Marlboro County ScArchives History - Books .....Chapter XXXIII Presbyterian Churches 1897
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Book Title: A History Of Marlboro County

CHAPTER XXXIII.
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHES.

  Great Pee Dee Presbyterian church, now located at Blenheim, is considered the
parent church of the Bennettsville Presbyterian church. The old church yet
stands five miles from Bennettsville on the public road leading from
Bennettsville to Blenheim. The Great Pee Dee church, being inconvenient for the
worshippers living at Bennettsville, in 1852 measures were adopted looking
towards the erection of a building in Bennettsville. A lot measuring one acre,
fronting Marion street, was purchased of Hartwell Ayer, for $150.00, and the
deed taken in the name of L. B. Prince and George Dudley, on October 5, 1852.
Subscriptions were made by the members in Marlboro, Cheraw, and by others
friendly to the object. Messrs. W. D. Johnson, Chas. A. Thornwell, Neil McNeil,
Geo. Dudley and J. Beatty Jennings acted as a building committee. Messrs. Jones
and Lee, architects of Charleston, S. C, furnished the plan, and the work was
let to D. A. Boyd, of Virginia, the lowest bidder, at $2,800.00 On May 12, 1855,
the church was dedicated. Rev. Jno. C. Coit conducted the service, being
assisted by Rev. A. D. Campbell. The Bennettsville church was placed under the
jurisdiction of the Harmony Presbytery of the South Carolina Synod. Through, a
petition presented by Alexander Southerland and others, and by order of
Presbytery a committee composed of G. C. Gregg, J. A. Wallace and A. D. Campbell
was appointed to organize the church on the 1st of December, 1855. Dr. James H.
Thornwell was present and aided in the service. W. D. Johnson and J. Beatty
Jennings were elected ruling elders and obligated by Dr. Thornwell. Rev. A. D.
Campbell acted for a few months as stated supply, and a call having been
accepted by Rev. Pierpont E. Bishop, on 19th of April, 1856, he was installed as
pastor. Rev. P. E. Bishop served the church acceptably and faithfully till March
5th, 1859, when in the vigor and prime of manhood, and in the zenith of his
usefulness he was taken away by pneumonia. His ashes now repose in the
churchyard by the side of his wife.

  On November 10th, i860, Rev. Charlton W. Wilson was installed pastor of the
church. He died at Petersburg, Va., June 4th, 1864, a chaplain in the
Confederate army In 1870, Rev. E. H. Buist was stated supply; and in the early
part of 1871 Rev. Joseph Evans became stated supply for the church. On the 21st
of November, 1874, Rev. D. S. McAlister was installed pastor, and continued in
that relation till December 6, 1881, when he resigned the charge of the church.
April 2, 1882, Rev. W. B. Corbett became stated supply, and continued till his
death, April, 1894.

  From May 12th, 185s, 156 members have been enrolled, including the
organization and those admitted on examination and by letter. Baptism has been
administered to forty-nine adults and infants. There are fifty-two members in
good standing, enrolled and living, of which number thirty-four per cent have
been added during the first six months of 1896.

  Samuel E. Bishop and W. Beatty Jennings have gone out as ministers of the
Gospel from this church.

  About the year 1832 Archibald McQueen, a Presbyterian preacher residing in
North Carolina, came to this county at stated times and preached at what was
known as the "Old Club House." It stood not far distant from Drake's Mill, which
then belonged to the Campbells. What the "Club House" was originally erected for
we are not advised, but the presumption is that there was a "racetrack" in the
vicinity. At all events Gen. Robert B. Campbell, who owned the land upon which
the "Club House" stood, was not averse to having services held there on Sundays,
and for a time the arrangement continued. But from some cause, not now known,
services were afterwards held near where Hill's store was, in the vicinity of
Zion church. But about the year 1834 the great Pee Dee church was built, and the
membership to whom Mr. McQueen had been preaching was organized into a church.
Mr. McQueen was the first pastor. D. G. Coit, who married Miss Maria Campbell,
was ruling elder. The Campbell families, McQueens, B. N. Rogers, McLeods,
Sparks, Drakes and Mathesons have been members and supporters of the church.
About 1855 tne Bennettsville Presbyterian church was organized and the strength
of Great Pee Dee weakened by the removal of quite a number to Bennettsville,
prominent among whom were W. D. Johnson, Alexander Southerland and Dr. J. B.
Jennings. The names of some of the preachers who have supplied, the pulpit of
Great Pee Dee church for longer or shorter periods are Revs. Archibald McQueen,
P. E. Bishop, C. W. Wilson, A. D. Campbell, Martin Brearley, Cousar, McAlister
and Richards. About 1882 a new Presbyterian church was built at Blenheim arid
the old Pee Dee church sold to the colored people.

  The Presbyterian church at Tatum was organized in the Academy building June
15th, 1890, and for about a year they worshipped in the Academy. In the spring
of 1891 the church was completed and dedicated, Rev. H. G. Hill, D. D.,
officiating in the services. It was the first church built in the town and is
out of debt. Rev. W. B. Corbett was the pastor from its organization till his
death in 1894. For the last two years the pulpit has been supplied by Revs.
Brearley, Gillespie and Arrowwood.

RED BLUFF.

  Early in the present century there was a Presbyterian church at Red Bluff. It
has been shown elsewhere in these pages that a good many Scotch people came to
this county soon after the Revolution, and settled mainly in the eastern portion
of the county along the Little Pee Dee River; and, having brought the
Presbyterian faith along with them, they would naturally soon want a church of
that faith to worship in. The first church was situated on the bank of the
stream at Red Bluff. It is well authenticated that it stood there as far back as
1817, and might have been built some years previous to that date. The old
building was not torn down till about i860. For a good many years before that
(perhaps twenty or more) the congregation had not worshipped there, but had
moved their membership to Smyrna, a church in Robeson County only a few miles
distant. Near the site of the old church is the burying ground, where the Scotch
people of that community have been interred, and McLaurins and others have been
carried there from other communities to find their last resting place.

  The second church, bearing the name of Red Bluff, occupied a site two miles or
more west from the old one, and was built about 1857 or 1859. The land upon
which it stood was conveyed by Solomon L. McColl for that purpose, and when no
longer used as the site for the church, was to revert back to his heirs. It was
a new organization, the members of the old church, as already mentioned, having
gone to Smyrna. It was organized and built, perhaps, through the instrumentality
of Rev. P. E. Bishop, who for several years previously had been pastor of the
Bennettsville church. The land upon which the church stood is now owned by D. D.
McColl, of Bennettsville, who recently deeded a spot of ground near by for a
burial ground.

  Soon after the founding of the town of McColl (about 1886) it was determined
to constitute a church at that place. It was accordingly done, and the
membership of the new organization was made made [sic] up largely of members of
the Red Bluff church. From members originally forming Red Bluff, McColl and
Tatum Presbyterian churches have both been organized.

  Within the last few years a new Presbyterian church has been built at Dunbar,
a station on the Latta & Clio branch of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad.

  Capt. T. E. Dudley, Dr. J. C. McKenzie and others have given assistance much
appreciated in the preparation of this chapter.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

A HISTORY OF MARLBORO COUNTY,
WITH
TRADITIONS AND SKETCHES OF NUMEROUS FAMILIES.

REV. J. A. W. THOMAS, AUTHOR.

A wonderful stream is the river Time
  As it runs through the realms of tears 
With a faultless rhythm and a musical rhyme,
And a broader sweep and a surge sublime
  As it blends with the ocean of years.
                        —TENNYSON.

ATLANTA, GA.:
THE FOOTE & DAVIES COMPANY,
Printers and Binders.
1897.


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