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1 n1 niKi Kim ki ni jgngpgggngonnnga EVERYTHINi IN OUR ST0R1 $25,000.00 SI For the past few da] In fact, we cannot ii If YOU . CAS i?-? HISTORY OF THE ABBEVILLE BAPTIST CHURCH (Continued from Page One.) Five days after this executive com rit'ee meeting, the building commit tee met and elected Pritt'chairman tnd Rogers secretary, the committee met to select plans for the new build ing, and the record says. "After in specting a number of designs the fnmmiftoo caios>tori a vprv handsome bad not document rhe Bible Would tt might pr< years ale The ex sedation, B. F. Mil "to canvi ties in b and the rnrfs sap model of a brick building, 50 feet m length by 30 feet in width, at an esti. mated cost of $4,000." \ Work was commenced April 23, 1873, on what was styled "a comramn dious and tasteful building." On the first Sunday in May, Pastor Pratt had with him the Rev. W. B. Jones of the huilding committee who preached "ail excellent Bermon in the court house" and took a subscription for the build, ing fund. In the Court House Thi* church continued to worship fn the court house and the bell on the .carringe shop o! Seal,Sign &Robertson fcas rung to call people to nervier. That shop stood where Calvert's fur niture store now is. The court house was a new structure, whict had tak en the place of one recently burned, and stood in front of the present building, projecting into the ' publio square. Corner Stone Laid r\~ V/IJ OCHICIIIUCJ X sJ i u vui I stone of the church was laid with im pressive ceremonies. It was a glad day for Baptists in Abbeville. In the niche in the stone were placed a small Hibl". a glass jar containing docu n:ents, and a few coins. The laying of a corner stone was an unusual event in the village and soon wild stories were in circulation relative to the \alue of the articles placed in the wall of the Baptist church, especially the amount of money. On the night of February 11, 1874, "one of the worst cases of petty meanness and racreligious outrage ever heard of in these parts was committed" by vand als who picked the cornerstone out of the wall of the building and robbed it of the four or five dollars it con tained. The Bible and the documents were left by the thieves, who broke the sealed jar. An Historic Relic. There lies that stone, a mute wit ness to the awful sacrelege committ ed. Wli-1: we took it from the wall ot tno Pi'i rnurcn m lsii, we rouna tnat in replacing it after the robbery, it lime nau and seve POCK OF DRY GO( rs our stock has not been mo 2 decided to make another di ) Iff . VI e Must n nagine any other conditio^ tl are "hard pressed" for mone; Bring your friends and bu; BA1 CL I la a been properly sealed. The ts had crumbled to dust and : fell to pieces In our hands, lat we had them, that we eserve them for another fifty >ng with this corner stone. :ecutive committe of the as. , in 1873, appointed the Rev. ler and the Rev. R. N. Pratt iss this and adjoining coun iehalf of Furman University Abbeville church." Their ef m not to have been success t the meeting of the associa. Dctober at Horeb, Brother i.J ..4 ler had not at this tim Of the above names, i to note that the honor pastor is with us on this morning; Jacob ai ler were the parents c and of our sister Mrs K who sits yonder; and 01 Ida M. Wardlaw, who 1 sical disability is una us;; and of our distin man, the Hon. Jones F W. Quarles was the it Quarles and the grea of our sister Lelia Lit T3 Pflllo Mill juritsu un iuc uuiiuiliuli ?i and said the work must iss money could be raised to the building. The assooia prompt action and sent Doc iere# He preached In the use October 29th, and put t into the feeble little band embers. lam Brignoli's Recital. rs of other denominations e forward and offered to help, mber 22, 1873, there was a jiven in the court house for, it of the church building and n $100 was realized. I quote newspaper account: "Madam McColloch Brignoli, the re. songstress, assisted by a num )beville ladies and gentlemen' scital "of rare interest and at , large audience" Madam 'was well sustained by Calhoun, Norwood and Mc vho performed very skillfuly r of attractive pieces" Madam is well and oleasantlv remem jl?* ivcuucuj . v^iiu min mother of our brother W. P. McKellar was a brother J. M. McKeller Kellar was wife of the Rogers, Sallie and Do have no relatives now : ship so far as is knowt The Fir?t Ba In July, 1874, the Re' secretary of State Miss a protracted meeting, t ing held in the Meth Large congregations preaching, and Doctor the hearts of the peop1 There were a numbei to the membership of on the third Sunday a] gust the ordinance of administered to a num This was the first Ch sion to take place in A. attracted no little in ore present with us ti those who witnessed took place in the littl older Abbeville folk. She was i singer and was an aunt of nored townsman, ' Richard 1 a week of prayer was ob y the churches of the village > the annual -custom, tists as an organization took the first time. Pastor Prait g. rhe Church Chartered. bruary 20, 1874, the church rtered by Lewis D. Bowie, the court for Abbeville coun he charter members were h. , W. P. McKeller, A. L. Mc racob Miller, Martha Miller, arles. Celia Miller (now Mrs below the Seaboard tr present water plant. T been dammed, to impr sufficient depth. An i gathered. Small boys 1 and grown peraons ci the pool. The unusual given a long write.up papers, which at tha more attention to the ternal orders, politicj social clubs than to n ion. On September 13t second baptism which tracted a large crowd newspaper attention. During this month i the Saluda association ones), Fannie Rogers, Sallie e, Dora Breazeale, and Agnes les. It is under this charter cli now holds property. It leen that the church at that I eleven members, four men n women, though Celia Mil meeting at Greenwooc aid to the church here : tion of its building, wl come to a standstill. The House De Another full year pa church was ready fo 3DS AND READY-TO ving fast enough to satisfy our ur g into the already low prices we 1 ave The B i lat would justify our absolute disr y, you will find bargains here to r y a year's supply while prices are *GAIN e been baptized t is interesting ed and beloved this platfonn id Martha Mil >f Celia Miller; [essie Beacham, However, uncompleted, without a steeple, and with no regular pews or furniture, on February 13, 1876, the house was dedicated. The churc's minute-book contains the simple re cord that the church worshipped in the building and dedicated it to the Clr\A Hniravni' thp loful with memt was i dent. spirit T. M 3uper L UU1 SlObCl OJJLIO jecause of phy ble to be with guished towns \ Miller. Agnes lother of R. P. ,t grandmother ik, now Mrs P. er Jones is the Frank P. Jones n uncle of our and A. L. Mc former. Fannie >ra Preazeale in our member i to this writer, ptism v. A. W. Lamar, ions, conducted ;he services be net Tiuc ui uvu( papers gave a long story from which tin following is taken: "The weather was warm and spring like. The house was fillo I to over flowing long oefcrr *he hour tor Lhe service to begin. On the pulpit were the Revs. J. L. Martin, W. W. Wight man, P. F. Miller, R N Pratt and C. H. Toy. Two deacons were to be ordained, J. H. Barksdale and J. R. F. Willson. The deacons-elect came forward and Doctor Toy read I Timo thy 3.8-13, after which he made a charge to the deacons." (There is the Bible from which Doctor Toy read. It was used on the pulpit of that church continuously until the building was abandoned, during the building of this house in which we are today. whict year phin an h< and i Soutl: gates Pratt, and ? enrol] time table 1>UU1 <11 attended the Lamar won e of the villago r of accessions the church and tternoon In Au baptism was ber of persons, ristian immer? Lbbeville and it terest. There oday some of the baptism. It. e stream just estle near the he stream had ovise a pool of mmense crowd filled the trees That is the first pulpit EtiDie or au beville Baptist church. Let it be pre served along with the corner stone. To r?sume: "Mr Pratt announced that in the absence of any special form in the Baptist church, our dedi cation is therefore simply an anuonce rnent of the fact that the building is -.et apart for divine service, and that H fyss^cirtions and services in this house henceforth are to strengthen our love and worship of God who is a spirit, and to elevate our thoughts in the contemplation and adoration of Him who made us, "Dr J. L. Martin, pastor of til"1) Presbyterian church who was present j with his congregation, made the dedi catory prayer. Dr Toy preached the sermon, his subject being "True "\Vor I >f September, i held a special 1 and pledged In the construc iose work had idicated. ssed before the r occupancy, ship." (The sermon is printed in fuil)' The closing prayer was made by the Rev. B, F. Miller." A minute descrip-! t?on of the building is given, and the story adds: "The audience was as bril liant a congregation as Abbeville could afford, and every available seat was occupied, while many parties; stood at the door and in the vestibule and gallery. The Presbyterian and Methodist ministers were present with their flocks, vhile many of the Episcopal congregation were partici pants in the exercises." The Association Meets. September 22nd ai.d <!3rd, the Ab beville association met here in its' seventh annual session. The associa-j "r.: v;?.s composed cf 14 churches; I1 atfaaaaiiKfim WEAR gent needs for cash, therefore, we lave been offering egard of cost on our entire stock, neet your pocketdook. cut in half. , CTHDr U 1 V1\Lj Li a total membership of 919. The >ership of Abbeville church 12 one of whom was a non-resi We have a large, number of his ual progeny now on our roll. .Galphin was church clerk and intendent of the Sunday school, l by the way, was organized the the church was. Brother Gal has for some forty years been Dnored and successful pastor s now located at St. Matthews i Carolina. The church's dele to the association were R. X. J. H. Barksdale, Jacob Miliar F. S. Graves. The custom of ling women had not at that ses, including paster's salary were $178.27; total to missions, $1.30. The church reported four baptisms and three received by letter during the year. Six years later, when the associa tion met at Siloam, October 13th a ui 14th, the pastor's salary had been in creased to $200 per year, and the church gave $5.90 to each Foreign, Home and State Missions .The mem bership consisted of eight males and 29 females, a total of 37, or a net gain of five in six years. Close of a Great Paitorate. On July 26, 1884, the church suffer ed a great loss through the resigna come into vogue. The financial | tion of its pastor, who accep.ted a is interesting: Church expen-lcall to Bennettsville. His had been a ? THE = BUILDING & LOAN Association of Abbeville will, begin a New Series of Stock January 20th, 1921 Get The Saving Habit Take Stock With Us G. A. Neuffer, J. S. Morse, President. Sec.-T rcas.