Evening journal., 1895-03-29
TOPRESERvEDRAWYERS
A Society to Keep the Old
Church From Going to Decay.
A CENTURY AEDAHALF EXISTENCE
Renders the Ancient Structure one q
Deiawars's Most Prominent Land
marks Ancestors Of Many Prominent
Families Buried in Her Graveyard.

Families Buried in Her Graveyard
Last evening a meeting was held ia the
oidce Of United States District Attorney
Lewis 9. Vandegrift, the object OF
which Was to orFaniza i society to
preserve Drawyors Prasbyterisn
Church, near Odessa, one OF the oldest
landmarks In the state, and In tho
buying ground adjoining which very
many Of Delaware's Oldest families have
representatives buried
The society was formed under the
name Friends Of Old Drawers with l..
@. NsndegIltt as president. lt Is
proposed TO paint the old bu laing, reCut
the Inscriptions on some Of the tomb
stones, and employ janitor to care for
the structure. "A letter was read from
Daniel Corbit. OF Odessa, fayoring the
movement
just when tha society of Drawyer's was
formed Is not known. but ia ls08 the
philadelphls preaoytery sent Rev John
Wilson, Of New Castle. 20 hold gervireH
at Odessa once a month on week day
On May 10, I'LL, a site Was bought from
John Peterson and the clnrch built. Ia
1869 a subscription was raised for the
erection OF new edlhoe, aud Peter
Alnehs, John Hanson, John Hyatt. Jr
James Moore, William Bra dford, Duncan
Beerd, Henry Packard, lr. ard Andrew
Brown appointed a building committee
In 1913 two-stety brick church was
erected by Robert May * co OF London
/ the bricks being burned on Robert
neldruma farm The sum raised wa,
"a 105. .l3t This edi6ce rs still standing
81 a ID the one the society has been formed
70 preserve Iuslde the church are two
marble slabs OAe is inscribed
The Church Of the First Presbyterian
Society Ia this Hundred
i Built A. D. lsfI
Rev. Thomas Read, A, NJ,
/ Faaturs
I This stone the gift 81 Mrs. Mary Hill
Serve tho Lord With aladness,a Ps. 100, "a
A granddaughter Of Rev. Thoma
/ Ren5, Mrs. Read J Mckay. resides Ia thi
city. Another marble tablet reads
This site Purchased Nay 10. l7ii.
The First Church Built I'LL.
Rev. John Wilson, Pastor, lgs
Your Fathers, Where are fhey"
The pastors and date OF confirmation
we're Revs John Wilson, l70s. Rober
Witherspoon l1l4. Henry Hook, 1922
John Dick, 1916: Hector Allison, 1853
Thomas Read 1868; J nm Burton 1904
Joseph Wilson, 1922; Nicholas patter
son, 1852. David DsForest. 1893; War
rem g Jones. 1885, Charles Brown
1886; George Foot, 1885, Issac W. K
handy. 1913; David Mcclure 1873, II
j. Gaylord, 1855; n Hendricks, 1861
The new church edihcs erected q
Odessa by the Drawers congreRatio
was dedicated May 2. 1861. ana cos
$ll 600
Among the elders previous 20 t775 AZ
found tile names Of many early settler
OF the ssnte, whose descendants now liv
IN Delaware. Among them were Leon
ard VandeErift, l7ll IsRsc Piper, 1912
Hans Hanson. l7l4; SeRfridus Alrichs
17l4; Elias NaudRin. i1l7 JOHNNIE
Vandegriff, 1921; Abraham Golden. ST.
/ 1884, Thomas Ayatt, 1925: Jacob King
1927; Francls King, 1881; Morris Nc
Kmley and Charles Robinson, 1899
Gsuett Duahane, David Witherspoon
James McCoomb, Garrett RothWell
| Cornelius King, Joseph Hill. Jane
Anderson ard James Vance, 1746
Another meeting Of the Friends o
Old Drawers will b, held Thurgda,
evening when descendants OF al the oil
members Of Drawers are Invited 70 b
present