Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-09-15
FIRST EDITION.
OLD DRAWERS CHURCH,

es ~ Ihs NEW DRAWERS, AND ANNUAL REUNIC
- -PAsroRs, SURVIVING MEMBERs, DO.
Could some one of those whose remaina wa
y, Inferred in the battle-ground which surround Il
Il oo Drawyers Presbyterian Church hundr,
~ years ago have arisen from his grave, yesterda
!. mingled feelings of surprise and pleasure won
:. nave possessed bim-surprise at the chang,
Al OF the century, and pleasure that the work whic
In mad been undertaken in his day had been g
r successfully completed, and that the annversar
, y OF its commencement was being celebrated
It sucha becoming manner. Such an one woul
g have beheld but little which would have bee
/ familiar to him. He would have recognized tb
outward contour of the mother OF Presbyt erian
Ism on the Pehinsula, and the two faithful sen
tinels Otlme- -honored cedarH) which bays guarCe,
its portals from the very foundation of the churc
, put change has written it's impress upon all else
d transforming the very face Of nature The oil,
0 creek OF Appoquinimink still winds it's tortuou
length along through its marshy margin. but
even this has not be.n free from the inroards Of
time, and presents changed aspect in many
| particulars.
LOCATION OF THE OLD oHcRoH.
The old Drawers Church is located about one
half mile north of Odessa on the road leading
to st. Georges. 1t stands upon an eminence or
the left hand which overlooks the creek OF Ap
poquinimink, and from which the church was at
one time named. All around the church stretches
out & burial ground in the old portion of which
little mounds cover the remains OF the Fathers
| IN Israel, though it is no uncommon sight to be-
| hold an indention In the ground, denoting that
| the body OF some departed one had been min
| gled again with the dust OF the earth from which
| u WAS taken. Years ago. yard or court, existed
| IN front OF the church along, the road, but the
| fence has now been removed to the outward
| boundary OF the possessions of the church, and
the adultiohal ground within the enclosure has
| been laVnLgd tn burial pu
| dition has been laid out in squares, after the
| fashion of cemetery, and within these, wi h
| their graves marked with handsome marble
slabs aud monuments, rest the Orawfords. the
Polks, the Vandegrifts the Jamisons, the Van
dykes, the Matthews, and others whose names
Represent not only the material wealth of the
community, but are prominently identified with
our State history.
THE GRAVEYARD.
Some Of the graves in the old portion of the
burying ground are very ancient and date back
beyond the century. Many, aye, by far the most
OF them, are unmarked, and all tradition con-
nected with them has been lost Others, known
At present, are crumbling into decay, and the
stones which tell their history is almost effaoad
in their lettenngs. Heroes sleep here, and the
spot ID sacred ground. One stone marks the
grave Of Capt William Frazer, of Rich Neck and |
his two wives Capt Frazer an Off Ter in |
the Delaware Light Horse, of Revolutionary |
fame, and died in September, 1917. James Oar |
ragh sleeps near him. but went to his grave in /
1854 But even before him. in 1862 Joseph Hill. |
one OF the founders of the church, was gathered /
unto his fathers His grave is fast falling into
decay, and, unless renewed, will be entirely lost
III few more years.
APPEARANCE OF TIE OLD CHURCH.
The church itself, although it has undergone
but little obAn0a ia hu ----- p g.. -
pearance. Reportorial fancy pictured IT, few
days ago, embowered in the climbing ivy, and
the favorite haunts of bats and owls. But fancy
erred. OF ivy there is none, while the decay
which invites the presence of bats and owls h. 8
no existence. There are many churches whose
history oates back less than hGlf
century, that are more neglected and
give greater evidence of age than Drawl ers It's
walls are still firm and substantial; the brick of
which they are built is apparently good as 80 |
years ago the wood work is yet solid; the J
floors are still level, aud the windows yet main
tain their angular symetry. With the exception
OF new roof, the outside appearance OF the
church is the same as whsn dedicated, while up |
on the inside the only change has been in the
cutting down OF the backs of the pews. Iu the |
early days of the church. the worshpers thought |
that the dress OF their next neighbor was not a |
concern OF themselves or their family, and to |
avoid gazing about in the church the sides and |
ends of the pews extended 80 high that it was |
impossible to over them. and the minister's
head could scarcely be observed from the ee-
vated pulpit which stands in front of the main |
entrance. The occupants were completely shut |
within their pews, 80 that they could only see
out when standing. Ladies', for the most part, | {
could not see at all. Who will say the indigns-
lion which such an arrangement would produce
in this age2
THE INTERIOR ARRANGEMENT
The inner arrangement Of the old church is
peculiar to the age in which it was built. 1t is
without vestibule, and three entrances are pro-
Vided-one in front, aud one in each end Di.
-ectly in front of the main entrance stands The
pulpit to which broad aisle directly leads. !
This pulpit is fully six feet high to the floor and
wo stairways lead to it, aronnd both OF which |
unS light railing Projecting from the cell !
ng, which is oval and Immediately above the
lead Of the minister. il an old-fashioned sound
BOARD, which resembles somewhat the top of a
Chinese pagodo. and which is surmounted by
love In the days when this church was built, |
he theory obtained that sound assembled ami as |
II all the churches OF that period this projection
vas built to break the sound OF the ministers
1oice in its ascent, and scatter it about the
gallery extends around the front and ends OF c
he church, which is somewhat remarkable in T
he arrangement and division of its peSs. The
church has not been painted sincs 1886. 8
oFFsAooTs FROM THE PARENT CHURCH.
Drawers church is the mother of five flour :
shing daughters in the immediate vicinity Of its
,wn location. These are the Presbyterian
,hurches at Port Penn, Delaware City, st.
Georges, Middletown, and the new Drawers {
,hurch at Odessa, the youngest of them all.
When it was proposed to build this last church
and to abandon the old one on account of the
of its location, a storm of ndg-
nation was raised which it was very difficult to r
Iuiet. The old church in good condition,
md those who had worshipped there for years,
gnoring the necessity for evening service and
he Sabbath school, refused to oOuntenance any
,hange. but began an opposition which they
with all the vehemence they were
capable of. Finally, a compromise was made '
lpon an annual reunion, and these have since
been kept up, the other churches joining in its T
celebration. Il
1t was the original intention to solemnize the q
e-unons with the sacrament of the Lords sup
per- but 80 great was the coming together OF
from sister churches, aud 80 intent 81
we're the younger members OF the congregation Il
Upon Ie-union for social intercourse, that none Y
Vas ever held The wine and the bread were Il
10Th carried to the church on the occasion Of the
irst reunion, but were left untouched in the
arriage which conveyed them, and the effort
las not since been repeated,
THE ANNIVERSARY EXERCISES YESTERDAY.
Yesterday was the iith anniversary of these v
eunions but as il was the centennial year the 4
hurch history it was determined to celebrate y
10th together. The old church was. therefore, N
et in order. The oobweds were brushed from
he walls, the floors and pews secured. and the \
Interior Of the church decorated with evergreens.
festoons hung along the gallery, ,spirals climbed