The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1873-01-04

Elk. During the Schism from 1741 to 1.61,
the Old-Side congregation was called Elk.
and the New-Sde East Nottingham: al 4
after the reunion in 1861. it is occasional
ly called Elk, but generally East Nothing
ham. The first time that the name Rock
appears on the records is Oct, 1887; then
we see no more of Rock until 1893, from
which time to the present this has been the
only name. By an act of the General AS
sembly of Maryland, in 1901, it was incor-
porated as ''rhe Rock Presbyterian Church,
in North Milford Hundred, Cecil county,
State of Maryland"
! BUILDINGS.
Tile first building was located at the
Stone Graveyard, Lewisville, Chester co.,
and was probably a small log house, with
no floor, no fireplace, and few small win
dows. In those days the people provided
their benches Or pews according to their
own taste and means, and there was no
doubt variety of the "high and low seats
in the synagogue" In this house occur
red the strife about seats, which was set
tied by Presbytery in 1925, as we have al
ready stated.
Tie second building was erected by the
New-Side about 1141, at Sharp's Grave
yard. 1t was a frame, covered with clap
boards, and was decided advance on the
original house. When the Old and New
side united under Mr.. Finley, in 1861, they
worshipped for a short time at Sharps
Graveyard. We know what became of
this house; tradition says it was removed
to the present Cleaver property, and con-
verified into a barn.
The third building was erected in 1861,
by the united congregations under Mr..
Finley. 1t was built of stone, and its d.
mansions precisely the same as those of
the present house. 1t had three doors
one in each end, about ten feet from the
east side, and one midway in the west side.
Between the end doors was wide aisle,
running the entire length of the Church,
in which were the long benches or tables
used at the communions. About the mid
die of the east side stood the massive, elab-
orately-carved blue pulpit, perched high
up against the wall, with an immense
sounding board projecting overhead along
the ceiling. A rounding stairway of ten
or twelve steps ran up the pulpit on the
south side, while beneath the pulpit, in
front, was a bexed-up space for the choir,
which in those days consisted of one man,
"the clark From the pulpit to the
door, in the west side, was medium sized
aisle, and some eight or ten feet from each
Gnu Vi Ihe Suurcn, ana running from Cne
long aisle towards the west side, were tive
narrow aisles. The pews rose in amphi-
theatre style as they approach the wallis
The back pews along the two ends, also
those along the west side, were high boxes,
with small blue balustrades in the 'front.'
The pews had doors, and were without
paint. The floor was made Of plaster
The two large posts that supported the
ceiling, as well as the DOORS and the win
dow frames were, like the pulpit, painted
blue. The architecture of that Church
was very common in those days. In 1905
the building received a new roof, and at
different times was repaired, but in 1874 it
was thoroughly remodeled and modernized.
The fourth building. After twenty
en- years, the floor, the roof, and the inside
generally, needed repairing. The congre-
CATION began the work, and kept on repair
ing, until to-day we enter virtually new
house. What contrast between this
fourth building and the first log house, the
second clap boarded frame one, and the
antiquated third.