The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1914-01-29
NEW PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
Formally Opened with Elaborate
Exercises.

Sunday morning marked the for
NAL opening of the handsome new
Williamsburg Presbyterian church.
The. speaker of the occasion was Rev
DR. Henry Alexander White, of the
Presbyterian Theological Seminary
at Columbia. Before this distin-
guished gentleman, scholar and his
torian sat an audience of about five
hundred, composed of Methodists.
Baptists and Episcopalians, whose
churches were closed in order that
their congregations might join in
the glad celebration with their Pres
byterian brothers.
In the pulpit with DR. White were
seated Revs P S McChesney, D A
Phillips and w E Hurt. Throughout
] the programme, which began at IL
O'Clock and continued until LIS, the
lar 2e audience paid marked atten-
ton and at no time showed the least
sign of restlessness.
Miss Estelle Campbell, the accom-
plished music teacher in the Kings
tree High school presided at the pipe
organ, and her renditions were de-
clared by all present to be par &C.
cellence. She was accompanied by a
large choir of select voices.
By way of greetings and congrat,
ulations on the part of the Metho'
dist and Baptist denominations. Rev
Mr. Phillips spoke feelingly and ap,
propriately for the former, while
Rev Mr. Hurt, in we'll chosen words
spoke in behalf of the latter.
DIR Whites address consisted
mainly of a review of the history OF
Presbyterianism in Williamsburg
county, a subject with which he is
thoroughly familiar. In his discourse
he reviewed the history of the
church, from its founding in 1735 by
the little band of immigrants who
came up Black river by boat from
Georgetown and cast anchor at the
grove of stately pines, one of which
was called the Kings Tree" and
from which the county seat of Will
liamsburg takes its name.
In that little band of Scotch-lrish
newcomers was the patriarch, John
Witherspoon. founder of the Will
liamsburg Presbyterian church. Dr.
White dwelt upon the .hardships OF
these God-feariug people and gave
his hearers a lucid picture of the
circumstances that beset them in
their undertakings that tended to
their permanent establishment as
Christian colony. From the first
service held in a barn upon the plan
tation of an earlier settler by John
J Witherspoon and his company. i'm
mediately after their debarka.
ton January 26, 1875, the historian
interestingly sketched the life of the
church and its most ardent support
ers down to the ministry of one Dr.
Wallace, who, fifty-eight years ago
appealed to the members of the
Williamsburg Presbyterian church
as Christ had appealed to His apos-
ties, admonishing them to remain
steadfast in the faith and go out and
establish churches. DR. White told
his hearers how this noble work had
been carried on, and cited many
churches throughout the State whose
establishment was due to the Cody
efforts of the founders of the ole
Williamsburg church.
In conclusion, he spoke of the
beautiful sanctuary they were now
entering and eulogized the work OF
those who made its erection posi-
BILE.
Mr. Samuel D Carr, travelling sales
man for the Seigling Music House Of
Charleston, played an offertory on
the organ, which added to the mu-
sical programme of the occasion.
DR. White also conducted services
in the new church at night which
tba other denominations of the town