Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1955-09-29

the area was in l(bO under the
name of the Pleasant Plains of
Damascus. Among the names of
the early families to settle in the
area we find the Duvalls who
came around 1760, the Purdums,
BoyerS, Kings, Pooles, Burdettes,
Monkeys, Souders, Hyatts, Cla-
gets and others.
Though the earliest land grant
contained the name of Damas-
Gus, the small town as it grew
was blessed or cursed as the
reader may feel with the name
Of "Black Ankle. This name,
Mgain according to the old
timers, grew out of travellers
passing through the town and
commenting on the dirty ankles
of some of the lady inhabitants
shown as they lifted their skirts
to cross the muddy road.
In the present town of Damas.
Gus much of the social and civic
activity has been conferred around
the Methodist Church, until very
recently the only church in
Damascus. (There is now a
Seventh-Day Adventist Church
and plans are under way to build
Catholic Church,
The Montgomery circuit of
the Methodist Church was sepa-
rated from the Frederick circuit
in 1873, but it was not until 1870
that the first Methodist church
was built in Damascus. Prior
to that time services had been
held first intermittently by the
circuit riders wherever possible
and then with more regularity
at Browns chapel near the site
of the later Howard chapel, at
Mt. Lebanon schoolhouse and at
@Thompson's schoolhouse on the
EFrank Duvall farm.
Among the leaders in bringing
church to Damascus were
Nathan Warthen, P. M. Smith,
William Bowman and John r.
Mount. The first building was
erected under the direction of
John r. Mount on land given by
Wesley Miles with lumber donat-
ed by Wesley Darby somewhat
to the rear of the site of the
present church building.
The early days of Methodism
in. Damascus were not easy for
the preacher. These were the
days of the travelling circuit
rider who braved spring muds
on horseback.
In fact, amazingly, they look
ed forward to snow time since
then was the easiest travelling
via a sleigh. Revival meetings
were very popular and very well
attended since they provided not
only religious inspiration but
also a social gathering important
to a widely scattered group with
! poor means of transportation and
Salmost non-eXistent roads.
With the building of the church
in Damascus, the old-time circuit
rider passed out of the local
scene. The first church, built in
1870, was by the end of the cen
fury inadequate for the commu-
nifty and it was also badly in need
of repair.
What to do about it became a
matter of considerable debate.
The debate was solved once and
for all by the memorable and
destructive hailstorm of 1899
which among other damage done
in the area wrecked the church
building beyond further use or
repair.
The second church building
was dedicated on January q,
1900. Church trustees at the
time were Nathan Burdette, Levi
Pearce, John T. Baker, George
w. Burns, A. McKendree Bow
man, Rufus K. King and Jerry
L. Burdette.
AS the twentieth century reach.
ed its third decade, the needs Of
D the church community again had
' to be met and in 1882 a new
church was built and consecrated
on December 10 of that year.
The building committee con.
sisted of the chairman, DR..
George M. Boyer, c. w. Day, NJ.
II. Watkins, Mrs. Clifford Stan.
ley, Bradley M. Woodfield and
the pastor, the Rev. w. Clark
Main. Still later an educational
annex was added and the church
has of course grown with the
community and made additional
Improvements.
Two important dates i'm the
life of the growing community
are 1888 when Damascus was
created as an election district
and 1914 when the first hard