The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1917-11-01
Early History
of Union County
CONTINUED from page one)

Academy was brick building 45 feet
long and % feet wide. on the lot where
Mr.. Jason Greer now lives. During
the time that Mr.. Murchison had
charge of the Female Academy, a
number of girls from yhe low country
refugeed here. They boarded in the
hotel where the Citizens Bank now
stands, and attended the Academy.
Cotton was stored in the basement
and yard of the hotel, and when the
marching on Union, Mr.. Murchison,
fearing for the safety of the girls,
took them down to the house now oc-
cupicd by Mr.. Thos. McNally, and 40
girls slept in one room. Or rather they
spent the night in one room-I doubt
| if there was much sleeping! In la
ter years Il school was conducted in
this same house by the Misses Young,
! sisters of Mr.. John X. Young, who
was one of Unions most cultured and
well known men.
Churches.
The oldest church in Union from
| the point Of organization is the Pres
hyteran. When PreSbytcry decided
/ to erect building in Unionvlle. and
discontinue services mt Browns Creek
or old Union church, ;he land was giv-
en- by Alexander Macbeth, and the
irst church building was up where
the old Presbyterian cemetery now is.
Preaching began in UniOnvillc in
1919. The church was rcorganizcd in
1910, with Il membership of -. In
/ 1915 J.. w. Curtis was the stated sup
| ply until iS49. The elders were W.
X. Clowney, William Perry and c..
| Brandon. Later the church was
moved to the present site on South
street
The first Methodist church was
built near the site of the present of
flee building of the Union Buffalo
cotton mills-ncarby was the old pop
lar spring at which the church-go-
ers slaked their thirst. and around
which many merry group of young
people assembled in the time of all
day meetings, and old-fashioned sing
ing schools.
The present Methodist church was
built in 1S72-73,thc land being Civ
Ien by A. w. Thomson and II.
l.. Goss. Mr. Dudley Culp fur
nished the rock to build the church
and the congregation gave him the
privilege of naming the church and
he chose the name Grace" Mrs.
George Perrin, nee Miss Ida Rice, our
honored chaplain, was the first person
to be married in this church.
The old Baptist church was burned
IN January, 1905; it was on the cor
ncr of Main and Church streets and
was built through the generosity and
efforts of Col. Ferdinand S"aife: the
dedicatory sermon being preached in
1898 by DR.. Richard Furman, an emf
ncnt Baptist divine, for whose family
turman University was named 9th
er buildings were destroyed by the |
fire of l905-the coolest day on rec,
ord in Union-among them an old > |
story wooden building which con-
tained the books of the old Union Ii /
brary Association.
The Church of the Nativity (Epis- |
copaD is the oldest church building
still standing in Union. The half |
century anniversary was celebrated |
some years ago when G. II. Jordan |
was rector. 1t was largely through |
the liberality Of Judge Dawkins and |
the untiring efforts of his wife that
the church was erected and the archi-
lecture and much of the arrangement
and carving on wood is the handi- |
work of the Rev. J. d. MCCULLOUGH |
The land was given by the Farrars.
The first church wedding in Union
took place in the Church of the Nativ-
ity, when Miss Susannah Rawls be-
came the bride Of Or. Melvin Carter
of Ashcville, n. c.
IrnprlnloI