The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-02-05
For The Press.
GOLD UNITY

"OLD UNITY"
"Old Unity Church," what familiar
name to many of us it is! Until within
the last year it stood, one of the pioneer
landmarks of the country, kind of
connecting link between the past and
present to remind us of day that is no
more, and community that is we'll nigh
gone.
"Old Unity" Il Presbyterian church,
situated about four miles east of Som
erset, and one of the first churches erect
ed in the county, we deem worthy few
"reminiscences, and feel assured they will
be of interest to many Of the readers of
the Pass. So we will proceed to give
what we have gathered in relation to this
old time building.
Within a few feet of where the
meeting house" was built, stood the
school house where the pioneer chill
dren received a scanty education.
This is said to have been very I'M
pretending structure, built of logs, and
the cracks filled with clay, where the
boys and girls, for miles around, went 10
school and conned their we'll thumbed
books, made love on the sly, or engaged
in all manner of devilment,-pretty
much as they do in these later times.
It is generally admitted that pioneer
preachers have many difficulties to en-
counter, but we are inclined TO the opin-
ion that the trials and troubles of the
pioneer school-master are far more Sc
vere,-for we have heard il related, that
on one occasion, in the place of which
we are speaking, some of the "big boys"
for some misdemeanor on the "master's"
part, tied him hand and foot, and let
him lie on the puncheon floor until they
pleased 10 release him. What a stir
that would make now; but in the time
of which we write, it was no uncommon
occurrence. "Sich is" or was, "life" in
the times of which we write.
We encounter considerable difficulty
in 6nding at what period of time Unity
Church came into existence; but we be-
lieve from the best information we can
get on the subject, that the church was
organized about 1916, by the Rev. Mr..
Wright, of Lancaster, and by him it
was named Unity, because. as he re-
marked, they seemed to be united, and
he deemed the name fitting one. Thus
organized into church, they continued
to hold meetings i'll the school-house in
winter, and in the groves in summer,
until about 1924 or '25, when the meet
ing house" was built. During its cree
ton, the school house burned down. The
house was built of logs, filed with plain
wooden benches, and the old fashioned
barrel pulpit. In later times it was
weather-boa and painted on the out
side. and plastered inside.
The first minister employed by the
new church, was the Rev. Thomas
Moore, who continued to minister to
their spiritual wants for many years.
Moore was an old man, when he COM
menced his labors at Unity,-a type of a
still earlier day,-he wore the knee
breeches and stockings, of the men of
the Revolution. Tall and slender,
solemn and sedate, with fair degree of
talent, and the puritan reverence for
the Sabbath, he exercised an influence
over the new church. never, perhaps, so
strongly welded by any one since his
day. His remains, and those of his
wife. repose II the shadow of the new
building, built in the place of the old
one within the last year. We have ia
ken pains to copy the inscription on the
tombstomes of himself and wife, think
ing they would interes tour readers, pos
sessing, as they do, some of the quaint
ness of earlier days.
The tombstones are the old fashioned
sandstone fiat tablets, the only ones of the
kind in the churchyard The inscrip-
tions are as follows
IN MEMORY
of
the Rev. THOMAS MOORE.
Who departed this life
Aug. oath A. D. 1910.
Aged rs years, IL this, & 81 days.
He was So years a minister of the Cos
pei.
Servant Of God we'll done,
Rest from thy loved employ;
The battle fought, the victory won.
Enter thy Masters joy.
The Mains of death are mast