Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-04-04

Projected by District Attorney Lewis @.
Yandegrift.
Special Correspondence OF Gazette and Journal
AIIppIErowN, April 1.-The movement
in Wilmington to form society for the
preservation of Old Drawyer's Church.
near Odessa, has excited great amount of
comment throughout this section and the
remarks of approval on all sides proves
how conclusvely the actions taken by the
society are approved of here.
Drawers Church lies on the west side
of the old State Road, about one mile from
the town Of Odessa. the building resting
upon a slight elevation overlooking. the
stream known as Drawyer's creek, and the
body of water in which Robert Mackey
met his death in 1874.
a neat bridge spans the stream and the
thirty-foot causeway heavily shelled and
lined on either side with weeping willows
lies Just north of the property. The
church was founded in I'LL and rebuilt i'll
1770 and was succeeded by the present
building, in the year commemorate in
American history for the renowned Boston
Tea Party, l573. The bricks of which it
was built were brought from England, the
ship conveying them running up.
Drawyer's creek and landing them within
n hundred yards of the site upon which
the church was erected.
The framework Of the building is put to
gether with pins or pegs, nails not being
used at that time, while the interior has
gallery running around the sides contain
| ing the original high-backed pews used i'll
| the first building
The pulpit in the rear is about feet
| high while the platform is feet with a
| miniature staircase on each side leading
from the ground floor. Overhead is the
| uld-fashioned sounding board surmounted
| l,M "a fsiit HGpa W hprnD0n nnnSlH-
| erably plackened by age.
| Set in the wall 10 feet from the floor. be-
tween the pulpit and windows, are two
blocks of marble, bearing on one the in
| scripton:
The church of the First Presbyterian Society
| in this hundred Built A. ID. 1T73, Rev. Thos,
Read A. NJ, Pastor. This stone the gift Of
| Mrs. Mary Hill.
On the other is:
This site Purchased May 10, I'LL.
The first church built I'LL.
Rev. John Wilson, Pastor, 1706
| Your Fathers, whore are theye
| Large windows with the heavy green
| latticed blinds are on either side of the
pulpit, and in front is small aperture
with railing in which the clerk sat.
His duty it was "to raise the tune" instruA
mental music being of course unknown.
The ceiling is oval shaped. Three windows
are OH each side, five in front on gallery
floor and an equal number on the ground
floor. Each window contains 20 panes of
glass about 6xS inches EACH The front
door is fastened by bolts and hung on
strap hinges, while both ends of the build
ing outside are covered with ivy.
In the cemetery are number of graves
considerably over hundred years old and
great many unmarked. at the south
side and right in front of the door stands
plain marble stone upon which is en-
graved, "Thos. Bevi!le, Born May 10.
1900. died:Marca i6, 1923, y Why the tomb
should be placed directly under the door
side is matter Of conjecture. On the
north side Of the church considerably
biackened by age lies a stone fiat Oh the
ground bearing the inscription:
"Beneath this stone are laid the remains
of Mr.. Jas. Darruh, Mert, 1854 aged is
years. lie was an atfectionate husband.
n tender father, steady friend, good
neighbGr and honest dealer.
''lntegrity and uprighteousncss distin-
guished the man.
IIark from the tomb OF doeful sound
Nine years around thco cry
HU living mon como Wow the ground
Where you must surely I've.
Adjoining this tomb arc two graves sur
rounded by u solid brick wall, four feet
high, aud marble slab set i'll the bricks,
hearing the nantes Of Captain William
Frazer of the Delaware Light Horse, and
his wife. Captain tIazer died SeIheinber
| y
title in the War OF the Rebellion through
which he served his cotiutry until its close.
In front OF the church lie two graves,
containing husband and wife, and the
headstOnes bear the inscriptions: ''1n
memory Of Captain John Crawford, who
departed this life February lIth, 1870, aged
is years and Agnes Crawford, his wife.
departed this life February 7th l70o, aged
4s years. Just 10 days between their deaths
forming a striking coincidence,
The original cemetery becoming over
crowded Il few years ago it was found
necessary to enlarge it. and new ground
was accordingly purchased and divided
into lots. A number of new and handsome
monuments were erected, but the two
oldest graves in the yard Judging from tho
Inscriptions Oh the stones are those OF
Joseph Hill, who was born in Boston,
New England, 1850 and died December
7th, 1862, aged 70 years. The stone also
bears the verse:
Whoever thou art Who now attends my shrine,
q, Think thy golden hours onco wore mine;
Improve these Seasons while thy days last,
For with unreml,tnG speed it was past
The other is "Iu memory of Martha
wife of Gideon Griffith, who departed this
! life November 2Sd, l77i age 5S years"
The place is i'll charge of Sexton Cleaver
who resides at Odessa. He is very cour-
! teOus gentleman, and takes q great deal oil
pride in showing visitors through the
, venerable building and grounds. lie i:
, extremely anxious to see the project Of
Mr.. l.. c. Vandegrift succeed. A few
years ago II tornado visited the locality anc
demolished one very handsome stone II
upset 4 number of others. to replace these
and rGcut inscriptions nearly erased by
time together with repairing and repaint
ing the church will not cost over $500, and
it Should find many willing and eager tt
assist in the noble work of preserving
"O!d Drawyers."
M. Il, .--.a... Ih...-lI..I-