The old Davidson River Church.
On Sunday, September 10th, members and friends
of the Brevard Davidson River Presbyterian Church
celebrated the 150th anniversary of the Church.
An anniversary Hke this inevitably leads memories
back to recollections of other days, earlier scenes and
events. The sesquicentennial of this church affords
an excellent opportunity to raise the curtains of his
tory and gaze into its background.
For several years prior to 1800 the territory west
of the Blue Ridge mountains was the field of Rev.
George Newton, pastor of Piney Grove (Swann
anoa) Church. This church was erected in 1790, and
from the door could be seen a beautiful mountain
rising in the distance. Mr- Newton named the moun
tain "Pisgah” for the Biblical Mountain Tract from
which Moses looked into the Promised Land.
Mr. Newton established preaching points, or camp
meeting grounds, at Reems Creek (Weaverville),
Cane Creek (Fletcher), Mills River, Davidson Riv
er, Forks of Pigeon (Waynesville) and other points.
Camp Meetings were usually held in the various com
munities after the corn was "laid by” and before
"frost”, and meetings usually lasted two weeks or
more. Mr. Newton also established Newton Academy
in what is now the city of Asheville.
While the records of the organization of David
son River Church have been lost, we are able to place
the date fairly accurate. The records of the Synod
of the Carolina (1795-1813) show Samuel Davis as
pastor of the Davidson River Church in 1800. At the
October meeting in 1800, the Synod of the Presby
tery of Greenville was established, consisting of I
North Carolina and much of East Tennessee, and
named as preachers were George Newton, Samuel!
Davis, Samuel Doak, and a Mr. Bachman. This Pres
bytery was dissolved in 1884.
Francis Asbury, the great misisonary Bishop of
the Methodist Church, mentions this church in his
diary. Under the date of November 18, 1800, he
wrote: "We crossed the French Broad to Davidson’s.
The aged Mother and daughter insisted on giving
notice for a meeting; in consequence thereof, Mr.
Davis, the Presbyterian Minister and several others
came together. Brother Whatcoat was taken with
the bleeding of the nose, so that necessity was laid
upon me to lecture. My subject was Luke XI; 17—
Every Kingdom divided against itself is brought to
desolation; and the house divided against itself
falleth.”
The Church became dormant sometime prior to
1828. In May, 1828, a petition was sent to the Con
cord Presbytery to send someone to re-organize the
Church. In June of the same year, Rev. H. M. Kerr,
the Home Missionary Evangelist of the Concord
Presbytery, met and organized the Church, with Rev.
Christopher Bradshaw as pastor and John Murry,
G- D. Davis and Ethan Davis as elders. The re-or
ganized church had 28 members which included Rev.
S?muel Davis.
In the early days of the church, the buildings were
only large rough sheds, and a few shacks for those
attending camp meetings. The first permanent struc
ture was erected in 1826-7, on land conveyed by
Benjamin Davidson, for whom Davidson River was
named, "to the trustees of the free meeting house.”
The second building was constructed about 1855, |
with two large school rooms on the ground floor
(The Davidson River Academy), and the church I
was on the upper floor. This building was destroyed
by fire in 1891. The church then conveyed a lot on
the south end of its ground to the school committee,
and rebuild the church which is now standing by
Davidson River.
In 1887 or 1888, during the pastorate of Rev. W.
H. Davis, the Brevard church was erected as a branch
chapel of Davidson River Church. After the Brevard
Church was established, the trustees of the David
son River Church conveyed the property to the trus
tees of the Brevard Church.
At the close of the Civil War there were two sec-