, Nathaniel Ewing, Robert Skiles, and Isaac Beeson.

H. B. Bascom was appointed president and Pro- fessor of Moral Science; Charles Elliot, Professor of Languages ; and J. H. Fielding, Professor of Mathe- matics. One of the professors had pastoral charge of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Uniontown. In 1829, Dr. Bascom resigned the presidency to become agent for the American Colonization Society. In 1831, J. H. Fielding was appointed president, and Homer J. Clark professor. In 1832 the institution suspended, as propositions had been made to the Con- ference to accept Allegheny College, at Meadville, in its stead, the buildings, library, and apparatus of which were greatly preferable. During the few years of its existence, however, a number of promising young men were educated, and a great impulse was given to ministerial study throughout Western Penn- sylvania.

After the college passed from the charge of the Methodist Conference it was continued under the auspices of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, and in charge of Dr. J. P. Wethee. He was suc- ceeded about 1841 by Dr. Andrew Ferrier, who was in turn succeeded by Dr. Cox. In May, 1852, the college was mentioned in the Genius of Liberty as being then "in a very flourishing condition." About 1854 it passed under the charge of the Methodist Prot- estant Church, and was at different times under the principalship of Drs. Cox, Ball, and Brown. About 1858 the property was sold at sheriff's sale, after which the building was used for a private school, of which the first principal was William McDowell. He remained two or three years, and was succeeded by Levi S. Lewis, who became principal in September, 1861, and continued in charge till February, 1864, when the school was taken by two young men named Reed, who taught one season, and then the school passed to the charge of S. B. Mercer, who continued it till 1866, when the buildings were taken for the use of the Soldiers' Orphans' School, which continued to be taught there until 1875, when it was removed to the new buildings erected for its use at "Dunbar's Camp."

The old Madison College buildings, now in disuse, are located on the north side of Main Street (or the National road), on the high land just east of the east- ern bridge over Redstone Creek.

1 The academy, however, was in operation some time before its incor- poration. In an advertisement dated in March, 1807, the name of John St. Clair, "teacher of the Languages and Mathematics in the Union Academy" at Uniontown, is given in recommendation of the superior quality of the surveying instruments manufactured by Alexander Simp- son, of Brownsville; and in the act of incorporation it is directed that the trustees appointed hy it should hold their first meeting in the acad- emy, showing that it existed prior to the passage of the act.

316

HISTORY OF FAYETTE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

CHURCHES.

GREAT BETHEL REGULAR BAPTIST CHURCH.1

This organization was formed in the year 1770, and is evidently one of the first religious societies estab- lished within the bonndaries of Fayette County, and as it can be traced by its own records as a distinct or- ganization down to the present time, it becomes one of the important parts of our present history.

In the oldest book of records now in the possession of the church the following entry is made on the first page : "The Regular Baptist Church of Jesus Christ at Uniontown, Pa., unwilling that their origin should be lost in obscurity, and apprehending, from the de- cayed state of the annals respecting the institution and progress thereof, that they will shortly become unintelligible, have by an unanimous resolution passed on this 12th day of November, 1822, ordered that the first book of said church should be transcribed in line in the same words and the same manner in which it was written, and that our brother, Samuel King, be appointed for this service." From the transcript made by Mr. King, in pursuance of that resolution, the following letter is copied verbatim, viz. :

"The Church of Jesus Christ at Great Bethel, Con- stituted as is supposed in Province of Pennsylvania, holding Believers, Baptism, &e., &c., sindeth greeting. " To all Christian People to whom these may Con- cern, Know ye that Isaac Sutton is in full Communion with us, and is of a Regular and of a Christian Con- versation, and for aught we know is approved of by us in general as a gifted Brother, and we do unitedly agree that he should Improve his Gifts as a Candidate for the ministery where Ever god in his Providence shall Call him. sign'd by us this Eigth day of No- vember, in the year of our lord Christ-1770.

" Witness our hands, JACOB VANMETRE.

" N.B.

" That this Church was RICHARD HALL. Constituted by me, Nova ZEPHENIAH BLACKFORD. 7th, 1770, and that the Because we are few in Bearer was licensed to number our Sisters are Preach before me, or in allowed to sign. my Presence, as witness RACHEL SUTTON. my hand this 8th day of LETTICE VANMETRE. SARAH HALL." Novr, 1770.

"HENRY CROSBYE."

From the latter part of this letter it appears that the church was constituted by Henry Crosby, but nothing further is said of him in the minutes which follow, and we have been unable to ascertain anything further with regard to his personal history or his sub- sequent connection with the church. In Benedict's " History of the Baptists," page 614, it is stated that this church "was gathered in 1770, under the ministry of elder John Sutton," but as we do not find the name

of John Sutton mentioned anywhere in connection with the church records, while that of Isaac is fre- quently referred to, we are disposed to think that he was the successor of Henry Crosby, and although not the founder of the church, the first pastor after its organization. The oldest book of record has the fol- lowing title-page :

" Isaac Sutton, Great Bethel Church Book,

for the use of Inserting Minutes of Business frans- aeted by the Church."

This certainly is evidence that Sntton was pastor when that book was procured, and it contains minutes beginning with 1773. This church has frequently been called "The Uniontown Church," "Uniontown Baptist Church," etc., owing to its location. But there was a church, known as the Uniontown Church, organized some time previous to the year 1790, the exact date of which we are unable to ascertain. On the 6th of November of that year is the following en- try in Great Bethel church-book : "The Church of Christ called Great Bethel met the Church of Christ of Union Town according to appointment. After prayer proceeded to business. 1st, Appointed Dea- con Gaddis to receive them. 2d, The Church of Union dissolved their constitution and were received into fellowship with us." Then follows a series of rules adopted for the government of the church. This was the only Uniontown Baptist Church prop- erly called by that name until the division in 1867, when one portion of the church took upon itself the name and was chartered as the Uniontown Regu- lar Baptist Church. The other branch still retained the name and kept up the organization as Great Bethel, more reference to which will hereafter be made.

BUILDINGS,-There is as much uncertainty with regard to the site of the first house of worship as to the name of the first pastor. The earliest reference to this subject in the records of the church is found in the minutes of the monthly meeting held March 18, 1780, as follows: " Resolved, that a meeting-house be built for public worship by the church. Resolved, that brethren Jas. MeCoy, Owen Davis, Moses Carr view the ground and pitch upon the place for build- ing, the dimensions of the house to be thirty feet and twenty-five." In July following we find this entry : "Resolved, that two meeting-houses be built, that Owen Davis, Philip Pierce, Joseph Thomas, Jos. Boutenhouse, and Philip Jenkins, to meet on Tues- day, eighth day of August, to council what is needful to carry on the building and what place." On May 19, 1781, " In order to carry on the building of the meeting-house, Bros. Owen Davis and Philip Jenkins are appointed overseers of the work ; Bro. Bolten- house, collector of the subscription." June 19, 1784, " Resolved, that the members shall work at the meet- ing-house every day that is appointed by Richard Reed, Thomas Bowel, and Philip Jenkins, under

1 By D. M. Hertzog.

317

UNIONTOWN BOROUGH.

penalty of five shillings for neglect." On Sept. 15, 1787, a resolution was passed " that a meeting-house be built on the Great Road, about a quarter of a mile from Uniontown, and Thomas Gaddis and Moses Carr and James Little trustees to carry it on." We have been unable to reconcile these different resolu- tions so as to either fix the time when the first house was erected or ascertain the place where it was located. The first reference to a house as having been built ix in September, 1789, as follows: " The whole of the land where the meeting-house stands belongs to the church for four pounds. Thomas Gad- dis appointed to receive the Deed in the name of the church of Great Bethel against our meeting of busi- ness, etc." And again, June 18, 1790 : " The church acknowledges that when Thos. Gaddis makes them a Deed for the acre of land that the meeting-house stands on, that they stand indebted to him nineteen ponnds one shilling and ten pence, all errors ex- cepted." This would indicate that the land was pur- chased from Thomas Gaddis, but immediately follow- ing it was resolved " that the trustees, Thomas Gaddis and Moses Carr, get the deed in their names in behalf of the church of Great Bethel." It was just at this time that the contention arose among the members elsewhere referred to, and as Thomas Gaddis appears to have been a leading member of the Loofborrow party, it was decided by the other party that he was not a proper person to receive the deed, and from this time there is nothing further said about a deed until the year 1804, when one acre of land was con- veyed to the Great Bethel Church by Henry Beeson and wife. This lot of ground was located on the "Great Road" leading from Uniontown to Cheat River, and though it is now within the borough limits, it doubtless would at that early day have been very properly described as " abont a quarter of a mile from Uniontown." In the old burying-ground on a part of this lot are found tonibstones dating back to 1796, and some whose dates are no longer legible. Many of our citizens still living distinctly remember when an old house stood on this lot, previous to the building of the brick structure which still occupies it. And as no further reference is made to building until the year 1831, when this house was begun, we may conclude almost, if not to an entire certainty, that the house directed to be built in 1787 was located upon the same site where the old brick church now stands, and that it was occupied by the congregation up to the completion of that church, about the year 1833. This is a large building, with ample room be- low and gallery above. It was occupied by the Great Bethel Church until the division in 1867, when pro- ceedings were begun for the erection of a new build- ing, which was located on Fayette Street, in the borough of Uniontown. It was begun in the year 1868, but owing to the financial difficulties in which they were then placed was not finally completed until 1879, it being dedicated in August of that year.

This is a fine two-story brick building, forty-two by sixty-five feet in dimensions, with spire abont one hundred and ten feet high. It is provided with lec- ture-room below, in which is a baptistery and well- furnished room, with frescoed walls for the main chapel above. The whole building was completed, owing to the high prices of all material when it was begun, at a total cost of abont $11,000.

BRANCHES .- From Great Bethel Regular Baptist Church there were established from time to time numerons branches, all of which were afterwards formed into distinct organizations, and most of them still exist as flourishing churches. As those of them which are situated within the boundaries of this county will each be more particularly described in their proper places, it is only necessary here to briefly mention the time at which they were separated from the mother-church. On March 19, 1773, the mem- bers convenient to Muddy Creek were dismissed by letter to that church, which is situated in Greene County, Pa., and is still in a flourishing condition. On Sept. 21, 1775, the brethren in the Forks of Cheat were granted a constitution. This church now has its place of worship near Stewarttown, W. Va., and has quite a large membership. A branch church was organized in " the Glades" on the 15th of November, 1778. It is still kept up as an independent organi- zation, known as Big Crossings. At the same meet- ing a constitution was granted to the branch on Red- stone, situated in Fayette County, and Isaac Sutton appointed " to constitute them." Also James Sutton, James McCoy, Charles McDonald, and Philip Jen- kins were appointed a committee to meet them on the third Saturday of December following, " in order to see that they be an unanimous hody fit for a consti- tution, and to settle matters of difficulty if there is any."

The members belonging to Great Bethel Church living near and beyond the Youghiogheny were per- mitted to organize as a branch of the church on the 20th of September, 1783, but the history of this or- ganization cannot be traced further.

Oct. 16, 1784, the church at Georges Creek was dismissed by request, and Isaac and James Sutton appointed to constitute them on the 30th of the same month. This church has since become one of the leading members of the Monongahela Association, and its history will appear as that of Mount Moriah Regular Baptist Church.

In the year 1830 a branch was organized at or near MeClellantown, Fayette Co., but has since become extinct.

Thus it is seen that either directly or indirectly many of the churches of this county and adjoining counties have sprung from the Great Bethel Church, and truly she may be termed the mother of Baptist churches in this section of Pennsylvania.

MEMBERSHIP .- Beginning as this church did, when the inhabitants of the county were settled here and

318

HISTORY OF FAYETTE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

there in little groups, its membership must have been tion of the members to leave the building in which they worshiped and erect a new house in a different locality. The portion of members thus going off were recognized, upon a full explanation of the difficulty to the Association at their next meeting, as the Regular Baptist Church, and began at once to carry on the work of its original organization. The membership, however, by this disruption had been greatly reduced, and the bitter feelings engendered were slow to wear away. But gradually many of those who at first ad- hered to their former pastor, and even formed a dis- tinet organization under his control, began one by one to return to the church ; baptisms also became more numerous, until from a report of eighty-two members at the Association in the autumn of 1867 there are now enrolled on the church record one hnn- dred and ninety-three members, there having been an increase by letter and baptism of twenty-four during the present year. The greatest harmony now pre- vails, both among the members themselves and be- tween them and their pastor. The great burden of debt which since the erection of their new building had been weighing them down has within the past two years been almost removed, and once more may her members truly exclaim, "Our membership is larger, our purses heavier, and our hearts lighter. God be praised for His much mercy !" small. From the oldest list of members on record we find from September, 1770, to November of the same year, when the church was formally organized, there were received by baptism eight members ; these, in ad- dition to the six whose signatures are affixed to the letter already quoted, quite probably constituted the full membership at the time of its organization. The names of the members received by baptism during the time mentioned were John Carr, Elizabeth Carr, Sarah Baccus, David Morgan, Wm. Murphy, - Van Meter, James McCloy, and Mary Anderson. The list of membership which follows is so incomplete with regard to dates that it is impossible to follow the progress of the church in this respect as closely as we should like to do. It appears that up to July, 1773, there had been received by baptism thirty-two mem- bers, and up to 1780 twenty-two by letter. Consider- ing, therefore, the sparsely-settled condition of the country, their increase of membership was very fair. During this time, however, there had been a number dismissed by letter, and also a few excommunicated, but as the dates of their dismission are not recorded we are unable to ascertain the exact membership of the church at either of the dates mentioned. Sept. 24, 1791, the report of membership to the Association shows a total of 40; in 1795, 42; 1800, 26; 1812, 45 (during this year nineteen were received by baptism SUNSHINE AND SHADOWS .- It is the duty of the historian to represent truly the subject which he at- tempts to describe. We shall not therefore presume to present the bright side of this church and leave con- cealed from view the dark, for Great Bethel, like almost all other churches, has had her shadows as well as sunshine, and while it may not be so pleasant a duty to write that which now lies before us, yet in doing so we hope that by thus showing the comparatively insignificant causes, for such most of them were which led to these difficulties, the present membership may be warned by the past to avoid similar disasters in the future. and eleven by letter). In 1817 the membership had again decreased to 30. Although other lists of men- bers are given at different times they are without dates, and we have therefore been unable to ascertain the exact number of enrolled names until what was known as the great revival in 1855. On Nov. 24, 1855, a series of meetings was begun by Rev. William Wood, assisted by Rev. Israel D. King, which re- sulted in upwards of ninety additions by baptism. The following postscript, added to the minutes of Jan. 26, 1856, by R. H. Austin, church clerk pro tem., ex- plains the condition at that time: "The church is certainly in a better state of health than it has been The first of these difficulties occurred about the beginning of the year 1790. Some time previous the church had called Rev. Isaac Sutton as regular minis- ter and Rev. David Loofborrow as an assistant. Soon afterwards we find freqnent accusations brought first against one member and then another until a com- since its infancy, our membership larger, our purses heavier, and our hearts lighter. God be praised for His much mercy in dispelling the winter of our church and spreading before us prospects so flatter- ing." A few pages farther ou, under date of May 24, 1856, he makes the following entry : "Our church is , plete separation occurred, one part of the church meeting at the house of Rev. Sutton and transacting business there as Great Bethel Church, the other holding their sessions on the same day at the church building. This unhappy state of affairs continued until Oct. 4, 1791, when a special meeting was called, "in order to form a plan by which our aggrieved brethren might be again united with ns in the bonds of love and Christian fellowship." This result appeared to have been accomplished by passing a resolution to permit both preachers to officiate in their ministerial capacity in the church, for we find no further diffi-

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History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 72

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885 Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts & Co. Number of Pages: 1314

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts & Co.
Number of Pages: 1314