The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1876-11-11
A Historical Sketch of Liberty Grove.

A Historical Sketch of Liberty Grove.
The present Liberty Grove school house.
from which the place is named, was built in
1897 or IS.
There had been a school previously held
in a log house on the upper end of the pro-
perty now owned by Thomas c. Hopkins,
near and opposite the house of Katie Wood
row. This school was called Stony Bat
ter" after the original name of that tract.
/ There are several persons yet living in the
vicinity who were pupils in this old house
1t was not a very imposing editce, with a
large open fireplace in one corner. Among
/ the teachers whose names have been handed
down was one Jake McCleary, who taught
fully seventy years ago. After that Hugh
Davis and his wife Polly, grand parents Of
Mr.. James \. Davis, of Port Deposit, had
charge of the school.
/ An incident is told in connection with
the history of this house, of a thunder
storm, when the lightning killed a team of
four horses on the hilltop near there.
Davis and his wife saved the skins from
the team and had them tanned at Bell s
tan yard.
In 1927 or 49, Abraham Bell and Roger
Kirk had the school house removed to its
present site and the name changed to Lib
erty Grove.
Abraham Bell owned the property of E
I. Russell and the adjoining one, now
owned by Theodore l.. Marshall, and had
saw mill and old factory and was the owner
Of the New Valley property. He and Bell
were brothers-in-law and were members
of the Society of Friends. \ former owner
of the farms now held 10y Robert Saunders
and Thomas G. Hopkins it was one tract
had donated an acre of ground for "a school
house. George Mercer was the owner at
the time of which we write, and he, in con-
nection with the two men above mentioned,
were chiefly instrumental i'll removing the
school to its present site. The original
structure was not near so large as the pres
ent house, but the enlargement of it has
been thing of such recent occurrence as
to have hardly passed into history.
James Rowland was another party who
lent hand to the original work. He owned
the farms of William and Stephen Wood
row, Ira White and the Glacken property
now owned by d. Craig and the grist mill
now owned by Josiah p. Kirk.
! 1t was but short time after the building
of this school house that it was used for
holding Methodist meetings, there being
then no places of worship owned by that
/ society in this part of the county, SO that
it may we'll claim to be the cradle of Meth
odism in this vicinity.
George Mercer and Eli White, who after
ward bought of him, We're Methodists as
was also John Maris, who owned the farms
now belonging to Lloyd Balderston, and
! Michael Trump who owned and built where
John p. Balderston now resides.
They, with John Mackinson and David
Mills held the first meetings in this house.
The latter was a noted though eccentric
preacher among them, and to give the ex
preston of one who heard him, g He could
outpray, outpreach, outsing, and Guidance
the witches
Nearly all those above mentioned have
moved to the West or are dead, but some
of their descendants are here and may be
able to correct some mistakes in this record
cd 1c in
connection with the meetings in these old
walls and several camp meetings were held
that are often spoken of yet by old resi-
dents.
James b. Ayers was the first Methodist
preacher that held meetings in the house:
that was the regular circuit preacher. There
had been class y started at Rowlands
vile previous to the erection of this house:
it was built principally as house of wor-
ship with the view of moving this "class -
here and making it regular preaching
place Regular meetings were therefore held
here on Friday evenings. Mrs. Mcdowell,
widow Cook, who afterward married
Stephen Woodrow. and Mrs. Todd were
Leading members OF TINS class IN cOnnec-
ton with those previously mentioned.
This class were members of Hopewel
Church. When it was removed to Liberty
Grove it numbered several members.
A father Wooley is the next one men
toned as having charge in 1890. A pro
tracted meeting was started in the Fall of
that year that was one of the most noted
revivalS in the history of Methodism.
In March, 1881, Thomas McCarol and
Robert f. Kemp were assigned to this cir
cult and the revival influence continued
during that season. The class of seven
teen was increased to seventy-fiye mem
hers during this series of meetings, many
of whom were persons of mature years
who exerted wonderful influence in the
neignborhood. William Shroff was one OF
the converts at these meetings, who joined
under " father Wooley in November 1890
John NJ. Mccartney joined the same night
In May, 1881, Carroll and Kemp held "A
+ two days meeting in the woods near the
meeting house. The stand was nearly
where the smith shop now is. The sac a
ment was administered at that time in the
house.
! This revival extended to the Presbyter