Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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O’Neal Street Methodist Church Held First Services In School House Prior to the turn of the cen tury there was a beautiful grove that almost covered four blocks. These lots bordered on O’Neal Street, Boundary Street and Langford Street. The large pa latial home almost in the cen ter was the home of the late Dr. Gilder (now the residence of Mrs. 0. F. Armfield, Sr ); the extra large grove in this spot was known as Leavell’s Grove. This large space was also used for circus show grounds. Since the recent building pro gram this space now has four streets that did not exist at the tum of the century. In this space there are now about forty homes. Leavell’s Grove was once used for an unusual event. In the early part of the summer of 1894 a man by the name of Rev. Pierce ‘Mike* Kinard of Epworth, S. C. conducted a tent meeting in this grove. The tent was on the O'Neal Street side and at the conclusion of this meeting ' there were thir; teen persons that banded them selves together and petitioned the Presiding Elder, a Rev. Harmon of the Cokesbury Dis trict to grant them the privi lege of organizing a Methodist Church. The petition was granted and a minister by the name of Rev. S. A. Nettles was assigned as the first pastor. The first place of worship was a little one- room school house that stood where the new educational building now stands. At that time, Central Metho dist Church was known as the First Methodist Church and the new church was known for a short while as the Second Methodist Church. First Metho dist was in watch care for the new church for a period of time. The thirteen charter mem bers were Miss Louise Lyles, Miss Minnie Lyles, Miss Hattie Vaughn, Miss Ophelia Vaughn, Mrs. Frank Hampton Jones, Mrs. Minnie Jones, Mrs. Nettie Jones, Mrs. Sarah Jane Davis, Mrs. Martha Isabella Thornton, Mr. Judge Rice Thornton, Mr. John Henry Chappell, Mrs. Mary Prince Chappell, Mr. Frank Baxter. The present membership now exceeds 400. Ministers who have served O’Neal Street Methodist Church include Rev. S. A. Nettles, Rev. W. B. Verdin, Rev. John W. Speak, who built the first church; Rev. B. D. Lucas, who later went as a missionary to China; Rev. & T. Adams, a direct relation of a former U. S. President; Rev. G. E. Ed wards, Rev. John Henry Graves (the church just re cently torn down was built dur ing the time Rev. Graves ser ved. He also received the honor of having a street named for him. The street was later chan ged to Charles Street); Rev. J. B. Kilgore, Rev. John T. Miller, Rev. Will C. Kelly, Rev. A. M. Gardner, Rev. Gobe Smith, Rev. Ben L. Knight, Rev. R. F. Cogburn, Rev. W. F. Gault, Rev. R. 0. 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, Rev. J. W. Tomlinson, Rev.. John W. Davenport, Rev. Paul Petty, Rev. M. B. Fryga, Rev. Hoyt Graham, and the present pas tor, Rev. Elbert Johnson. The church was known as O’Neal Street Methodist Church, South, until 1939 when it became united and was then known as O’Neal Street Methodist Church. In 1968 and today it is known as O’Neal Street United Metho dist Church. The church has gone through phases of remodeling and add ing Sunday School rooms, the most extensive being when Rev. W. F. Gault was pastor, later when Rev. M. M. Brooks was pastor. O’Neal Street has many re cords of service to its credit. Under Pastor Gobe Smith the first Boy Scout troop in New berry was organized in 1913. The church has sent seven mi nisters out into the ministry; three ladies have become wives of ministers. Two of its mem bers have served the City of Newberry as mayor and four have served as aldermen. The church has always been well known as having an out standing choir and had the first electric organ to come to New berry County. The church also has had a very outstanding Wo men Society of Christian Ser vice and a Methodist Men’s Club. It has for many years had great interest in its youth programs. Today it has three-fourths of a block on O’Neal Street with its new parsonage, new educa tional building and just recently a new sanctuary. Each build ing is modern in every respect with modern heating and air conditioning. Dr. Fox Below is a brief history of the congregation of Mt. Hermon taken from the January, 1959 issue of the South Cerolino Lu- In the fall of 1888, a call was issued to the Rev. Junius B. Fox, D. D., of Newberry Col lege, to aid the Lutherans in Peak and the surrounding area in the work of establishing a church in the community. Dr. Fox accepted the call, thereby becoming the first regular pas tor of this congregation. Under the guidance of Dr. Fox, the work of organization was pushed with determination and enthusiasm. On Sunday, January 6, 1889, a Sunday School was organized and Mr. Brooks Swygert was chosen the first superintendent. At a meet ing of the congregation on Feb ruary 3, 1889, thirty-three peo ple indicated a desire to unite with the newly formed church. A constitution and a set of by laws were adopted. According to this constitu tion, Mt. Hermon had been or ganized ‘for the worship of the Almighty Lord, the salvation of souls, and the spiritual welfare of this community.” In subsequent meetings of the congregation, the following men were chosen to serve as elders and deacons: Brooks Swygert, A. M. Sease, J H Shell, P. E. Eargle, John C. Swygert, F. B. Lucas, W. P. Summer, M. C. White, Jackson Counts, J. D. O. Bryant and John W. Sum mer. During the next year, L. P. Stoudemire, Henry H. Counts and A. G. Dickert also became members of Mt. Hermon’s first church council. Brooks Swygert was elected first secretary and W. H. White first treasurer of the council. The first communion service of the congregation was held on May 5, 1889, and on June 2, 1889, the congregation voted to apply for admission into the Jacob Summer House At Kinards At the little village of Kinards, near the boundary line between Newberry and Laurens counties, visitors may see the •Jacob Summer house,one of the oldest in that community.There is no positively recorded date for erection oft house, nor for the founding of the Kinards com munity; however, there is sub stantial evidence that forebears of the present owner, Miss Linda Lou Smith, were in pos session of the land for a num ber of years prior to 1854. The white frame house, typical of farmhouses of the time, is two stories across the front, with a one-story slant-roof back extension. Two front doors enter from the porch. From a corner of the living room, four steps lead up to a door which opens on enclosed stairs to the second floor's two rooms. In teresting old furnishings' in the house include awashstand, cane chair, kitchen cupboard, desk, cake stand, condiment set, and a Seth Thomas clock. The large magnolia trees in the yard were brought from Charleston and planted just after the War Be tween the States. or by the sword. A fourth member of the church, James Tinsley, was one of seven given their lives and released. There now stands a monu ment to the east of Little River to the slain men. Other outstanding men of his tory who were members of the church include John Hunter, a U. S. Senator in 1796 and Pat rick C. Caldwell, also a sena tor from 1840 to 1842. W. D. Simpson served as gov ernor of this state and Maj. Fredrick Nance served as Lt Governor from 1808 until 1810. Whitmire Drug Company In 1924 Little River-Dominick Church Has Colorful 208-Year History The church boasts three former state senators, William Caldwell, Fredrick Nance and Patrick C. Caldwell; seven for mer State House Members, Wil liam Hunter, James Caldwell, John Simpson, James Williams, John Caldwell, James J. Cald well and Patrick C. Caldwell. Buried deep in the minutes of a Presbytery meeting in October of 1761 is a paragraph report ing of petitions from several churches for supplies. However, to the congregation of the Little River Dominick Presbyterian Church, it is one of the most important record ings entered anywhere in re cords of the Presbyterian Church. It is recorded in the minu tes of the Presbytery of Hanovex meeting October 7,1761, in Au gusta County, Va., that the lit tle River-Dominick Church made such a request along with several other churches. Thus, this little church, lo cated just in Newberry County near the Newberry-Laurens King’s Mountain during the Re volutionary War. Another mark in the history of the church is recorded in the tragedy known as the “Massacre at Hayes Station" by “Bloody* Bill Cunningham. Robert Gilliam, James Cald well, William Caldwell served as Sheriff of Laurens County as does Sheriff R. Eugene Johnson today. With all the colorful history that Little River-Dominick has been involved in, one would find it hard to believe that Little River-Dominick is a church. ^7 fmcutfimmS? This massacre came in the County line and filled with his- year 1781 and three of the 12 tory, is now 208 years old. men who met their deaths at the hands of Cunningham and One of the first elders was his band of tories were James Williams, who held a members of the church. Col Jo- colonel commission and fell at seph Hayes, Maj. Dan 4 el Wil* liams and Daniel’s >ounger NEWS-SUN-CmZEN TRICENTENNIAL EDITION brother of 14, Joseph, all me Newberry County, S. C., November 12, 1070 ' their deaths either by hanging First Pastor Of Mt. Hermon Lutheran South Carolina Synod. Mt. Her mon received into the Synod in October, 1889. At that time, the church membership numbered forty, and the Sunday School enrollment was twenty-five. Since the school house had been serving as a meeting place, plans were pushed for the erection of a new building to house the congregation. Com mittees were appointed, a site was selected, and the members contributed their labor and mo ney to the work of building a church. On March 6, 1890, the corner-stone of the church was laid with the Rev. J^ B. Fox serving as the officiating pastor. On October 5, 1890, the new church was dedicated. For a number of years, the members of Mt. Hermon felt the need for adequate parish education facilities. In 1949, the Sunday School began a build ing fund by receiving a special monthly offering. In 1954, the congregation began to discuss the possibility of erecting a new church rather than remodeling the old building. On July 11, 1954, the Council acted favor ably on the motion to build a new church and Mr. H. J. Smith was elected building fund treasurer. The building fund grew steadily and by the spring of 1957 a new church became a strong possibility. A building committee was appointed com posed of Mr. H. J. Smith, Mr. F. L. Summer, Mr. G. W. Stou- demayer and Dr. C. A. Pinner, Jr. Additional land was needed to rebuild on the old site. Mrs. G. A. Swygert generously of fered the congregation sufficient last service with the Holy Com munion was held in the old church. The congregation then moved to the Peak Community Center where services were held until it moved into the new on Sunday, July 27, 1958. Once more, the members of Mt. Her mon. through united effort, had erected a building—“for the worship of the Almighty Lord, the salvation of souls, and the spiritual welfare of the commu nity.’’ These who have served as pastor and supply pastor of Mt. Hermon are: Rev. Junius B. Fox, Rev, V. Y. Boozer, Rev. J. O. Kinard, Rev. A. G. Voigt, Rev. A. J. Bowers, Rev. H. P. Counts, Rev. W. K. Sligh, Rev. S. C. Ballentine, Rev. J. B. Hai- gler, Rev. V. L. Fulmer, Rev. H. S. Petrea, Rev. W. A. Dut ton. Rev. J. B. Harmon, Rev. E. Z. Pence, Rev, D. M. Shull, Rev. Paul G. McCullough, Rev. E. B. Heidt, Rev. J. S. Wes- singer, Dr. H. G. Anderson, Rev. Clarence L. Richardson, and Rev. Wiliam B. Kyzer. Presently. Mt. Hermon Lu theran Church is associated with Mt. Olivet Lutheran Church, Route 2, Chapin, South Carolina, composing the Peak- Springhill Lutheran Parish. The Rev. Larry W. Smith is pastor of both congregations. As we think about our long history, we are thankful and grateful to Almighty God who has blessed us indeed! additional land. In the summer of 1957, the church, plans for the new church were The new church was corn- submitted to, and approved by pleted in July, 1958, and the the congregation. first service with Holy Commu- On December 29, 1957, the nion was held in the new church Group At Bearding House In Whitmire e e e THANKS To The Residents Of Newberry County And South Carolina For The Opportun Of Serving You - - I'W*. Ai Uli 3 m -'3 m VJe Invite You To Join In Newberry County's Tricentennial Celebration And Wish The Best For S. C. On Their 300th Birthday. PROSPERITY FURNITURE COMPANY MAIN STREET PROSPERITY, S. C.