ANSON COUNTY-ROCKY RIVER BAPTIST CHURCH- E.M. BROOKS File contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Barbara P. Parsons For the NC-SC roots, I extracted information from the History Of The Rocky River Baptist Church that was written in 1928 by E.M. Brooks, records of the school house and the members who attended. I felt like the Anson County roots web site may find this interesting; therefore, I am sending you a clipped copy. I have more, as there is a membership listing of 1828, and an autobiography written on Ralf Freeman that proves to be very interesting. You can let me know if you wish the rest, and I will send. I will only send part to see if you have an interest. History of Rocky River Baptist Church in Anson County, N.C. Published 1928. Rev. E.M. Brooks. (BP's note: Son of Cullen C. & Tabitha E. Simpson-marriage record Union County, N.C.) Rocky River Missionary Baptist church was organized in the year 1776. (BP's note: The church still stands today-1997 ). Article of interest extracted: "Chapter II..The old School House in the Grove. Had a sacredness not common to all school buildings-Stood a long time and served a purpose.. About thirty yards from the Arbor stood the community school-house. It was a substantial framed building without modern conveniences. There was a chimney in the East end, one window with a plank shutter, a door on both the North and South sides. In the West end was provided a writing shelf made of a broad plank hinged on so that when not in use it was kept upright and formed a part of the wall. In extreme cold weather only the South door was allowed open which furnished the only light the teacher and students could get. When the sessions were in the early fall or summer the old Arbor near-by was used and made an ideal place as they thought, for school purposes. The larger boys would often go up in the big pulpit to work their arithmetic. When compelled to use the house and the weather was open, the boys resorted to the sunny side of a hill nearby, returning their work to the teacher at convenient times. If raining, and compelled to stay in, no difficult problems were solved that day. When a boy was allowed to study out of doors, it mean he was either a mighty good boy or a senior. They were all regarded as upper class men. This building was used for at least seventy-five years without change or enlargement. It stood for several years after its days of service. Notwithstanding it's poor equipment students attended from other parts of Anson and from Stanly counties, some even boarding in the neighborhood to get what they thought the best school in reach. Quite a number of the teachers of that day taught here. Washington Mask, Watt Allen, S.P. Morton, Miss Belle Strother, a refugee from Virginia, taught during the War. Later teachers were Eliza and Mary Brooks, John A. Kendall, Esquire Tom Hyatt and others. The free schools lasted then for only four to six weeks. This was usually followed by a subscription session of about the same length. For a public teacher to get one dollar a day was regarded as exorbitant. Subscriptions ran around one dollar a month per school. The following is a copy of a school roll found in the papers of Washington Marshall Allen. This school was taught before the War, as Mr. Allen served as a private throughout the entire war. He lost his health in a prison camp and died immediately on returning home after the surrender. He had intended making teaching his life work. This is another instance of how war cuts short the hopes and aspirations of noble young manhood. The roll follows. Edmond J. THREADGILL Thomas H. BROOKS * William F. CRUMP Alex T. ALLEN Robert H. ALLEN Lucy LEE James M. ALLEN Patrick C. LEE James M. CRUMP Richard LEE James BROADAWAY Charles D. LEE Mary A.. THREADGILL Elizabeth LEE Martha J. HIGH Charlotte LEE Sofronia ALLEN George D. LEE Mary AVITT Steven LEE Sarah AVITT George LEE Frances AVITT Nancy LEE James Darling HIGH John STATON Isabella BROOKS John W. TURNER Caroline BROOKS William P. DAVIS Susan BROOKS Hampton Davis Of the above list only two are living. They are Mrs. Martha J. High (Turner); and Mrs. Charlotte Lee (Thompson). (BP's note: This would be in the year 1928) (Note: There four church sites:. Two of the sites were on the Lee Farm. Lee's farm was approximately eighteen hundred acres.- The original owner was "Rocky River" Bill Lee, the oldest of that name so far as known). The first site stood on a slight elevation some three hundred yards from the river. Here the Culpepers built a home nor more than one hundred yards from the meeting house. They very likely lived here before Samson Culpeper moved to Georgia, as John Sr., and John Sr., son and grandson of Samson, were both born in Anson County. The founding of the church has been credited traditionally to Hon. And Rev. John Culpeper, Sr. But Mr. Culpeper being born in the year 1764 and his father, Samson Culpeper, moving to Georgia when Young John was only twelve years of age, and not returning till he was twenty. He was an early pastor and the church was often designated locally as "Culpeper's Meeting House." His return from Georgia was in 1784 and not till then could he have been pastor. Older people of the church say that he was the pastor for more than fifty years. Later, the church building was moved one half mile further from the river southward. It had remained at the first site long enough for a burial ground to be laid off and a number of graves made for both white and colored. The graveyard was placed midway between the church site and the Culpeper home. The third site was attached to the Lee farm by purchase, but at the time of its location thought to be from the lands of Wyatt Nance, a Clerk of the Church. The third site is a mile and one-half from the river. The fourth site was a large frame structure erected to care for both white and colored.. It was on the same campus but on a higher elevation and was from the Darling ALLEN lands." (BP's notes: It may be noteworthy here to mention that one of the early ministers of this church was black. His name was Ralf Freeman. He gave himself the last name of Freeman when he became free from slavery. In further postings of rolls, and member's names, you will here more of this very famous minister, and the great contributions he made both to the community and to the Baptist Church. There are many historians writing the biography of Ralf Freeman.) Part II-Continued The History of The Rock River Baptist Church by E.M. Brooks, published 1928..Anson County, N.C. continued: ELDER RALF FREEMAN: "Writing the biography of a colored preacher may be considered a unique and unusual task. So it is, though in this case it is done with great pleasure and satisfaction. Elder Geo. W. Purefoy, who was a contemporary of both the Culpepers and Ralf, has this to say in his history of the Sandy Creek Association: ‘Elder Ralf was a colored man and at first a slave, belonging to a man in Anson County, N.C. Soon after making a profession of religion and being baptized, it was discovered that he had impressions to preach; he was licensed by the church of which he was a member. His owner proposed to sell him, and the brethren bought and gave him his freedom. Soon after this, he was ordained to the work of the ministry. He traveled and preached a great deal in the counties of Anson, Montgomery, Moore, Randolph, and Davidson. He became a good reader and was well read in the Scriptures. He was considered an able preacher; was frequently called upon to preach on funeral occasions; was appointed on Sabbath at Associations, and frequently administered the ordinance of baptism and the Lord's Supper. He was of common size; was perfectly black, with a smiling countenance, especially in the pulpit while speaking. He was very humble in his appearance at all times, and especially when conducting religious services. Great personal respect was always shown him by the brethren whom he visited in his preaching excursions. Elder Joseph Magee, a Baptist Minister, became his warm friend, and traveled and preached with him. Such was their attachment for each other, that they agreed that the surviving one should preach the funeral of the one that died first. Elder Magee moved to the west and died first. Upon his death bed he bequeathed to Ralf his riding horse, overcoat, Bible and fifty dollars in cash, and requested his family to send for Ralf to come and preach at his funeral. In company with a white brother, Ralf went to the West and preached the funeral sermon from a text the deceased had selected. The brother that went with Ralf stated to Elder N. Richardson that he never before saw so large a congregation. At the conclusion of the sermon, Elder Magee's brother stated to the congregation what provision his deceased brother had made had made for Ralf and added, if any of you would like to give him any amount, it would be thankfully received; the congregation soon made up fifty dollars, which was given to him. While this contribution was being made, a Methodist came up and handed Ralf one dollar. A Presbyterian who observed it said to him, "You ought not to give Ralf anything." "Why not?" said the Methodist. "Because", said the Presbyterian, "he has torn your system all to pieces." The Methodist replied, "I believe he has preached the truth and I will give him the dollar." Ralf was able in illustrating and unfolding the doctrines of grace. When the Anti-Mission party was formed, we have been told that he became Anti-Missionary. When the Legislature passed a law prohibiting colored men from holding public services, Ralf was greatly mortified, and had the sympathy of many brethren. Ralf was, no doubt, a truly pious and humble Christian; he had the confidence and esteem of thousands, and died in the full assure of a blessed immortality.' It is like true, as Elder Purefoy says in his History, that Ralf died in the fellowship of an Anti-Mission church. This was more of a matter of accident than of choice. When the "Arm" at Bethlehem (now Ansonville) was constituted a regular church still missionary, Ralf moved his membership there. It is almost certain that his residence was there also. When the division came over missions, this church went solidly over with the antis. This was his environment in his old age and last days. Being already silenced by a Legislative enactment and not mingling anymore with his former ministerial brethren, he accept his lot and died with his name on Bethlehem's church book and was buried in the church grove. Only last summer the writer with a party of friends visited his grave, and with bared head, paraphrased the words of Gen. Pershing at Lafayette's grave, said, "Ralf, we are here." For many years his grave had nothing more than a plain quarried stone marking his resting place. In 1907, Hon. Eugene Little, at his own good will had erected a creditable granite headstone with this inscription: "Ralf" He was a Primitive Baptist Preach of much force and usefulness. His freedom was purchased by the Bear Creek Association. Erected 1907. The wording of the inscription was wholly impartial so far as Mr. Little was concerned, but there is most certainly an error as regards Ralf's freedom. Bear Creek was not organized till 1833, and Ralf's freedom would have come too late to have been any benefit to him in his public ministry. Bethlehem was not constituted a church till, July 1831. Ralf was still a member of Rocky River for the year before he was twice put on Presbyteries to aid in constituting churches, Kendall's in Stanly, being one of them. He seems to drop out of sight in 1831. It is thought that about this time the Legislature passed the law concerning men of color preaching. Tradition has it that he lived by a short while after this. If so, his freedom came too late. The evident fact is that his freedom was purchased near the beginning of his active ministry and not at the latter end of it. No mention is made of him anywhere after 1831. Anyway, "Peace to his sleeping dust." (BP notes: It would appear that Ralf, may have been born in the 1700's. He stood in for John Culpeper, Jr., who was born in N.C., December 9, 1800 and Died: March 26, 1873, when he had to be away to serve for the North Carolina Legislature. It is not stated, but it would appear that they were about the same age.) May God be with you in the search for your family. File contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Barbara P. Parsons USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format for profit or other presentation. Return to the NCGenWeb Archives Table of Contents http://www.usgwarchives.net/nc/ncfiles.htm#NC ************************************************************************