The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, October 01, 1913, Image 1
OUtljrou.
TUB mm WATCHMAN, Established April, 1850.
'Be Just and Fear not?Bet all the ends Thou Aims't at be thy Country's, Thy God'a and Truth'a."
THE TRUE SOUTHRON, Established Jane,
Consolidated Aue:. 3,1881.
SUMTER, S. C, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1913.
Vol. XXXVII. No. 11,
TRINITY M. E. CHURCK.
First Services Were Held Sunday in New
Building Recently Completed by
Methodists of the City.
The Rev. J. Walter Daniel, Presiding Elder of Charleston
District, Preached the Initial Sermon in Trinity Metho?
dist Church Sunday Morning?Services Sunday Evening
Also?The Beautiful Building Erected at a Cost of $50,000
?A History of Early Methodism in the Sumter District
Officers Connected With the Church.
From the Daily ltern, Sept. .'7.
The magnificent new church which
t he Methodists of the city have ere. t
ed at Kreut pains and a < ">t of $&0,
OtO will l?e open tomorrow. Sunday,
lor r? -ligiou.s service. At that timo this
handsome new structure will be
'?rtiwtlni with the memhers of the
Methodist oongranatton, everyone of
whom will he prenent, and many of
their friends from other denominu
tlonJl who Will Kiith t with them and
rejoice with them at the( completion
of their undertaking- The Kev. J.
Walter Daniel, presiding elder of th?
Charleston District, will preach the
Initial sermon in the new edifice when
apsclal services will he held morning
and ?venlng netting the church apart
for the glory of (lod and the furth? r
ance of Ills w ?rk in Stimter.
\- The Methodists In Sumter have for
* a nvmbor of years anticipated and
longed for the day that is so close at
hand. The < hurch is a beautiful con?
crete example of their patient and
earnest efforts and self-denial to ac?
complish t lo ir purpose.
The building of a new church was
first agitated nearly ten years ago, but
at that time no definite steps were
AAaken towards its erection. A few
,s years later a < ommitti e was appointed
to rotee subscriptions for the new
chur< h and $."?.<?i>0 was raised. Ia
* tee, plans were accepted for the huild
J kav and the work for the eongregu
Was mapped out. This first cum
Mllrrlir'was appointed in ldtflT," WcYcVi
the ltc\ J. Walter Daniel waa pastor
of the ( hurch. Several years later It
was found that this committee whi< h
contained ' \> nteen members of Un?
church was too large to work su< -
f eeaafully and a small r committee of
* ffttee was appointed, to which a
fourth member was added later. It
was due to the persistence and pa?
tience of this ? ommiti u lm with the
aid of the pastor, accomplished their
splendid undertaking. ? *\\ this com
mittee were Messrs. 1.. D. Jennings,
chairman . S YV. Stubbs, (J. A. Lern
inet, and C. B. Hurst, all we ll known
business men of ability and staunch
imimhers of the c hurch.
After preliminary arark ol abonl two
years, the plans were o . .-pted and
arrangements were mude for the dis?
posal of the old churc h and the build?
ing of the new. The contra< I fn? the
now church wjis let and the old
rhurch was aoM. \\'<>rk immcdia.i Is
? ominen ed ot tearing down the Fust
Methodist Church and from it* du ?
Trinity MtfthoAfsl Bplaoopul Church,
South. gradually arose. The first
work was done In the early part of
September, lull. At that time appro?
priate, hut very simple- services wer?
inid it,vi wai offeree! by tin- Rai
J. H. Wilson for the success of the
undertaking Which wi< ;il"'tit t>> < oin
men< e. the answer to whi'h prayef at
now visible m tin- < hurch building.
The dirt was broken for t)u- Ren
l.iilldlng bs Me F.ugenc Hoyl Thomp?
son, assisted by her infant eon, W, \
Thompson. Jr.. win. had. aj I little
? hild. <>n the same site twent\-?i\
yearn previously. broken ground for
the hre k sine Hire whic h was torn
clow,, to gtVf room for the new build
Ing.
I ron, this time M until De< t inbe.
Itv- \M.rk pre> ded lapidiy. The ?n<
I.. I? .IIAMM.s,
J| Chairman ItutiilUig Committee.
I
t.Tiiil was s*m urcd and the Church
walls wiro built Up t<? a height of ten
feet, when, by previous consent, the
work was stopped in order that the
walls might liavc ample time to sot
tie In March, 1 ?J 12, the tfork was
aguin commenced an(l from that tlfUC
on the church has gradually pro
Krowod towards completion until now
it stands a < ompl"ted strut tare, a
church of which any congregation
might well feel proud, The laying of
the corner stone exorcises were held
in May, 11? 12. At this time appro
priutc services were held, being con?
ducted b> the ItaV. Walter I. Herbert,
the presiding older of the BumtSf Ws
U. A. LEMMON,
Member i;u Ming Committee.
tiiet. i rayer was offered, hymm
were kuiik und a short but suitable a I
dreai wa! made b) Mr, Herbert.
Tiihlt) Methodist episcopal Church,
BaUth, Complete, row stands on the
? Miner of Weal Liberty and Council
ttfaata racing toward the north and
is Indeed a handsome structure and a
art it ? i? du lo the memben ol Ihr
Methodist congregation und to the
city of Bumter, It is blllll partly on
Qothlc i m s of nrchltecture, com
blnad with ?>thi i ntyl< i?? make II
a substantial building, arranged for
the comfort and convenience of those
g ha wafi hip within Itt walls.
The walls ale <.| a drali colored
pfsmd ' rick with rough lurfaces,
mounted on a base ol granite and
finished ofl with tcrrs cotto and Urne?
stone trlmmlngi and border! which
present an appearance of neatness
und rompleh neai ssldoai fouad In a
building, The roof Is <?f Pad tile, Ita
sharp rldgei and curved surfaces hav?
lag a striking appearance Which pel'
dorn fails t<? catch the syt of the
passerby, The entrance! tire situated
at ih?' three corners, east, north-east'
and north, and t??v\eis are built ubovej
them, extending many feet above the
roof of th? church. Bach of these
towers is finished off at its four cor?
ners, and between the corners witli
caps of terra cotta which give the
towers an ornamental appearance, re?
lieving what would otherwise be an
effect of solidity and sternness.
Beautiful stained glass windows
add to the impression of grace and
at the same time prove themselves
Useful by softening the light which
penetrates into the church and Sunday
School auditoriums. The openings for
windows and doors ate made with
pointed arches after the CJothio style.
The do?)is are of oak and arc hand
somely finished off. /
Just inside the doorway, which one
reaches by a Concrete sidewalk laid
from the street, ascending the granite
steps, are little lobbies, from which
the ( hurch ; entered, tho igh swing?
ing doors, of hardwood stained Ma
hogany color. From the main en?
trance, which faces the corner Ol
Liberty and Council streets, the lobby
enters into the church r.uditorium.
While the church auditorium can
also be entered from either of the oth?
er entrances, the one on the north
also offers entrance to the ladies par?
lor and to the passage leading to ?he
pastor's study, and the lobby on the
east opens Into the Sunday School
THIMTY IL E, CHUR?rT, SOUTH.
J auditorium and into Sunday School
( lass rooms.
The church walls, or main audi?
torium, are beautifully finished in a
pals green shade, which appears of
an amber color in the light Issuing
through the colored glass windows.
' The ceilings are gray, while all of
the WOad work in the room is hard?
wood finished off in mahogany color.
The Moor is also of hardwood and the
green carpet in the Bible matches the
mahogany seats. Facing the main en?
trance is the pulpit and speaker's
tand, which is provided with hand?
some upholstered furniture and a
beautiful mahogany desk and table.
To the left of the pulpit the organ
loft is raited off. A handsome pipe
organ will be installed in the future.
Adjoining the church auditorium is
the Sunday School auditorium, so the
two may be thrown into one room by
raising the rolling partition! which
separat?' them, thus Increasing Un?
seating capacity of the church audi?
torium Horn live hundred to eight
hundred or more. The Sunday school
auditorium is llnished off in the same
color and with the same seats as the
main auditorium. Connected with it
are :; large Sunday school class rooms
and live small class rooms. The stair?
ways from it also lead to the second
Btory when- there arc Hve more of the
small (lass rooms und three of the
larger (lass rooms, liesldes these
room! the pastor*! study, which is just
in the rear Of the pulpit, and the Id
dies' pal lor can lie used It! Idas.v room.-,
making in all ten small and nine large
CltlB! looms.
Rach of these room! is well pro?
vided for its purpose, the (urge rooms
being separated Mom each other or
run be thrown together by raising or
lowering ths rolling partitions. They
are provided With comfortable chairs
ami when thrown open into the Sun?
day school auditorium may easily sent
'our hundred or more person! ?
The basemen I provides room for
the furnace which hflats the building
and for the electric motor which fur?
nishes :power for providing cool air
for the building in warm weatlier, A
number of tin- rooms ar<- provided
wllh grates, so they can be healed
without resort to Die luina??.
The whole building hub been pro
vided throughout with the most mod?
ern conveniences and is provided with
suitable hygienic appliances in the
way of lighting, heating and ventila?
tion. The lighting system is excel?
lent, the lights being so arranged as
to illuminate the building without
making the light hard on the eyes.
This building is the third which the
Methodists have erected on the same
lot and the fourth in the city by the
congregation ??f this church. The
lot was purchased by the Methodists
of the Burater Dial ict in 1834 and
the first church on this lot which was
called the Second Methodist church,
ami was erected and dedicated
[ In 1847, the Rev. Hartwell Spain con?
ducting the dedicatory services. This
? building was a frame structure and
was torn down in 1885, and was re?
placed by a brick structure, which
was begun in May of that year. The
building was dedicated in May of
ISNS by Blahop W. W. Duncan and
the Rev, H. P. Cinitiberg was the
pastor at the time.
I?
The opening exercises of the third
??hurch on this site will be conduct?
ed tomorrow by the Rev. J. Walter
Daniel, presiding older of the Char
leaton District and it is very appro?
priate that he should be the one to
preach the first sermon in the (-lunch,
for it was while he was pastor of the
former church that the formulated
plans were lirst put into execution,
through his encouragement and a**
S. W, BTUBBS,
Member Building Committee.
?latance, towards building a new
church, Mr, Daniel is one of the
leading divines In Methodism In this
State today and it la in ovary respect
suitable that he should honor the oc?
casion by his presence, His ser?
mons, morning and night will
no doubl do great good for Meth?
odism and religion in Sumter and will
long linger In tin- minds of his hear-:
ors, llesidcg the special preaching at
the morning and evening services
there will I.ther Interesting ier*
vices In which the pastor and the pi e
siding eider of the Sumter lustriet,
the Uev. Wall r I Herbert, will assist.
.\ souvenir program of the services
has been arranged for those who at
tend in order thai they may have
?omethlUR by which to remember the
occasion
u will noi i?e amiss at this point to
tell something "i tin church ami oi
its personnel, ;is it will be ?? general
interest. The Church |M needed be?
cause <d the stead 11) growing mem?
bership or which tin- former church
for several years could hardly And
room. There are now more than six
hundred members on the church roll,
all of whom Willingly did their part
In the erection of the new building.
The Sunday school, one of the largest
in the City, has more than three hun?
dred on its rolls and is rapidly grow?
ing, having more than doubled its
numbers since the old church was pall?
ed down. The church is in a nourish?
ing condition and is doing much to
build up boys and girls ami men and
women into better citizens and Chris?
tians.
ReV. I>. M. McLsod, the beloved
pastor of the church, who has done
much to aid the building committee'
and members in their self-imposed
task, came to Sumter in December of
1910. He was not u stranger here at
that time, however, as he is a native
of Sumter county (now Lee county),
having been born at Bishopvllls and
raised at Lynchburg. He has done
good among the people of Sumt/ *h!
among his flock since his arri\/ /e
I and they will all regret ox/ ^ ?\y
to see him removed by the vf ^ nee,
and hope that that time wi) ng in
coming. / |p
The members Of the i J6 g eom
mittee, all belong to / iothodist
families, have already* ^ mention?
ed, Messrs. L. 1). Jen . ; chairman,
S. W. Stubus, G. A. / *y ,>n and C E.
Hurst, Secretary-Tr*. er. They have
long been pillars in the Methodist
church and they deserve much praise
and credit for the part they* took in
the building of tl\e new edifice.
Mr. C. E. Hurst is chairman of the
board of stewards and Mr. A. R.
Flowers is secretary and treasurer of
the board. The other members are:
J. H. Clifton, W. B. B?rg?? W. A.
Brown, 11. D. Kpps, A. It. Flowers, L.
P. Jennings, 11 W. McCollum, L. 1.
Parrott, B. C. Wallace, J. K. Cros?
i well, W. B. Ib>yle, J. T. Brightswell,
L. W. FolSOm, John T. Green, C. E.
Hurst, C. 8. Matftjft R. O. Purdy, S.
W. Stubbs, J. J. Wescoat.
The board of trustees of the church
is composed of Messrs. G. A. Lcmmon,
H. G. Hill, J. P. Booth, W. B. Burns,
J. A. Mood, W. W. Rowland andvA. B.
Stuckey, chairman.
The Woman's Church Building So
j ciety, Mrs. Lille DuBose Knight, pres
'ident,; Mrs. C K .ftujphs, secr/Usry
i treasurer.
Choiri Mrs. Geo. E. Beaumont,
[ director; Miss Julia Rowland, organ
list.
j Sunday School, C. M. Hurst, super
' intendent; 8. K. Rowland, assistant
superintendent; R. A. Dixon, secre?
tary; B. C. Wallace, treasurer; Miss
Irma, Smith, organist.
In the Methodist church are to be
found many of the prominent business
men ol* the city and some of the
oldest families* in the county, Meth?
odism In Sumter County being as old
as the county itself. The lirst authen?
tic record of the establishment of a
Methodist Church in the county
shows that there was preaching in or
near Sumterville in 1785, although it
is quite possible that there was
preaching here by Methodist circuit
riders before that time. The districts,
or circuits, as they wore called then,
generally took their names from the
rivers which were in the territory
which the circuit rider was supposed
to cover. Sumter was in those days
in the Santos District, as detailed by
the Rev. A. M. Chrietzborg in his in?
teresting History of early Methodism
in South Carolina, the circuit being
formed sometime about the eighties,
and only a short lime prior to the first
Methodist Conference in South Caro?
lina.
The accounts say that the first
church in this section v as establish?
ed about 1790, probably somewhere
between what is ROW First and Second
Mill. However, before this date there
is reported to have been preaching by
the circuit riders In the house Mr.
Maplea one of the ardent believers In
the faith. Richard Singleton and
Richard Bradford were two of the
leading members of this fust "Green
Swamp" church, Which was after?
wards abandoned, when another
church was established In the nearby
C E. BURST,
Member Building Committee, J>
"Sumtervillewhich was then a
prosperous little village with about
five or six houses and probably a
blacksmith shop and a couple of
stores.
It is recorded that the good breth?
ren of those days were exceedingly
suspicious of their pastors, notwith?
standing their ardent and zealous .
work, and that at one time that Rich?
ard Bradford, then unconverted, but
afterwards one of the pillars in the
"Green Swamp Church" watched his
guest, the Rev. Hope Hill, to see if
he loved liquor. Other interesting
.Tales are told of suspicion being cast
upon the circuit riders at various
times.
It is shown that in 1823 the Rev.
James Jenkins began preaching in
Sumterville and the people came to
hear him gladly. At this time it ia
probable that the Green Swamp
Church was abandoned and plans
were made for the erection of the
First Methodist Church in Sumter.
This building was erected on the lot
on West Liberty street which was af?
terwards bought by the Catholics for
the establishment of a Catholic Mis?
sion ChapeL
Although the plans were begun in
1323, the record shows that it was
not until 1827 that the church build?
ing was completed, probably due to
the s?r)9llness of the congregation st
that time. The trustees of this new
church at the time building operations
' were begun were Richard Bradford,
Hartwell Macon, James Parsons,
Wiley F. Holllman, William Lewie,
William L. Branson, Mason Reames,
Henry Young, a id Francis L. Ken?
nedy, the defendants of many of
whom are a* il members of tie Meth?
odist ChUicn <n Sumter. The church
was dedicated in 1827 by the Rev.
Geo. W. Moore, the pastor in charge.
When this new church was establish
| ed all of the members of the Green
I Swamp congregation, who had not
' done so before, moved their member?
ship to the new church.
The first revival in Sumtervl|(p of
which anything ie known was hr\? in
18 31 and w.^ conducted by tjie *flW*
; William M. ^;vlssn? ?^?faW$
who were assisted by the pastor, the
Rev. H. A. C. Walker.
It was found in 184 4, thirteen
years after it was erected, unit tLe
building was too small and two acres
of land were obtained across the
J street and a frame building seating
; four or live hundred with room for
j two hundred more in the galleries,
! was built. As the old building had
never been ceiled or plastered and
was badly dilapidated, it is probable
that the members were exceedingly
glad to get into their new church
which was a decided improvement on
the old, both in appearance, conven?
ience, seating capacity and comfort.
This building was dedicated in 1847
by the Rev. H. Spain, at a time when
Revs. Samuel Townsend and J. H.
Chandler were circuit riders on ?he.
Sumterville circuit.
It was in IS51 that on petition of
the male members of the Methodist
Church, then called the "Second
Methodist Church," represented by
Messrs. W. E* Brunson, J. Harvey
Dingle and W. Lewis, which wa.s pre?
sented to the Methodist Conference at
Georgetown, that Sumter was made
a station. From that time on the
Methodists worshipped in this church
until 1885, when ground was I roken
for a new church. Miss Kugenla Anna
lloyt. now Mrs. W. Arthur Thompson,
then had the honor of breaking earth
for the structure, she at that time
being an infant in her mother's arm
It was she, assisted by her son who
in the fall of 1911 broke earth for ttio
new structure, which will be formal?
ly opened tomorrow.
While the services Sunday will be
the first religious services which will
be held In the new church, It will not
be the first time the church has b?>en
used by its members, for on two oc?
casions previously Impressive cere?
monies have been performed within
its walls. On these occasions Mr.
Robert T. Brown and Miss Mildred
Mall and, later. Mr. Ben O. Cantey
and Miss Lola Brown were united in
marriage, the Rev. D. M. McLeod of?
ficiating and performing the mar?
riage ceremony on both oocaatoSMl
with the solemn and impressive Meth?
odist marriage service. It will thus
be seen that the new building has
been the scene of the union of hearts
and the making happy of Ita members,
and it is hoped that it may long con?
tinue to be a smire?- of happiness and
love and fellowship between all who
come within its contact and that It
may east out a broad and lasting In?
fluence for good In morals and relig?
ion as well as in everything that
buds towards a better citizenship and
i btighter future in this world and
in that which is to come, to all oi*
the members of its t mgregatlon, the
people of Sumter and all who are in
any way associated with it or come
with the scope of its influence*