Episcopal Church History - GeneralEpiscopal Church
History
Compiled Information from the Collection of the
Martin-Wall History Room of the Davie County
Public Library
Mocksville, North Carolina
k-
«r>
The Episcopal Church in Davie County
The first services performed by an Episcopalian in Davie Coimty were held prior to 1848 in
''the village of Mocksville." Two prominent Davie County families were members of the Episcopal
Church. Both the Pearson and Hairston femilies were Episcopalians. The Rev. Thomas L. Davis,
Jr. records that he visited Mocksville in 1841. In 1846, after Rev. Davis moved to South Carolina,
The Rev. John Haywood Parker came to Mocksville. He reported to the Convention in 1847 that
there were nine communicants at Mocksville (Heitman, date not recorded).
The first Episcopal Church in Davie County was erected in 1848. St.. Phillips Episcopal
Church was organized in Mocksville about 1845. The Church was built at the comer of Salisbury
Street and Maple Avenue. The land for St.. Phillips Church was deeded to R.M. Pearson, Lemuel
Bingham, G.W. Pearson, J.A. Lillington, G.A. Miller and W.H. Beatty, Trastees. The land was
given by Catherine Pearson, wife of Congressman Joseph Pearson (Heitman, date not recorded).
In 1899, the brick structure was tom down and replaced by a frame building that collapsed in
November 1935 (Enterprise Record, 1935). It was noted in the Davie Record in 1935 that the
Church had not been used in the past 15 or 20 years.
The second Episcopal Church built in Davie County was the Church of the Good Shepherd
located in Cooleemee. The Rev. Francis Murdoch conducted services in the Church in 1901. The
mill at Cooleemee and the houses were not all built when the Episcopal Church was completed
(Duncan, 1963).
A Church is Built at Fork
The first recorded Episcopal Services in the Fork community were conducted by The Rev.
Theodore B. Lyman of Raleigh. The service was probably held in the old Pearson House at the
Cooleemee Plantation. Later, services were held in the present house. As attendance increased,
services were moved to the old kitchen located behind the Plantation house. Misses Ruth and
Agnes Hairston taught the classes (Hairston, 1991).
There were two classes every Sunday. A "white" class was held in the morning and a "colored"
class in the aftemoon. Sunday School classes were held at the Cooleemee Plantation after the
Church at Fork was built. They were discontinued before World War I (Hairston, 1991).
Seeing the need for an expanded Sunday School program. Miss Ruth Hairston made an
agreement with Mr. A.M. Foster of Fork. For $300 she rented the upstairs room of his store to be
used for a Sunday School room. It was j^in this room that Miss Hairston sponsored the "Girl's
Friendly Society" (Hairston, 1991). Foster's Store was located near the present site of John
Forrest's garden on the Fork-Bixby Road.
The first recorded baptism by an Episcopalian rector in the Fork community was that of Mrs.
G. Sanford (Cora Thompson) Kimmer who was baptized by The Rev. Thomas Lee Trott on
October 30, 1904. She was probably baptized in the hall at Cooleemee Plantation (Parish
Records, 1991). The Rev. E.A. Osbome held the first public celebration of Holy Communion in ^
the Fork community. The date for this service was June 10, 1906- the 200th anniversary of the
first celebration of Holy Communion by an Episcopalian minister in the state of North Carolina
jQ
On June 18, 1906, A. Milton Foster and his wife, Julia, deeded one acre of land to the
The consecration sermon was preached by The Rev. Cooke. The text for his sermon was St.. Luke
^ (Parish Records, 1991). -o ^
7-2 Trustee's of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the Diocese in Nortli Carolina (Davie County
a- ^
C
o ^ Register of Deeds, 1906). A Church was built on the lot in the Fork community. Q ^
JiC
=> O
The Bishop Joseph Blount Cheshire consecrated the Ascension Chapel on October 15,1909. <d
CO
O
a
19:46, "It is written, my house is the house of prayer." (Cheshire, 1909). The Bishop Cheshire
records in his journal on October 15, 1909, "I had the pleasure of consecrating the Chapel of the
Ascension near Fork village, built by the faithful labors of Misses Hairston of that county."
The Chapel was built on the "Bixby Road." The one story structure feced the dirt road and was
painted white. In viewing the earliest known photo of the Church (possibly made about 1909) we
note a shingled roof with a simple white cross located above the sanctuary. Shutters protected the
windows. The interior of the Church was a simple design, typical of most Episcopal Churches
built around the tum of the century. The sanctuary is noted for its intricate woodwork and pine
pews.
The Rev. Simeon J.M. Brown served as Pastor of Ascension Church from 1910 until 1919.
His work took him over Rowan and Davie Counties, over muddy roads and through cold winters.
He had great concem for the people and worked to serve the people (Duncan, 1964).
Miss Agnes Hairston died March 7, 1914. She was instrumentsal in the formation of the
Church of the Ascension. Church member Dr. Garland V. Greene served during World War I in
the Army Medical Corps and was stationed in Brest, France. He returned to Fork in 1917 and
established his medical practice. Church member and Vestryman, Peter Hairston served on the
Davie County Draft Board during World War I.
On October 3, 1936 Bishop Edwin A. Penick consecrated the Ascension cemetery for
Christian burials. The Davie Record states on February 12, 1941 that the Episcopal Church at
Fork generously assisted by its friends, has begun an addition to the building designed to serve as
class room, sacristy and choir room (Davie Record, 1941). Miss Ruth Hairston, who with her
sister, Agnes, was instrumental in the early teachings of the Episcopal Church in Davie County,
died October 7, 1947. She was buried at Ascension beside her brother, Peter Hairston who had
died November 14, 1943 (Church Burial Records, 1991).
The ordination of a new Episcopahan priest and groundbreaking ceremony for a new Parish
House was held Tuesday, June 9, 1953. The Rt. Rev. Edwin Penick of Raleigh officiated at the
ordination of Lemuel K. Roberson (Winston Salem Journal, 1953). The project began as a
venture with workmen of several denominations donating their services in preparing building
materials. In 1959 the Church celebrated its 50th anniversary. Bishop Richard Baker officiated at
a special service commemorating the anniversary of the Church.
On All Saints Day, November 1, 1964, The Rev. Downs Spitler dedicated the new Memorial
Church windows. In 1978 the Church constructed two Sunday School Classrooms. These rooms
were given in memory of Scott and Biddie Davis Goodman. In 1980 Mr. George Ryan Hairston
did the woodcarvings in solid oak to top the reredos, an ornamental structure above the altar. A
Church history was compiled, written and printed in 1991. This history includes photographs and
Church records. In 1996 the Church dedicated the first columnbarium built by a Church in Davie
County. In recent years, an extensive grounds improvement project has been successfully
completed.
The Church is currently served by The Rev. Edwin Bailey who hves in Cooleemee. The
congregation is steeped in tradition. Monte Taylor serves as Senior Warden of the Vestry. Vestry
Members include Wesley Baity (Junior Warden), Debbie Furches, Bryan Eagle, Kim Potts, Avalon
Potts. David Joyner and Elizabeth Mayo..The Church is involved in many local social programs.
Services are held weekly- 10:00 A.M. Sunday School for all ages. Worship Service at 11:00 A.M.
-submitted by David Joyner
Dsvie