Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1899-01-05
THE OLD STONE CHURCH.

ton Dlstrlct, or TINS State, Whlch re-
presents Anderson, Oconee and
Pickens counties. that stalwart and
patriotic citizen, Andrew Piokens,
with great religious fervor, gathered
stones, cleared an opening in the
primeval forest, and erected place
of worship. He was n diciple of
John Calvin, and "builded better
that he knew"-for the Presbyterian
church in the Northwestern part of
South Carolina can be traced to this
beginning. The church records show
that DR.. Rces was buried in tho
churchyard in 1776. Tradition says
that patriots met there for worship
during the first great struggle for
independence ; and in the early years
of this century, goodly congroga-
ton filled the small church OH the
Sabbath day. The evolution of
things, has brought great changes.
Old Pendleton villagers could not
conveniently 60 three miles to church,
end now worship nearer home
Clemson College has created a new
village, tb rne miles away on the other
side; al d 80 to-day, the old stone
church has no regular worshippers-
quite q number of the old families
still use the churohyard for burials.
The "Pickens," "Sloans," "Max-
wells" "Livingstones" and others
have their dead here, and Charleston
names also appear on the Records ::
"Ogier," "Huger," "McElhaneys,"
"Bird," "Stoney" and others.
a visit to the place reveals a
quaint old structure, without sashes,
but shutters at the window openings,
and the roof is quite curious in de-
sign. The roads leading to the place
have been neglected for years and
are washed into deep gulleys, and the
cemetery, until within few years,
has not received much attention, but
some of the good folks of the neigh
borhood are doing something to res
cue this sacred spot from utter obi
WON and have already contributed
several hundred dollars for the
praiseworthy purpose they have in
view. The following notice was re-
Gently published in the Anderson pa
pers:
"By authority of the Old Stone
Church Association, the Rev. b. 2.
Reid, O. r. Doyle and j. G. Strib-
ling were appointed as fence COM
mittee to enclose the cemetery in the
grounds of the sacred and historical
Old Stone Church, near the corner
OF Anderson, Pickons and Oconcc
counties. This committee has de-
cided to erect an all iron fence of
modern style and finish, and are now
ready to receive contributions from
the subscribers to this fund as we'll
as all others who fec! interested in
preserving these grounds. The COM
mittee think they will need about
$500 in addition to subscriptions al
ready made to complete this work in
good and substantial style, and So
licit the aid of all friends to this en-
terprise to send in contributions as
early as possible to the Rev. B. p.
Reid, Chairman of Committee, PEN
dleton, S. c."
We are strange people. Here is
one of the historic spots Of South
Carolina, the spot where the Presby-
terian church in onc-fourth Of the
State was established. 1t can hardly
be approached because Of the horri-
ble condition Of the roads, and dis
place Of worahip it has been "laid by"
because of the growth of population
and towns on either side. Why not
make it church memorial? WHY
not improve the cemetery, after feno-
ing it in, rearrange the grounds, i'm
prove the church building, transform
it into a memorial chapel, in which
mural tablets could be erected, COM
memorating the early patriots and
later worthless of our State ? The
final resting place Of Gen. Pickens's
remains, should be within the walls
OF this proposed memorial chapel,
and an enduring bronze tablet should
record his services to State and
church. There ought to be enough
public spirit left among our people
to preserve this holy place.--News
and Courier.
The News and Courier of last
Tuesday in its notice of "the Old
Stone church" at Pendleton falls
into some historical inaccuracies in
it's statement that Gen. Andrew
Pickens "with great religious fervor
gathered stones, cleared an opening