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Geneva
Presbyterian Church (Part 1 of 2) In the summer of 1838 the first church building on the present grounds of Geneva Church was completed. The lot of five acres was donated by William Clement. The deed is on record in the court house in Oxford. In September of that year, just one hundred years ago, a camp meeting was held here,-beginning on Thursday before the fifth, Sabbath and closing the following Monday. At this time and for many years prior It was a custom to hold these large camp meetings, which were union meetings, attended by people from a wide circle of territory,-the purpose being to revive and strengthen interest In church activities. They first started as communion service meetings, when preachers from other churches were Invited. Foot, In his Sketches of North Carolina, says the first one was at Hawfields Church in Alamance County. The large attendance could not be entertained in the homes of the community, so many of them spent the nights on the grounds in their wagons. Afterwards they went prepared to camp, and often there were hundreds of wagons and many tents. Preaching continued day and night in several places on the yard. At this Geneva camp meeting in 1833 there were eight ministers, besides the regular pastor, Rev. Alexander Wilson. They were A. D. Montgomery, D. L. Russell, Samuel Paisley, S. L. Graham, D. A. Pinick, A. L. Watts, N. H. Harding, and Edward Hollister, coming probably from all the Presbyterian churches in this part of the state. I know little of their history. Samuel Paisley's father was wounded at the battle of Guilford Court House. His mother was captured by the Indians when she was a child. They killed both her parents and adopted her In their tribe. Later when her fester parents were without food in the white man's country they sold her for some bread and rum. One hundred years is not so long, but just think of the changes since this church was built. People were here from Guilford, Alamance, and Orange Churches,-from Clarksville and other Virginia communities. Of course everybody from the Nutbush, Grassy Creek, Oxford, and Oak Hill Churches were here. On horseback, in wagons and carriages, and on the stage coaches. Besides the great crowd of campers, every home in reach was entertaining the visitors to the utmost capacity. The negro cooks and other house slaves were exerting every effort to show that their white folks were the real "quality" of the whole countryside. Plantation life was then at its best In the South. Young men, young ladies, and perhaps a few politicians came a long ways,- not just to hear preaching. There were no large towns then, probably not a mile of rail road in the state. Andrew Jackson was president; Webster, Clay, and Calhoun were beginning to attract attention in Congress. The slavery question was not yet an issue. Texas and California were still a part of Mexico. Victoria was a child of fourteen and had not been crowned Queen of England. The great generals and soldiers of the Civil War were mere children then, or born later. So one hundred years is really a long time. Geneva, as we now know it, had its beginning in 1833, but its history really begins about forty years further black. The first Presbyterian Church in the county was Grassy Creek, now located at Stovall. Nutbush was also an early church. It is at Townsville in that part of Granville which was cut off when Vance County was formed. Oxford and Oak Hill Churches were organized about 1823. About the year 1793 ' a church was built on Tar River, on the south bank, a few hundred yards up the river from the Southern Railway bridge, and given the name Providence. The land was given by Mr. Joseph Gooch, and the meeting house was built by the community for any and all denominations. Baptist, Methodist, and Presbyterian preachers held services there with more or less regularity. In 1820 a camp meeting was held there,-the ministers attending being Revs. Graham, Currie, Graves, Hatch, Montgomery, and Stafford. No regular Presbyterian church organization was formed at Providence until 1823. The charter members then were B. H. Wortham, James L. Wortham, Mrs. Jackson, John Webb, and his wife, Margaret Howard Webb. We have scant record of the progress of Providence Church for the next few years, and I think the organization was abandoned. But in 1830 we find two congregations, or two meeting places of the same c: congregation, Providence and Sharon, both on Tar River, but several miles apart. Sharon was on a plantation belonging to Jas. L. Wortham, known as Indian Fields. Rev. George W. Ferrell, then a young man, served both places. In 1833 these congregations joined hands and built Geneva Church at its present location. Rev. Alexander Wilson was then pastor. That building, first only 32x24 feet, but later enlarged, stood until 1928 when the present church was built. The original membership seems to have been about thirty, and with only short intervals a regular pastor has been on duty every year since 1833. The original session record book has been preserved and has minutes of the sessions from 1820, as well as other facts of historical interest from 1793 to the present time. The first clerk of the session was Dr. James L. Wortham, -- later John H. Webb, William T. Allen, Amos G. Clement, Otha A. Daniel. In this old session book we find recorded tributes of respect to some of the outstanding members the church loved so much. One in 1884 to Samuel William Smith, who died in the 67th year of his age. One in 1902 to Amos Gooch Clement: "The session had lost a most valuable counselor, and the congregation a faithful, devoted and consecrated member * * * a pure, sincere and earnest Christian, whose influence would long leave an impress on the community." One in 1905 to John Henry Webb, who was for 82 years an elder, 20 years of the time clerk of the session: "A beautiful and pure life." One in 1907 to William Thomas Allen. "He was a ruling elder for 41 years, half the time clerk of the session. Missed as a friend and neighbor, and a wise counselor of the session." One in 1911 to Thomas Brown Daniel: "Honest to the core, quiet, unassuming, manly and true, he commanded the respect and confidence of all." There are many others whose names appear in this old record book, too many to include in this short sketch, - men and women who helped to hold this little church together for the century of its existence. What they did for the church and what the church did for them has not been confined to this neighborhood or this county. Practically every state in the Union has received and been benefited by the influence of Geneva Church. Its light may seem to be burning low at times, but it has never been under a bushel. There are really one hundred candles on her birthday cake today. As the older members and officers, one by one, have gone to their reward, their names have been replaced by those of their children and by new members moving into the community. No history of Geneva Church is complete without mention of the names of a few of this church's old neighbors,-not members of this church's family, but just good neighbors. They loved to attend services here when the appointments dig± not conflict with those of their own church. I remember back in the 80's and later seeing them here and taking part in the prayers and songs, and talks just like Geneva belonged to them : Broadle Meadows, John Meadows, Dyar Howard, Spence O'Briant, Milt Blalock, Dr. E. B. Meadows, S. L. Howard, Hawkins Jones, and others. They liked to hear good preaching and Geneva always had that kind. ____________ |
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The list of preachers I get from the records shows the names and years each began: |
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©2002, 2003, 2007 to present by Nola Duffy, Deloris Williams, Tina Tarlton Smith, for the NCGenWeb Project. No portion of any document appearing on this site is to be used for other than personal research. Any republication or reposting is expressly forbidden without the written consent of the owner. Last updated 12/18/2022 |
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