Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1942-10-15
MONTGOMERY SIDELIGHTS
BIZ ELSIE WHITE HAINEs


The celebration of the 18th
anniversary of st. Paul's M. E.
Church in Laytonsville brings an
echo of the "War Between the
States" which brought about a
"split" in the Methodist Church
resulting in the establishment of
the Methodist Episcopal Church,
South, and causing the mother
Church to become enormously
known as the Northern Church.
Until the war, all the Metho-
dists in the neighborhood had wor-
shipped at old Goshen Church, one
Of the oldest Of that denomination
in this part of the State. At that
time they were a part of the Rock
vile Circuit and from minutes Of
the quarterly conference they evil
IDENTIFY had many churches in the
circuit. From notes prepared
from the minutes by the late Rev.
James E. James of Burtonsville,
you learned many interesting
things about st. Paul's.
We have heard rumors of both
the "North" and the South
Methodists trying to hold services
in Goshen simultaneously, and
indeed there must have been some
truth to the rumor for in 1866 we
find this note: "Goshen, Brooke
vile and Emory Churches will be
required for the exclusive use of
the Ministers and members of the
M. E. Church. w. H. Jones was
appointed to wait upon J. L. Gil
bert of the M. E. Church, South,
and so informs him." However
the Southern" members in Gosh
en- and Emory were evidently
stronger for we find them holding
the churches and the regular M.
Els establishing themselves else
where.
The first conference was held in
Laytonsville August A, 1866. Those
present were: John Lanahan, pre-
siding elder; D. W. Arnold,
preacher; C. w. Hobbs, Jr.,
preacher; Thomas English, Uriah
Griffith. Israel Warield, G. W.
Appleby, William r. Fulks, J.
Duley, and H. Metts. These gen
tlemen decided to dissolve the
Board of Trustees Of Rockville
and appoint new board and to
appoint a camp-meeting COM
mittee. At this time salaries for
the preachers of the new circuit
were set at $500 per year for the
preacher in charge" and 5000
for the junior preacher. The old
camp meeting ground, by the way,
was just about where George
Plummer's house sets, according
to Mr.. Frank Dwyer.
October 81, 1866, the following
building committee was appointed
John L. Layton, F. s. Beall, I. G.
Warfield, j. Duley, Tilghman
Thompson and VIM. H. Jones, and
the preachers were authorized to
collect money to build the church
August 10, 1857, quarterly
conference was held at Laytons-
vile at the camp meeting grounds
The circuit then was composed Of
Laytonsville, Brookeville, Rock
vile, Emory, Germantown and
Rainers at Norbeck. The trustees
for Laytonsville were G. w. Mob
ley, F. L. Bell, C. F. Duvall and
Hezekiah Weeks. (Mr. Weeks was
Mrs. Frank Dryers father, and
was married to Miss Hogan Of
Ellicott City the same year the
church was built.
In May, 1866, Triadelphia and
Brighton appear as appointments
A missionary committee was ap'
pointed, composed of Sister E
Mobley, Sister M. Bell, and Sister
E. Duley. In 1859 there was men
ton of st. Pauls, st. Luke's
Grace Church and a Trinity
Church. st. Paul's is identified
as Laytonsville Church, but tbs
others we do not know about.
The minutes also tell how the
land was acquired. Report Of
Board of Trustees Of st. Paul's
Church, Laytonsville. First, we
secured a lot of sufficient dimen.
sions through the kindness OF
John L. Layton on which we have
erected a church, dimension 46x30
at a cost of between $500 and
$4,000. Debt, only $31.93."
Second, we have also secured
through the kindness of Mr.. Geo