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16 The Chronicle, Saturday, February 16, 1980
- my.
| School
Right i? an early Sun- I
day school class at First I
Institutional Baptist
jiji Church In Winston-Sa- I
lem during the early
1900s. Sunday Schools
:? represented one of the H|3ng
ijirPhoto provided by
church historian, Joseph ^
E. Bradshaw. , 'jf . * v
Mt. Zion's Jc
On Hollan d
The man who coined the phrase "Father" Holland to
refer to Baptist church pioneer Rev. George W. Holland,
and who did a prodigious amount of church organizing
himself was Rev. George W. Johnson, first pastor of
Mount Zion Baptis Church.
t * ? ? ? ...
ne was Dorn in Person County in May 1856.^ A
precocious youngster, Johnson began seminary studies
after being baptized by Rev. Harrison Scott at the High
Street Baptis Church in Danville, Va. in 1871. He
studied for three years at Wayland Seminary in
Washington, D.C. under Dr. G.M.P. King.
Upon graduation, Rev. Johnson pastored in Lexington,
Chestnut, Oak Grove and Kernersville before coming to
Mount Zion in 1889.
According to Baptist historian Rev. J.A. Whitted,
Johnson assisted in the organization of New Bethel
Dr. Atkins Helpt
By Mr?? AlmarWT^iutJwSfr ? ^
In the little town of Salem, there were some
communities known as Brushyfork, Happy Hill, and
Columbian Heights. These communities consisted of
dirt roads, dense woods, and a few buildings. This
... i < ? . ? * - -
property oeiongea 10 me insiae Land Improvement
Company.
This company decided to develop this property and sell
the land. Since this property was so close to Salem
College for white women some of the affiliates of this
institution decided to purchase some of this land, if not
all of it. These affiliates included C.B. Watson and
Company, The People's National Bank, H.E. Fries and
others.
There were only a few houses in each of the previously
named communities. ?In the Columbian Heights
Community there was a churclr called People's Church
which was named after the People's National Bank. The
people in this community attended this church.
At this time there were quite a few learned black men
living in and around the city of Winston-Salem, such as:
Dr. J.E.C. Smeeds, S.G. Atkite, A.J. Brown, J.T.
Clanton, W.E. Noel and others, j
In 1890, Dr. SrrGr^tkins s^w the need for better
housing conditions and h6fffe?owning for black people.
When the community of Columbian Heights was being
developed, Dr. Atkins suggested that the promoters
open it up for black people.
After much consideration the promoters decided to do
so. Dr. Atkins had the support of the most prominent
blacks and whites of the city at that time.
Early in 1891 or 1892, Dr. Atkins moved into
Columbian Heights and other blacks followed. Some of
these followers were: Locke Gibson, L.WI Foster, J.W.
Hayes, Rev^bLD. Pearson, J.S. Hill, W.M. Scales, J.T.
Clanton, and others.
After making the move into Columbian Heights, Dr.
Atkins saw the need for the People's Church. The
People's Church in the Columbian Heights community
was a little isolated lonely building.
It stood far over on the hillside east of Salem which is
known now as Stadium Drive. The people from the
various communities attended People's Church.
Later on Dr. Atkins saw the need for a school in the
community. After much consideration he found that
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of Winston-Salem and ShiloJx Baptist Church.
In the same year that Shiloh was being created, a
Sunday School began to meet in the home of Rev. P.R.D.
Gore , in the western part of Winston. It was called the
West End Sunday School.
Rev. Gore began the school by inviting a few of his
neighbors in the Brookstown Avenue and Burke Street
area to come to his home Sunday morning. Together,
they studied the Bible, the only book most had seen.
Each person would read a verse and a general discussion
would follow.
Not far from those sessions was the organizing
sessions for a Baptist church to serve the area. Rev.
Gore united the organizing Sunday School with the
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rwmJ i wrw^wrw^
~)hn son Built I
Foundation I
Baptist Church, Happy Hill Baptist, Kernersville
Baptist, Shiloh Baptist, and the First Baptist Church of I
Trenton, N.J.
The Mount Zion pastor became moderator of the I
Rowan Baptist Association and set a precedent by I
visiting every church in the association.
The minister was also instrumental in the formation of
the city's second black-owned bank, People's Savings ?
and Trust Cq. That institution later merged into the first f
such institution, Forsyth Savings and Trust Co., run by
J.S. Hill. I
Whitted paid the following tribute to Johnson: "As a
financier, Dr. Johnson has no equal. He has the
confidence> and-the^rcspcct-ofaU Winston-Salegw He-4s
fully qualified to take up where "Father Holland," as he
always called him, took off."
3 Found Church
? .
People's Church was more suitable for classes than any
other building in the community. So here the first
classes were held in 1892 for what was to become Slater
Industrial School and now Winston-Salem State University.
This church sat on the corner of two little dirt roads
which later took on the names of Atkins and Slater.
Through Dr. Atkins' faith and hard work, and with the
backing and support of his co-workers and friends of both
races, Dr. Atkins was donated this site by Col. William
A. Blair. School was held in People's Church until
Lamsoyi Hall was built. Lamson Hall was the first
permanent building constructed on campus in 1896. It
was built of bricks made by the students themselves.
The community and the church grew so rapidly until
the members of People's Church saw the need for
another church in the city of Winston-Salem.
Through Dr. Atkins who was affiliated with Dr. Goler i
(the president of Livingstone College) and with the help ?
of others, the land on Dd^hot Street which was owned by I
Dr. Goler was purchased on August 6, 1889. I
Thus was butlt^the church named Old Goler A.M.E. I
Zion Church. The members on the trustee board of this I
church were: K. Howard, John Smith, W.M. Nelson, ,1
C.T. Ross, R.E. Clemment, and others.
Between 1905 and 1917, the white trustee board made I
a deed to People's Church. The names on this deed
were: W.M. Scales, W.E. Noel, Locke Gibson, and Rev. I
N.D. Pearson. These men who became the trustees of I
People's Church changed the name of the church to I
People's Choice A.M.E. Zion Church. The church stood
on the corner of dirt roads which the trustees and Dr. I
Atkins later nafned Atkins St. and Idabelle Avenue. I
In 1959, People's Choice Church was sold because of I
highway construction. However, it stood on the corner of I
Atkins Street and Stadium Drive until 1962. It was then I
moved to the corner of 25th Street and Bowen Blvd. I
During the years to follow, the name of Peonle's
- ? K
Choice A.M.E. Zion Church was changed to John
Wesley A.M.E. Zion Church. This name change was
authorized by the congregation and by a resolution
passed by the Quarterly Conference at a special called
business meeting held October 24, 1967. The name
change in accordance with the church Denominational
Area of the A.M.E. Zion Church, the Rt. Rev. W.J.
Walls.
The church is presently pastored by Rev. Alvin E.
Damon (1976-1980).
from page 15
church when it was created in 1893.
As was the case with the other early black Baptist
churches, "Father" Holland and his deacons were
instrumental in forming the West End Baptist Church.
By 1895, the congregation moved to from the house
where meetings had been' held to a building on
Brookstown Avenue. Rev. Gore then wished the
worshippers well as he accepted the call of a church in
Hickory.
Pastors who succeeded him included: Rev. Joshua
Perry, Rev. Joseph Lewis, Rev. Atkins, Rev. Gradshaw
and Rev. Williston.
Rev. J?W. Jones took over the pastorate in 1900 to
serve for 15 years.
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