Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1942-01-23
BOyhOOd RGCOllGCtiOnS
The Five Churches OF POCOmOke
City
CHAPTER ].
INTRODUCTION
By EBEN HEARNE

cord some of my boyhood recollec-
tons connected with five of the chur-
ehes of Pocomoke City seventy-five
years or more ago: st. Mary's, Prot
estant Episcopal, First Baptist, Pitts
Greek Presbyterian, Bethany Metho-
dist, and Salem Methodist. l aim to
devote two chapters to each church
One chapter for history and one chap
ter for real estate,
The years that wish to include in
these chapters extend from 1860 to
1869, inclusive | also aim to describe
m detil the real estate holdings Of
each individual church during the en-
tire period of the church's existence.
Some of this information will be new
to many individuals of the present
generation.
1t has required considerable time
and research on my part to obtain
the required data from the Records
of Wills and Deeds in the vaults of
the Court House of Worcester County
in Snow Hill, Md,
This article, or chapter, No. l, will
be a preface or introduction to the
subject in hand.
It is we'll to remember that the four
basic institutions of free state or
a community are the State, the Home,
the School and the Church The aim
and endeavor of every one should be
to fill properly any position in each
of these that he or she may be called
upon to occupy A complete educa-
ton must include personal dedica-
ton OF each of these institutions,
BY the influences in the home
where the teachings of the Bible are
instilled into the minds of the chill
dren, the School, the Church and the
State receive the benefit by becom-
ing strong and better able to fulfill
their mission in the world
The history of any church, regard
less of denomination or location, is an
interesting story. The history of any
church whether it be the rude log
tiers of any new country or the plain
frame building of later day, or the
brick edifice of a still later period or
the magnificent marble or granite
church or cathedral of the present
age is packed full with interesting eX-
periences; each comes in for its share
of historic events connected with its
past life, Each community, every
town. and every city all have attvae,
tive features connected with their
houses of worship, livery faithful add
kerent of \ church is profoundly in.
terested in its prosperity and is will
ing to make individual sacrifices of
time, physical strength, and means to
further the prosperity of that insti-
tuition. How thankful we of the pres
ent generation should be that our
forefathers and, none the less potent,
fore-mothers were followers of the
meek and lowly Saviour and who
showed their interest in the spiritual
needs of the members of their re-
spective family and community in CO.
operating in a movement to establish
churches in which to worship the true
and living God.
1t is a credit to this charming lit
tie city of ours that soon after a few
pioneers had established a home at
the little clearing on the Pocomoke
River at the foot of our present Mar
ket Street, the village then known as
Stevens Ferry, they cooperated with
Col. VIM. Stevens and Rev. Francis
Mackenzie in erecting the first church
probably of logs, a Presbyterian
church near the bank of the river, on
a spot of land at the foot of what is
now Willow Street
We must remember that at that
time (around 1889 this country was
an English Colony and as the Protes-
tant Episcopal Church was the es-
tablished church, the Presbyterians
were classed as dissenters and their
houses of worship were called Meet
ing Houses. At later date and I'M
til far into the 10th century Metho-
dist churches were also called Meet
ing Houses. The church built under
Rev. Francis Makemie's supervision
gave new name to the little village
and for many years, it was known rs
Meeting House Landing.
Each of the original buildings OF
the five churches Of this TOWN WAS
erected during the time that this towr
was known by the name of Newtown
that is between the years 1870 anC
1878; Salem Methodist in 1908; Beth.
any Methodist in 1884, Pitts Creel
Presbyterian in 1914; st. Mary
Protestant Episcopal in 1916; anC