Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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PAGE 6—The Newberry Sun, Newberry, S. C., Thursday, March 21, 1968 Groundbreaking exercises for the new sanctuary at O’Neal Street Methodist Church were held Sunday after worship services. Holding the shovel are, left, Rev. Hoyt Graham, pastor and right, L. E. Gat lin, Jr., chairman of the building commit tee. Other members of the building com mittee are in the background. Groundbreaking ceremonies were held Sunday at O’Neal Street Methodist church to mark the construction on a $150,000 sanctuary. The one-story structure will include a basement, choir rooms and Sunday school class rooms, and storage space. The Rev. Hoyt Graham, pas tor, conducted the groundbreak ing ceremony after the conclu sion of Sunday morning serv ices. L. E. Gatlin Jr. is chair man of the building committee. The sanctuary will be the third building in the church complex at the corner of O’Neal and Graves streets. Other facilities include a par sonage and an educationa' building. According to the Journal ot The Cokesbury District and word of mouth passed on from those having a part in it, O’Neal Street began having re ligious services in about the year 1886 or 1887. In the year 1882 the City of Newberry and Newberry County received its first major industry, this being a textile plant known for many years as The Newberry Cotton Mills. This plant soon built a large community of houses for its employees. These employees came mostly from the rural areas of Newberry and adja cent counties. As the plant grew it required more and more employees and very soon there were about 400 houses. Many of these houses were oc cupied by large families. Very soon a school building with just one room was built on the exact spot where the new Educational building of O’Neal Street Methodist Church now stands. This small school furnished space for sev eral of the lower grades and also a place for worship serv ices. Soon the Methodists and Baptists each had some type of organizations and held regular services on each Sunday. These two groups would alternate and at times one would hav° a morning time and the other an afternoon time. There was such a wonderful spirit existing that several lady teachers would teach a class in the morning and for another class in the afternoon. About the year 1886 the latt Rev. W. P. B. ‘Mike’ Kinard of Ninety Six held a tent meet ing in a grove known as Leav- ell’s Grove. This was on the exact spot where Mr. and Mrs. Ostell Ballew and Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Layton have their homes This meeting was a great success and 14 persons made application for church membership. They were receiv ed in the First Methodist church now known as Central Methodist church of Newberry. These members soon felt that they wanted a church of their own and another Methodist church was organized known as The Second Methodist church of Newberry. Interest grew rapidly and soon the Methodist wanted to build their own church and the Textile plant gave them a deed and title to a lot just above the little school house on the cor ner of O’Neal and Graves Sts. The Methodist cannot build a church unless they first own the property. A parsonage was furnished by the plant officials. The Methodist congregation was admitted in the Upper Episcopal Church, South. This Conference of the Methodist was in the year of 1895 and the Rev. S. A. Nettles was the first pastor. He was followed by Rev. W. B. Verdin. Rev. Verdin was followed by Rev. John Wesley Speake a young preacher from Laurens county. It was during the pastorate of Rev. Speake ‘ that the first church was built; this was in the year 1897. In 1895 the charge was named O’Neal St. Methodist church instead of the Second Methodist church. ■ During these days great in terest was shown and the peo ple made many sacrifices in or der to help pay for the church. It is worthy of note to mention the fact that about eight young ladies working in the plant for low wages and being paid once every two weeks actually gave several of their two weeks pay checks without ever opening them at all. This group of lad ies were the Lyles sisters, Miss Fannie, Miss Louise and Miss Minnie Lyles. The other group was the Vaughn sisters, Miss Amanda, Miss Mattie, Miss Hattie and Miss Ophelia Vau ghn. The church was paid for and things went well until the year 1904 when the church was . Hardly had the ashes cooled until plans were again started to rebuild. The church building recently torn down was built in the year 1905 and was fully paid for and dedi cated in the year 1908. During the years that follow ed many improvements were made. The first Sunday School rooms to be built were the t'wo rooms upstairs, one for the Young Men’s Class in the bel fry and the other in the bal cony for the Men’s Bible class. During the pastorate of Rev. W. F. Gault in about the year 1923, 22 Sunday School rooms were added in the east side with two stories. These rooms were so arranged that the base ment could be open for tables for banquets. During the pastorate of the Rev. M. M. Brooks additional rooms were added on the north end. These were very modern rooms and in excellent condition when it became necessary to tear them down. These roofhs were used by the W. L. W. class the Sunshine Workers class, choir room and three for the children. Stained glass windows were installed in the year 1934. One window with the harp sym bol was in the choir, the bread, wine and chalio window was in ‘Chiist Knocking at The Door’ the pulpit, the Ten Command ments window was on the N. side and a most beautiful win dow that had as its symbol, was on the W. side. All these windows were beautiful but the one large window on the West side was perhaps one of the most beautiful windows in the city. This along with other things made possible one of the most beautiful and wor shipful sanctuaries in all of Newberry. The honor of being the first to play the piano in O’Neal Street church was Mrs. Geneva Thornton Bickerstaff. It is co incidental that the first lady to play the first electric organ was also Mrs. Bickerstaff’s daughter-in-law, Mrs. Mary Layton Dickert. O’Neal Street has always had outstanding activities. Loyal workers in all phases of the church ^rk, missionary, Young Peop. out standing well balanced choir, plenty of musicians, outstand ing Womans Society of Christ ian Service, Methodist Men’s Club, Lay Speakers,, Sunday School Teachers, boys and men active in Scouting and at least eight of its sons have entered the ministry. During recent years a long range plan has been in effect. Mr. and Mrs. E. H. Layton pre sented the congregation with a lot adjacent to the church property. On this lot a new parsonage was built. After the old parsonage was removed the new Educational building was built. As the church now enters this new building program the church has been completely out of debt and a nice sizable amount is on hand to begin the new Sanctuary. Former pastors of O’Neal Street Methodist church: Rev. S. A. Nettles Rev. W. B. Verdin Rev. J. W. Speake Rev. Ben Lucas (A returned Missionary from China.) Rev. E. T. Adams (A near kinsman of a former Presi dent of the United States, John Quincy Adams.) Rev. G. E. Edwards Rev. J. H. Graves Rev. J. B. Kilgore Rev. J. T. Miller Rev. W. C. Kelly Rev. A. M. Gardner Rev. Gobe Smith Rev. B. L. Knight Rev. R. F. Cogburn Rev. W. F. Gault Rev. R. O. Webb Rev. J. E. Brown Rev. M. A. Cleckley Rev. J. E. Merchant Rev. M. M. Brooks Rev. N. K. Polk Rev. C. F. DuBose Jr. Rev. J. W. Tomilson Rev. J. W. Davenport Rev. Paul D. Petty Rev. M. B. Fryga Rev. Hoyt Graham (Present Pastor.) List of persons serving as Sunday School Superintend ents : • Mr. R. C. Williams Mrs. J. R. Thornton Mr. W. C. Bouknight Mr. T. S. Hudson Mr. A. E. Bouknight Mr. Dewey Kinard Mr. R. E. Beck (Present Superintendent.) CARD OF THANKS I want to express my appre ciation to my many friends and loved ones who were so thoughtful of me during my stay in the hospital. For the telephone calls, the cards, the flowers, the visits and the many thoughtful deeds done, I am so grateful. Especially do I want to thank Dr. Baker and Dr. King and the nurses who so faithfully cared for me dur ing my illness. I am deeply grateful to everyone for each act of kindness. JAMES LONNIE SHEALY HELP WANTED—Sales Abili ty. Young single girl with pleasing telephone voice to work in office sales for mobile home manufacturer. Must be willing to travel occasionally for show promotions. Contact Alvin Whitmire for appointment, tele phone 697 - 6796. Empress Homes, Inc., Kinards, S. C. M14-3tc The light one... 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