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Summer 2013 Newsletter
Fall Annual Meeting: October 12
Presbyterians in the Catawba
Valley
Our fall meeting for 2013 will bring us to two
Presbyterian churches within the vibrant, All-
American City of Hickory, in the Catawba River
Valley of North Carolina. This will be the first visit
of the North Carolina Presbyterian Historical
Society to Hickory in the almost half-century since
its formation.
First Presbyterian Church (237 Second Street
NW) is celebrating 140 years in service and worship
this year. First is the mother church of two churches
as well: Sweetwater (500 21st Street SE), which we
will not be able to visit because of a schedule
conflict, and Northminster (3730 North Center
Street, which is NC 127).
Hickory had its beginnings in the nineteenth
century as a trading stop on the Western North
Carolina Railroad. Named “Hickory Tavern” for the
large hickory tree outside the social center of the
community, Hickory has grown into the twenty-first
century as a bustling center of trade, health care,
education, and manufacturing in the fourth largest
metropolitan area of North Carolina. Hard working
citizens of the region have seen Hickory named an
All-American City three times: in 1967, 1987, and
2007. Furniture manufacturing is still an important
part of the economy of the area, but grocery
wholesaler MDI, communications giant Century
Link, and Duke Energy Progress are also vital
members of the community.
The town of Hickory was chartered in 1870 and
traces its roots back to the 1700s, when German
settlers began their migration into formerly Native-
American lands. According to historian and Hickory
native Abby Hart, the location of the intersection of
the Cherokee and Catawba trading paths was close
by. The first permanent European-based settlement
in North Carolina, the Spanish fort San Juan, was
located about fifteen miles west near the Native-
American town of Joara, and was established in
1567, predating the Lost Colony on Roanoke Island
by almost 20 years. The stagecoach and railroads
entered the area by the middle of the nineteenth
century, and a center of activity soon developed.
After the Civil War, Hickory grew at an
impressive rate economically and socially. It became
a regional leader in cultural and educational
development and saw the establishment of Lenoir-
Rhyne College in 1891. Lenoir Rhyne is a private,
liberal arts institution, which is affiliated with the
Lutheran Church. In 1913, Hickory became the third
city in the United States to establish a city manager
form of government. Six city council members and a
mayor are elected in a ward system, and a city
manager is appointed to act as a CEO for managing
the operations, implementation of policy, and
delivery of city services.
The twentieth century saw manufacturing grow
and prosper in Hickory. By the 1960s, almost 50
furniture plants and 100 textile and other
manufacturers were employing the almost 37,000
residents. Historical preservation groups began to
stress the importance of preserving the heritage of
Hickory, and nine buildings and four historic
districts are recognized by the National Register of
Historic Places. A regional airport, two regional
medical centers, a large shopping community, and a
minor-league baseball team, the Hickory Crawdads,
bring many visitors and potential residents into the
community once described by Readers' Digest as the
10th most desirable place to live.
Established in 1873, the beautiful and historic
First Presbyterian Church of Hickory resides in an
impressive location at the corner of Second Street
NW and Third Avenue NW in downtown Hickory.
The building, originally constructed in 1906 and
expanded on numerous occasions, is a landmark that
is a part of the National Register of Historic Places.
First Church will be our starting point for our
meeting, and we will tour the beautiful facility, hear
about the numerous mission opportunities and
projects that they offer for service to the community
and throughout the world, and explore their 140-year
history.
Northminster Presbyterian Church serves the
northern part of Hickory and was established as a
mission church in 1964 by members of First
Presbyterian. Northminster also offers local and
world-wide mission projects, community services,
and an impressive community garden. We will hear
about these and tour their architecturally unique
campus, as well as explore their nearly 50 years of
service and worship. The North Carolina
Presbyterian Historical Society shares the same
birthday as Northminster!
Oktoberfest in Hickory!
A celebration of the cultural
heritage and German influence
of the early settlers of the
Catawba Valley will this year
coincide with the visit of the NCPHS. 
October 11-13
is Oktoberfest in downtown Hickory, an event that
will bring additional excitement and entertainment
opportu nities to the neighborhood. The “premier
annual festival” for Hickory includes three stages of
non-stop live entertainment ranging from traditional
polka to rock & roll, two beer gardens, amusement
rides, carnival games, a juried arts and crafts show,
and hundreds of food and commercial vendors. The
ninth annual Carolina Orthopedic Oktoberfest
Footrace will also be taking place early Saturday
morning, so watch out for the runners/walkers!
This promises to be a really enjoyable weekend,
and we hope you can join us. See below for directions, accommodation information, and registration form.
Presbyterian Heritage Center News
Joyful, Joyful: Psalters & Hymnals, a
500-Year Musical Journey
A very interesting new exhibit has opened at the
Presbyterian Heritage Center in Montreat. On
display are rare psalters, including the first English
language psalter for congregational use (1567);
shape-note tune books; hymnals from early days to
the very latest; musical recordings; and related
artifacts. Until the end of August, the exhibit also
includes Martin Luther's first psalter/hymnal (1524),
on loan from the Lutheran School of Theology in
Chicago. Otherwise, the entire exhibit will remain
on display until Fall, 2014.
Another new exhibit is titled On the Air & in the
Movies: The 20th Century History of Presbyterians
in Broadcasting Communications. Featured are
early broadcasting systems, the Protestant Radio and
Television Center, and individuals such as Fred
Rogers, an ordained Presbyterian minister and host
of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.
Other current exhibits include Pottery from the
Holy Land (2,000 to 5,000 years old), and an exhibit
that changes monthly, displaying seldom-seen
treasures from their artifact and photographic
collections.
To mark the 500th birthday of John Knox, the
PHC will host the North American Symposium on
Knox, March 7-8, 2014. For more information or to
register, visit their website www.phcmontreat.org or
call 828-669-6556
Church Celebrations
As usual, many Presbyterian churches are
celebrating significant anniversaries this year, and
our society seeks to congratulate them on reaching
that milestone. However, we know of three lists of
NC Presbyterian churches that include their dates of
establishment, and the dates for many churches vary
from list to list! If you know of an anniversary that
we have missed, please let us know.
Two churches have been brought to our attention
with celebrations this fall. Union Presbyterian
Church of Carthage was established in 1787, and its
second church was built in 1813. That building still
stands today and will be celebrated at a 200th
Homecoming event on Sept. 6-8. Events will
include a Scottish Ceilidh dance Friday night in
Pinehurst, worship in the old church Saturday
morning, historical and genealogical lectures that
afternoon at Union and Eureka churches, and lunch
on the grounds after Sunday worship. The Rev.
Donald McDonald of the Isle of Lewis will be
preaching on Saturday and Sunday. Details and registration on their web page or telephone 910-947-3890.
Then on Sept, 27-29, Bethesda Presbyterian
Church in Aberdeen will celebrate its 225th
anniversary. Friday night there will be a play tracing
Bethesda's history, accompanied by Scottish folk
dancing and dessert. Saturday will feature a talk on
early hymns that would have been sung at Old
Bethesda, followed by tours of the graveyard, which
dates to the late 1700s. There will also be tours of
Middle Bethesda, with photos and memories from
1910-1972, and of New Bethesda. After the tours
there will be an old-time gospel sing and pot of
Brunswick Stew at Old Bethesda. Sunday a Scottish
worship service will be held at Old Bethesda,
followed by a picnic on the grounds.
Spring Tour, Apr. 25-26, 2014
Sam Martin is
planning a most interesting tour for us next spring in
eastern Guilford and western Alamance counties. It
will be our society's 50th anniversary! So do plan to
join the celebration.
Awards
If you know of a recently published church history or a completed history project that you feel is worthy of consideration for an award, please send the book or a description of the project to Awards Chairman Mrs. Joy Heitmann 5021 Elaine Ave., Raleigh, NC. Awards are
given in the spring for works published or completed
in the previous year or in a recent year
Executive Board Meeting
April 19, 2013
The NCPHS Board of Directors met in Tarboro
after the evening program of the Spring Tour. After
approving minutes of the previous meeting, they
received and approved reports from the treasurer and
the membership chair. Our program chairman Sam
Martin reported that the fall meeting will be held at
the First Presbyterian Church in Hickory on October
12. Current plans are for the Spring Tour of 2014 to
include several historic churches in eastern Guilford
County. President John Myhre appointed Barbara
Cain, Sally Owens, and Don Saunders to the
nominating committee. Officers to be elected this
fall are the president, secretary, treasurer, and
membership chairman.
General Meeting of the Society, April 20
After lunch on Saturday on the Spring Tour, Mrs.
Joy Heitmann presented the church history award for
2012 to Presbyterians in North Carolina: Race,
Politics, and Religious Identity in Historical
Perspective, written by Dr. Walter H. Conser, Jr.,
professor of religion and history at UNC
Wilmington, and Dr. Robert J. Cain, former editor of
the Colonial Records of North Carolina (Second
Series). It was published by the University of
Tennessee Press.
Executive
Board Members
John
Myhre, President and Acting Treasurer
1005 Park Ave., Garner, NC 27529
Phone: (919) 772-5514
E-mail: johnmyhre@nc.rr.com
Ada Winter, Secretary
4508 Bost Court, Raleigh NC 27616-5377
E-mail: awinters1@nc.rr.com
Sam
Martin, Program and Publicity Chair
P.O. Box 1037, Biscoe, NC 27209-1037
Phone: (910) 428-4165
E-mail: smartin8@embarqmail.com
Barbara
T. Cain, Membership Chair and
Newsletter Editor
1041 Shelley Road, Raleigh, NC 27609
Phone: (919)-782-0944
E-mail: btcain@nc.rr.com
Joy Heitmann, Awards Chair
5021 Elaine Ave., Raleigh, NC
Phone: (919) 862-0529
E-mail: joy_heitmann@mindspring.com
Sally
MacLeod Owens, Historian
710 N. Person Street #204, Raleigh, NC 27604
Phone: (919)-835-0920
Email: sally.owens76@gmail.com
Dr.
Donald B. Saunders, Past President
P.O. Box 1846, Blowing Rock, NC 28605
Phone: (828) 295-8917
E-mail: saundersdb@bellsouth.net
Memories of our Spring Tour -- Tarboro, 2013
By Barbara Cain
Photos by John Myhre
This year our tour began at the Visitors Center
in Princeville, NC, located just across the river
from Tarboro. There we had a warm welcome
from Mr. Rudolph Knight and Larry Auld and
heard a most interesting presentation on the
history of the town, founded in 1865 by former
slaves and incorporated in 1885. They have
struggled over the years, especially since the
devastating flood of 1999 when most of the
town was under water for three weeks. The
community has pulled together, however, and
the town has survived.
Our next stop was the lovely country church of Nahalah,
just over the line in Scotland Co. We were met there by
Elbert Phelps, Rev. Ed Connor, and Ralph, the
Presbyterian Boston Terrier who comes every Sunday,
greets everyone, and then sleeps in his special pew in the
back of the church.
From Nahalah we went to the William and Mary
Hart Presbyterian Church in Leggett, where Rev.
Ronn McCracken is pastor. Begun in 1890 as
Olivet, it was renamed in 1921 to honor the
children of the man who donated the money and
material for their present building. Our group then
had a brief break at the motel, followed by a very
good dinner in Tarboro. That evening the officers
of the society held a meeting in the motel.
Saturday morning our travels took us
first to Cobb Memorial, begun as a
mission church from Howard Memorial.
There we met Elder Richard Harrell,
who told us about the church, and saw
Rev. Ed Connor once again. Mr.
Connor is pastor at both Cobb and
Nahalah and told us how much he
enjoys working with small churches. We
then had a very interesting discussion
about small Presbyterian churches in
eastern North Carolina. The lives of
these churches are very different from
those of larger churches, and they feel their needs are not a high priority at presbytery. New Hope
Presbytery, though, has recently signalled an interest in listening more closely to these congregations
and establishing better ties. We also had our picture taken there!
We then had a delightful visit to historic Tarboro at the large
plantation house built by Gen. Thomas Blount in 1808 just outside
the town at that time and at the Pender Museum. The latter has no
historical connection with the Pender family, but was moved to its
present site from the country near Conetoe with the help of that
family. Built about 1810 by Silas and Rebecca Everett, it is a fine
example of the typical modest home of most middling to small
farmers of the coastal plain in the nineteenth century. It is furnished
with locally hand-made furniture of the time. Barbara Campbell-
Davis, former executive of New Hope Presbytery and native of
Tarboro, then led the group on a walk through part of the historic town and over to the beautiful Calvary
Episcopal Church. The old graveyard surrounding the church is in the midst of a lovely arboretum
created by Dr. Joseph Blount Cheshire, rector from 1842 to 1889, from seeds and cuttings sent by
missionaries from around the world.
Our final stop was the very beautiful Howard
Memorial Presbyterian Church in Tarboro. It was
also badly damaged in the flood of 1999 but has
been beautifully refurbished. Even the stained
glass was carefully cleaned and re-leaded. As a
special treat, their organist gave us a brief concert
on their very fine organ.
After lunch in their Fellowship Hall, Mrs. Joy
Heitmann announced that the Society's church
history award for 2012 was given to Presbyterians
in North Carolina: Race, Politics, and Religious
Identity in Historical Perspective, by Dr. Walter H.
Conser, Jr., and Dr. Robert J. Cain. The award
was then presented to Dr. Cain.
The week after our tour, the Daily Southerner newspaper of Tarboro ran a very nice story about our
visit to Princeville, accompanied by this photo of our
president, John Myhre, with Mr. Rudolph Knight.
Directions to First Presbyterian Church
- On I-40, take exit 125, Lenoir-Rhyne Blvd.
- Go north on Lenoir-Rhyne Blvd. for 1.3 miles.
- Turn left onto 1st Avenue for .4 miles.
- Turn right onto 2nd Street NE for .3 miles.
- Turn left onto 3rd Avenue NE for .5 miles. Christ is on the corner with 2nd Street NW on left. Turn into parking lot just past the sanctuary. Fellowship hall is new building with lots of windows.
North Carolina Presbyterian Historical Society Annual Meeting
Schedule
and Registration
Saturday, October 12, 2013
9:15 -
Registration and coffee -- First Presbyterian Church, 237 Second St. NW, Hickory.
Social and catch-up time
10:00
- Tour of First Presbyterian Church Hickory.
11:00 - Business Meeting:
Reports,
Election of Officers,
Unfinished and New Business
12:00 - Tour of Northminster Presbyterian Church
Rev.
1:00 - Lunch at Crossroads Grill
2:00 - Adjourn
Accommodation: If you would like to stay overnight, you might try the Quality Suites, 1125 13th Ave.
Dr. SE (near I-40, Exit 125), $72 + tax (Senior Rate), (828) 323-1211. There is also a Quality Inn north
of town on Hwy 321, which is nearer Northminster (828) 431-2100.
Please send form below and check (payable to NCPHS) by Oct. 3 to NCPHS, P.O. Box 20804, Raleigh,
NC 27619-0804. If you have questions, please contact our Program Chairman Sam Martin at smartin8@embarqmail.com, (910) 428-4165.
** Click here to download the North Carolina Presbyterian Historical Society Annual Meeting registration form.**
