Clay County AlArchives Church Records.....History of the New Harmony Congregational Christian Church and School Copyright Date 2022
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Linda Ayres http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00031.html#0007674 October 27, 2022, 4:49 pm


Township 20, Range 10, Section 18
Blake's Ferry Road, Clay/Randolph County Alabama

In 1837 Robert Young patented 80 acres.
In 1852 James McCormick and Robert Strong patented 80 acres each. 
Robert Strong's land is now in Clay County. 
In 1854 John Blake & John Burch patented 40 acres each.
In 1859/1860 Edward/Edmond R. Taylor patented 120 acres.
In 1860 John Mackey patented 200 acres in this Township, Section and Range. 

It is unknown at this writing who gave the land the church and cemetery are
on. 

New Harmony Church is said to have been organized in 1870. It looks like the 
church may have been a Methodist church in the beginning, and sometime later 
changed the denomination to a Congregational Christian church. The first 
building is said to have been erected in the early 1870's. In the late 1900's 
the members of the church decided it was time to build a new church, but it was 
demolished by a storm a few months later.  

Lineville Headlight April 1910: 
Quite a severe windstorm passed over part of Clay County last Saturday. The New 
Harmony M. E. Chapel which just a few Sundays ago was dedicated was almost 
completely demolished, it is understood that the building will be replaced. 
Workmen have already begun cleaning away the ruins, and whatever of maternal in 
the demolished building may be of use will be put in the new building.

The current church building was erected around 1911. It was the third building.
The church is located in Randolph County. A small section of the cemetery is
in Randolph County, but the larger section of the cemetery is in Clay County. 

In 1911 Rev. Dollar was the pastor. 
In 1915 Rev. J.H. Hughes was the pastor. 
In 1916 C. Carter was the pastor. 
In 1918-192- Rev. J.H. Hughes was the pastor.

The cemetery is much older than the church, there are a few graves dating back 
to the late 1850's. The cemetery may have been a Family Cemetery or maybe there 
was another church there at one time.  The Old Blake's Ferry African American 
cemetery was attached to the New Harmony cemetery, but in later years the 
driveway around the cemetery divvied the cemeteries.  

The Homecoming is the first Sunday in May, the members of the old families
still return and clean around the graves and place flowers on the graves, but
like all old church cemeteries in this area, it is an old tradition that is 
fading away.

Some of the surnames of the early members were:
Archer
Brown
Burroughs
Carter
DeVaughn
Fetner
Garrett
Hallmark
Handley
Jones
Lashley
Martin
McCormick
McCrary
Rice
Thomaston
Wilson
 

New Harmony School

The New Harmony school was in Clay County [right on the county line] the school
was active for over 30 years. The school was consolidated with Cragford and 
closed.

Randolph Leader Sep 7, 1904:
Your correspondent accompanied Prof Gregg to New Harmony, on the line of 
Randolph and Clay counties, last Wednesday. Prof Gregg has been employed to 
teach that school. I had the honor, and pleasure as well, on Thursday afternoon 
of addressing the patrons and pupils upon the important subject of education. I 
am sure there is no place in the county where the name of the place and the 
spirit of the people more nearly coincide. The beauty and location of their 
campus, as well as the convenience and magnitude of their costly new building. 
They are always a unit in the choice of a teacher.

Teachers:
In 1909 Eva Barfield
In 1910 Miss Glenn David & Eva Barfield 
In 1911 Miss Glenn David & Martin Hudson 
In 1912 Miss Glenn David, principal & Miss Mamie Edwards

From the Nov 29, 1912, Lineville Headlight:
New Harmony school house which is located seven miles southeast of Lineville was
totally destroyed by fire Tuesday. The fire originated from a defective fuse, 
and almost the entire roof was in flames before it was discovered by teachers 
and pupils. Miss. Glen David the principal of the school. The fire occurred 
during school hours. and caused quite a good deal of excitement. By quick and 
heroic work all the desks as well as the books of the school children and a 
stove was saved. There was no insurance on the building. School will resume next 
Monday and will be taught in the Christian church at New Harmony.

Teachers:
In 1913 Miss Eunice Clegg 
In 1917 J.J. Cash 
1918-1920 Miss. Emma Pounds of Tallapoosa GA 

Ashland Progress:
March 15, 1932
The New Harmony school house which is about three miles from here in Randolph 
County burned Monday. It caught from sparks from the flue, some of the desks and 
library were saved....






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