The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1894-09-18
county was by Elias Tobin at the
Furnace on Slate l775.

county was by Elias TObin at the
Furnace on Slate 1775.
These comparative statistics will
give you some idea of the age of thi:
church. 1t is not only the oldest
church in this county, but the oldest
in Eastern KENT cky. When it was
built there was no church nearer than
Washington, in Mason county, in four
miles of the Ohio river. The first set
tiers in this part of Bath county were
three brothers, William, Hugh and
John Robinson and William Moffatt,
with their families. William Moffatt,
brother-in-law of the Robinson's was
The father of Captain James Moffatt, a
venerable and beloved elder of this
church for fifty years. These families
emigrated from Dauphin county
Penn, and built their first cabins on
the farm beyond the big spring in
lI9l. Their nearest neighbors were
Thomas Montgomery on Stepstone,
four miles, in bee line, and John and
Mary Stuart Hamilton, who lived on
Flat Creek below the present homes
of their grandchildren, and who lie
buried in this yard, being among the
first members of this church.
In the summer of 1894, Rev. James
Price Howe, with his wife, Rebecca.
and child, Malinda, emigrated to Ken
lucky from North Carolina, and stop
ped with Esquire VIM. Robinson,
who lived on the hill beyond the big
spring. In the fall of the
same year (l791 Mr.. Howe
organized this church. James
Trimble was its first elder, the fourth
generation of whose children are here
to-day. It's first members were
William and John Robinson, Jane
Mcclure, William and Rebecca Moffatt
six all together. The church was
located on the first road ever cut
through the wilderness from Mt. Sterl-
ing to the upper Blue Licks. There
was probably but one other road in
the county at that time-the road
from Paris to the old Bourbon Fur
mace on Slate.
William Robinson, who owned 400
acres of land around the church, gave
the land on which it is built. 1t was
located here on account OF the splen-
did spring, which gave it its name.
The first church building erected here
was a small, square house, built of
hewed logs and covered with clap
boards. The wants Of the congrega-
ton OutgrOwing this house, a second
church was built in 1904 large
double log house GA feet long by 80
feet wide. This was built by Andrew
and James Richart. This church was
used until 1920, when the present
brick church-the third-was erected
by Thomas Graves. The stone foun-
dation was laid in 1920. The brick
was burned in the yard, and the house
finished in 1921.
During all these eventful years the
Rev. James Price Howe was the faith
full pastor Of the church, which under
his ministry, had grown from a small
beginning of six members to be the
largest and most influential church in
Eastern Kentucky. He preached at
little mountain (Mt. Sterling) church
and at PIT. Pleasant church on Ston-
er, in BoHrbon county. He died at
the age of 81, universally beloved and
having been pastor of this
church for 80 years-more than half
Of his lifetime. No man ofhis genera.
ton perhaps welded greater in
fuence for good, in this county, than
Father Howe. He was plain, prac-
tical preacher, full of faith and the
Holy Ghost-a man of learning as.
we'll as Of zeal in his Masters cause.
He was especially distinguished as a
singer, having voice of most extra
ordinary power, which could be heard
at great distance above the singing
Of the largest congregations. His last
sermon was preached at Peeled Oak
in Bath county, He rode there in the
rain from his home near Mt. Sterling,
preached and returned home to die.
His last words were: "The will of
he Lord be DONE" lie died on the
Llth day of July, 1927, and by the side
If his devoted wife, lies sleeping there
n the sound of any voice, with guar
liam angels keeping vigils over his
aered dust.
gro BIZ CoNTINUED,O
The Ranu hliaanC 10 I .