Drummond Chapel Church
Monongalia Co. WV


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The following was copied from an old newspaper clipping found in family 
photos belonging to descendants of Adam Eckhart, who contributed the land 
for Drummond Chapel Church.  The original article appeared in  The Morgantown
Post newspaper 1941.  Posted by Peggy Miller February 2000, pmiller@olg.com.

Drummond Chapel Church Plans Further Expansion.

Plans for further expansion and additional improvement of the Drummond Chapel
Methodist Episcopal Church, one of the oldest churches in the county and 
probably the oldest existent church building here, will be discussed at a 
meeting there Sunday evening.

The meeting was announced today by Paul W. Wilson, secretary-treasurer of 
the church.

C committee already has been formed to study the possible expansion.  This 
group consist of H. M. Hyre, chairman, W. R. St. Clair, Robert Grow, Mrs. T. 
B. Clark, Mrs. T. W. Hoard and Mrs. Willis Smith.

The Drummond Chapel Church had its last expansion in 1928, when a new 
basement was installed and other improvements made on the building and 
grounds.  This work cost approximately $2,300.00.  Final payment on the 
notes for the work was made a few months ago, and a formal note burning 
was held by the congregation.

The church is in it's ninety first year at it's present site.  Only one 
other church, the Forks of Cheat Baptist Church, is believed to be older 
in this county.

First Church
According to information furnished by James Gorman, an old resident of the 
Flatts, the Drummond Chapel Church first was built by the Flatts community 
sometime between the years 1830 to 1840.  It was a log building used as a 
schoolhouse during the week and as a house of worship on Sunday.  It was 
erected on the edge of Popinan Run just below the present church.

People came from Baker's Ridge, Maidsville Landing and Easton to worship at 
this little long shrine.  Sometime around 1840 a Sunday school was organized 
of which Col. James Evans later became superintendent.

The present building was erected in 1850.  Ground for the church was deeded 
by Adam Echert, who had come here about five years earlier from Frostburg, 
Md. With the understanding that it was to be used for religious purposes 
only, according to the rites of the Methodist Episcopal Church.  The terms 
specified the church could sell to another M. E. congregation, but never to 
any other denomination.

James Sidwell of Baker's Ridge was the contractor for the building, assisted 
by James Houston.   Joseph Weaver of near Easton constructed the furniture.

Dedication
The church was dedicated before a tremendous audience from surrounding 
neighborhoods and Morgantown in October of that year.  It was there that the 
name was announced as Drummond Chapel, in honor of the Rev. Drummond, who had as 
a station for a short time the Methodist church built in South Morgantown about 1830.

Included in the first membership were the Evans family, the Houstons, the 
Bakers, the Echerts, the Baldwins, Jake Jacobs.

The first minister, according to T. M. Baker, was James L. Clark.  The second
was Benjamin Ison, and the third, J. J. Dolliver.  A later minister, William 
Mills, who was connected with the church before he studied theology, later 
transferred to the Easter Conference and spent his active life in a large 
station at Philadelphia, Pa.  He was the only minister who has ever qualified
for the ministry from the Flatts.

James Evans was the first leader of this church and also the first Sunday 
school superintendent.

Societies
Societies working in and through the church are the Women's Home Missionary 
Society, Epworth League, Mother's Jewels and Home Guards, and junior and 
senior Queen, Esther Circle.

The Women's Home Missionary Society was organized in 1924 by Mrs. A. K. 
Miller of Morgantown.  It was started with only five members.

The Home Guards was organized in 1934 by Mrs. C. H. Hartley, the Junior 
Queen, Esther's the same year by Mrs. C. W. Koontz and the Senior Queen 
Esther's in 1935 by Mrs. Koontz.

Active membership in the church totals about 115 at this time.  The minister 
is the Rev. Bernard Gibbs.

The old log building used as a church by the Flatts community before the 
construction of the present church was used for a subscription school until 
free schools were set up in West Virginia in 1866.  After the frame school 
was built in 1867-68 the log house was sold to a Negro, who hauled it away 
and set it up near the old Mississippi Glass Company in South Morgantown.

Note:  There was a photo of Drummond Chapel Church at the top of the article,
I will submit a scanned copy of the photo that may be downloaded  by 
individuals interested.  The church today, is quite different, it looks 
nothing like the photo from 1941.

That image can be located at
	http://usgwarchives.net/wv/monongalia/DRUMMOND.gif