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FRIDAY, APRIL, 28, 1989 THE SUN — PAGE THREE Aveleigh Church Is More Than 100 Years Old As early as 1822 there was a Presbyterian church in Newberry, with an organization and occasional preaching servicer in the court house. This was the earliest church organization in the town, but with its small and scattered membership and its irregular and insufficient min istry of the Word, it soon fell to pieces and was no more. Under its present name, and as a During the first three years after the organization, services were held occasionally by Rev. Moses Waddell Rev. S. B. Lewers, Rev. E. Holt, Rev. Joseph Johnson, Rev. Isaac Waddell, Rev. James Lewers, and Rev R. C. Ketchem. Five acres of land were donated by Robert Boyce for Aiveleigh’js first church site. This location is on the north side of the east extension of ORIGINAL SITE permanent institution, the Aveleigh Presbyterian church was organized May 30, 1836 by Rev. Moses Waddell and Rev. S. B. Lewers with 32 mem bers. The first ruling elders were Isaac Keller and Alexander Cham bers. In March 1839, Chancellor Job Johnstone and Dr. George. W. Glenn were ordained and added to the number of ruling elders. Chan- Main street, about 200 yards from intersection of Main street and the highway cue-off, joining B. L. Bish op’s place. Today there may be seen on this lot, vaults that stood in the old cemetery. In 1852 the church was moved to its present location on Calhoun street, because it was “inconvenient ly” situated at the first site. Being PRESENT CHURCH BUILDING cellor Johnstone, because of his lead ership in the organization of the church, and in the building of the house of worship, and being the practical founder of it was asked to give it a name. He named it Ave leigh for the church to which his parents belonged in Ireland before they came to this country. a mile and a half from town, it was but seldom that any of the town people found it convenient to attend and yet, since it was thus located so as to secure their attendance, the country people regarded it as a town church and they did not care to at tend. This resulted in a split with a number of members, about 27, building an edifice in town. The name, Aveleigh, was kept. The lot on the corner of Calhoun and Martin street was given by E. Y. McMorris. On December 17th, in 1852 the new building was dedi cated. This church was enlarged in 1892 at a cost of 83,500, but on March 29, 1907 it was completely destroy ed in the fire that swept Newberry. The manse and outbuildings were also destroyed. Immediately after the fire another building was put up in the same location at a cost of 86,500. The building committee consisted of Alan Johnstone, F. Z. Wilson, W. A. Mc- Swain, and John W. Chappell. The present manse was built at the same time at a cost of 83,027. In 1930, under the leadership of Rev. C. M. Dendy, Aveleigh’s pastor at the time, the church was remodel ed and the Sunday school annex was erected at a cost of about 817,000. The building committee consisted of R. D. Smith, Jr., chairman, Mrs. F. D. Mower, James Smith, Mrs. E. B. Purcell, B. M. Scurry, A. S. Paine, Mr. Dendy, and Mrs. R. D. Smith, Jr. This is by far the most attractive building Aveleigh has ever had and is one of the prettiest churches in the city today. During its century of existence Aveleigh has had only 16 pastors. They are as follows: Rev. R. C. Ketchum, 1838-1839; Rev. John Mc- Kittrick, 1840; Rev. E. F. Hyde, 1845; Rev. W. B. Telford, 1850; Rev. A. D. Montgomery, 1856; Rev. E. H. Buist, 1862; Rev. R. A. Mickle, 1866; Rev. R. A. Fair, 1874; Rev. John S. Cosby, 1886-1894; Rev. R. P. Pell, 1895; Rev. J. L. Williamson, 1896- 1907; Rev. E. L. Wilson (S. S.), 1908; Rev. J. E. James, 1908-1911; Rev. E. D. Kerr, 1912-1927; Rev. M. C. Dendy, 1928-1931; Rev. C. A. Cal- cote, 1923-present. Beginning with 32 members, Ave leigh Presbyterian church now has on roll 251 members. The greatest growth has been in the past seven years under the pastorate of Mr. Calcote. • Aveleigh’s present session of eld ers include the following: Rev. C. A. Calcote, Moderator; R. D. Smith, Jr., Clerk; H. M. Boozer, O. F. Armfield, Dr. Hugh Senn, D. W. A. Neville, B. M. Scurry, George Davenport, and S. A. Williams. The board of deacons include E. B. Purcell, chair man, James Smith, G«orge Hunter, William Hunter, C. F. Smith, Warren Abrams, J. D. French, W. R. Reid, Dr. Theodore Neely, R. W. Culbert son, L. D. Nichols, Joe Keitt and Wilton Todd. D. W. A. Neville is superintendent AVELEIGH’S PASTOR Amazing Prophecy of Early Newberry Quaker .. , REV. C. A. CALCOTE of the Sunday school and Mrs. E. B. Purcell, president of the Woman’s Auxiliary. The work among the young people is carried on by Mrs. Hugh Senn who is leader of the senior group and by Miss Constance Armfield who had charge of the in termediate boys and girls. Aveicigh church also sponsors two thriving outpost Sunday schools. One is located at Helena and the other at the McCullough school near Whit mire. Both were begun by Mr. Cal cote and the work is carried on by members of Aveleigh. LEFT WITH THE PLOW Kilmaurs, Scotland—Working with a plow, a farmer turned away for a moment and when he looked again his two horses had disappeared. They fell 24 feet irto an old mine shaft, but were brought out alive. AUTOMOBILE INCREASES Of interest is the increase and de crease in the number of automo biles registered in Newberry in the past few years. There were registered in the county in 1924, 3,577 autos and trucks. In 1929 there were 3,259. In 1930 the figure went up to 3,408 and in 1932 it dropped to 3,216. Trucks and autos registered here in 1937 numbered 3,730 and last year, 1938, the figure reached an all-high record with 4,129 motor ve hicles registered in the county. Looking back into the early history of Newberry we find that at one time there was a rather large settlement of Quakers in the county. It is not known exactly when the settlement began or from where the great num ber of Quakers came, but they set tled on Bush River and Beaverdam. The Friends had three places of meeting. One of them, the oldest and principal ope, was at Bush River where today there may be seen the old cemetery where sleeps hund reds of the early settlers. However, we know that today there are few here who are of Quaker decent. The question is asked, what became of the Friends who were so numerous here? Between the years 1800 and 1810 there was a great exodus of Quakers and others who moved to Ohio and other states. In O’Neall’s section of the Annals of Newberry we find the following given as the reason for their leaving: “Between 1800 and 1804 a celebrated Quaker preacher, Zachary Dicks, passed through South Carolina. He was thought to have also the gift of prophecy. The mas sacres of San Domingo were then fresh. He warned Friends to come out from slavery. He told them if they did not their fate would be that of the slaughtered Islanders. This produced in a short time a panic, and removals to Ohio commenced, and by 1807 the Quaker settlement had, in a great degree, changed its popula tion. John Kelly, Sr., Hugh O’Neall, Henry O’Neall, James Brooks, Isaac Kirk, Walter Herbert William Wright, Samuel Gaunt, William Pugh, and Timothy Thomas alone re- COUNTY COMMISSIONER wmW ■ PAUL H. HAILE mained. Land which could often since, and even now after near forty years cultivation in cotton, can be sold for 810, 815, and 830 per acre, was sold then for from 83 to 86. New berry thus lost, from a foolish panic and a superstitious fear of an insti tution, which never harmed them or any other body of people, a very val uable portion of its white population. But they are gone, never to return! It is our business to repair the loss, by better agriculture, more attention to the mechanic arts, and more enter prise. Thus acting, our wasted fields will yet blossom like the rose, our streams will resound with music of machinery, and our hills will be vocal with the songs of industry and peace.” More of the teachings of Zachary Dicks and his amazing prophecies are recorded in Chapman’s portion of the Annals of Newberry. We find from there the following: “During the year 1803 this minis ter (Dicks) made a visit to Wrights- borough monthly meeting, in Georgia, an integral part of Bush River quart erly meeting. He there told the Friends of a terrific internecine war not far in the future, during which mpny men like those in the Apo calypse would flee to the mountains and call on those mountains to hide them. With reference to the time of fulfilment, he said the child was then born that would see it; thus in timating the time, not as immediate, but not very far off. He also advis ed them to leave there, which they did. Forty-eight years after came the predicted war. I heard this account more than forty years ago from a BUSINESS MAN — LAWMAKER man who was at the meeting. From Wrightsboroug, Z. Dicks went to Bush River meeting, held in a well house erected only five years before with the full calculation of a long continued occupancy. I give his first words there as related by a dear aunt of mine who was present, and was just blooming into womanhood: ‘O, Bush River! Bush River! How hath thy beauty faded away, and gloomy darkness eclipsed the day!’ Going into particulars, he depicted the silence and loneliness that would attend that house after its abandon ment by those who had erected it; that (lerbage would ere long grow in its now well beaten paths. I did not understand that he advised removal here as at Wrightsborough, but only foretold it. Indeed, it did not suffer during the war like the other place, for I have learned no hostile troops came near it. “Friend Dicks must have been at this time rather elderly, for I am in formed that not long before the Re volution he had been at Guilford, North Carolina, and foretold that war. Pointing to the walls of the meeting house he said its floors and walls would be stained with human blood. This was literally fulfilleed for, after the bloody battle of Guilford, the Friends carried the wounded sol diers, both British and American, in to the house and performed for them the part of the good Samaritan; the stains of whose blood, though faded were on its walls many years after wards. To those who are skeptical as to Z. Dicks’ prophetical attain ments, I will only say that ho was at least a ‘good guesser’.’’ NEWBERRY POSTMASTER J. KESS DERRICK GEORGE K. DOMINICK E. B. PURCELL, Pres. &. Treas. JOS. L. KEITT, JR., Vice-Pres. & Sec’y 1905 — 1939 The Newberry Insurance & Realty Co \ has been in the Insurance business actively for Thirty Four years.... “YOUR PROTECTION OUR BUSINESS” J. TAZ SENN, Collector MRS. WYCHE DICKERT MISS EVA JAMES DAVIS