The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1938-06-17

Rev John Grimke Drayton. foun-
der of the famous Magnolia Gar
dens OF Charleston, was at the
time rector of the church at Flat
Rock, and there seems little doubt
that he was the minister who as
sisted Bishop Atkinson.
Rev. Mr.. Jarvis Buxton was at
/ that time rector of Trinity church,
Asheville.
. OF interest in connection with
the conservation of st. James
church is the fact that at the hour
in which this service was beng
held. the battle of Chickamauga
was raging in all its ferceness.
Five days before the consecra-
ton, Andrew Miller had convey
ed to T. E. Evans, w. D. Miller,
w. E. Massie and William Shipp,
as wardens, vestry and trustees,
the lot on which the building had
been erected, for the sum of
$100. Among the communicates
! of the church there were not suf-
ficient men to form vestry, and
W. D.. Miller, though Presbyter-
ian. was chosen because Of the
devoted interest of his wife.
I Mrs. William Shipp, formerly
Miss Cameron, and sister of
Rev. Mr.: Buttons wife, was prob
ably the strongest influence in
establishing the church in this
parish. She worked and collected
large part of the money nee
essary to pay off the indebted
ness, and all traditions are that
she laid the corner stone. The
Shipp home, a Queen Ann house
of brick. stood on the grounds oc-
cupied by Alpine Inn. and por-
ton of the first building is en-
closed in its walls. Mr.. Ships law
office was in a brick building
which stood near the street, and
within recent years, alterations
and additions have been made to
adapt it for. use as dwelling
( house.
The Ship home, after they
moved away, was known as Sell
den Park Villa, whose last owner
died intestate. His property ex-
cheated to the University of North
/ Carolina, and was purchased from
its trustees by the church. A stur-
dy little house built Of logs, NOR
tised and tenoned. and fastened
with locust pegs stood near the
church, and in it Miss Fanny Pat
ton of Asheville taught school
for some time, in the years fol-
lowing the war. .-..-
About 1900, the vestry deemed
it advisable to provide a rectory,
and house once owned by Ma
jor Anderson, which stood on the
opposite side of Main street, was
procured. A man from Spartan
burg brought his equipment, OPP
Grated by mule power, and moved
the building across the street.
Only the few who had the con-
fidence of older negroes knew
that the problem of securing
servant to work for the minister's
family had its foundation in a
superstition that to move house
whose builder was dead was to in
vite chants" to come back and
shake it apart later. The friendly
snake that lived under the floor.
and occasionally slithered and
warped its way up and down the
walls might have done good SER
vice in Kidding the place of mice
and rats,-but it also accounted
for the hasty departure of more
than one good colored servant.
Unlike the other early church
es Of the town, St. James never
had burial ground on the prop
erty. The one body buried there
before the war, a Mr.. Arledge,
was later moved to the city ceme-
terry.
About 1900, the original old
well near the church was filled
and closed, but remnants of the
ice house can still be seen. Light
ming struck a huge oak, whose
rings showed it to be more than
two centuries old. After the tree
was removed, its stump was bur-
led between the church and the
present rectory.
A bronze tablet to the men,
DRY of Miss Augusta Williams and
Miss Fannie Wetmore, which &C.
cupies the west wall of the church,
is a constant reminder of great
friendship. These two women had
spent years travelling to all parts
of the world together, before their
way led to Hendersonville, where
Miss Williams died in 1900.
Among their other community in
tefests, the friends had provided
that the life insurance of each
was to be paid to the other-and
that whichever died first, the 9TH
er should "keep her memory
green" at the place where she
passed away. For more than twen-
ty years, Miss Fannie Wetmore,
a member of the Dutch Reformed
church, returned to Henderson
vile each year, and as q memoir
iai to Miss Williams, devoted
much of her time to identifying
the grounds, repairing the build
ing, providing chairs, new carpets
and ether furnishings for the
church of her friends faith-St.
James Episcopal.