The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1916-10-31
THE SILVER STREET
LUTHERAN CHURCH

Settlers began to came into this
part Of Newberry county about 1745.
There are so many German names and
German families in the community
that it is very evident that there were
Lutheran people here from the first.
'Ahy some of these are now outised the
Lutheran church Is explained, in part,
by the fact that there was no Lutheran
church in the community. The major
ity of the Lutheran people who re-
NAMED in the Lutheran church held
their membership at st. Luke's church
near Prosperity. St. Luke's church
was too far away to hold its own in
this section.
In 1872 preaching services began to
be held at Dead Fall. and the people
were looking forward to a Lutheran
church. In the minutes of the South
Carolina synod for the year 1875 there
Is this paragraph: 1.-THE Dead Fall
mission has been cared for by the
Newberry conference for nearly three
years. At the last meeting of the
conference it was voted that the misis-
ters Of conference should raise COL
lections to aid in building a church
as soon as the people at Dead Fall
raise four hundred dollars for thai
purpose. The prospect is bright for
"a house of God to be erected at that
place at no distant day.
The church was never built, doubt
less because the four hundred dol
lars were never raised
In the fall of 1903 l went to ST..
Lukes, S. c., and become pastor of St.
Luke's church. In a short while
was told of the Lutheran people at
Dead Fall, and that I should visit
them Among those who mentioned
this matter, there was Dr. w. Z.
Lake who added the following re-
mark: "These people ought to have
a Lutheran church up there" This
was the first time that 1 heard Of
the need of a Lutheran church at
Dead Fall or Silver Street. I soon
made visit to the community bap-
tizing Maggie Boozer, William Dewitt
Boozer, Jerome Faegan Havird and
John Grady Long, but began no move
ment for church.
IN 1907 l made visit to the home
of the late Mr. Thomas S. Blair. He
informed me that Mr.. G. A Ropp had
moved to Silver Street and was max
ing an effort to build Lutheran
church at Silver Street. 1 soon found
that the movement was gaining
strength and that it was of sufficient
Importance to receive attention.
In the spring of 1907 a meeting
was called at the home of Mr.. B. M.
Havird and the question of building
church was considered The fact
that there was no church of any de-
nomination here appealed to me very
much. 1t was decided that a church
be built, and the beautiful site which
the church now occupies was select
ed. The movement was full of en-
thusiasm, but yet it soon began to lag.
In the spring of 1908, I was en-
couraged by the Rev. T. w Beden-
laugh to believe that aid in building
a church could be secured from the
South Carolina synod. I then renew
ed the work. In the meantime Mr..
B. M. Havird had erected a school
house at Silver Street at his own eX-
pense. On Easter Sunday, Mr.. H. O.
Long came to st. Lukes and asked
me to come to Silver Street and hola
service occasionally in this school
house On the following Sunday I
held service in the school house, which
was probably the first service Of this
kind held in Silver Street. The ser
vice was we'll attended.
1t was at this service that found
that Mr.. D. B. Wheeler had moved
into the community. I had known
him before and his presence was very
helpful to me. a; Sunday school was