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Serves Congregation in Southwest Hertford:
Millennium Church Has Long History
AULANDER — Straddling the
line between Hertford and Bertie
counties is a church with several
unique distinctions.
First of all, the Millenium Pen
tecostal Holiness Church is the
only one of its sect in Hertford
County. Second, it is a chimch
with a building in one county
and most of its members in an
other.
But in 1911, whgn J, B. Wil
liams came all the way from
Greenville to hold prayer meet
ings along the dusty little country
road from Aulander to Ahoskie,
there was no church at all. In
deed, most of the poor farmers
and laborers in the section had
never been to church, nor given
it much thought.
So the words of Preacher Wil
liams and his companion, George
Stanley, fell on virgin ground.
At first, there were only a few
listeners in the tent pitched in a
grove of pine trees, across the
road from the present church site.
But enthusiasm grew, and the
crowds grew.
The traveling preachers moved
on to hold other prayer meetings,
but the little group of county-line
farmers continued their interest
by holding meetings in their
homes. They liked the fervent
style of the “holiness” preachers,
and so banded together to form a
Pentecostal Holiness Church.
They called it the Millenium
church, since they believed they
were living in the “millenium.”
Church Building
Next move was to build
church. But money was always
scarce among the little group, and
building a church was a big job.
Mrs. Harvey Hurdle, whose farm
is near the church, remembers
how people had to “scrape up’
donations of material, labor and :
little money.
At 80, Mrs. Hurdle is one of
three charter members of the
church now living. The others are
Mrs. Annie Jacobs and Mrs. Ho
sannah Outlaw, who were Miss
Annie Outlaw and Miss Hosan
nah Harrington when they join
ed. .
Mrs. Hurdle, who had moved to
the community from Virginia
when she married her first hus
band, W, A. Peel, in 1909, was the
first church secretary.
It was her husband who gave a
half-acre of land for the church
site, and she recorded carefully
donations from each person,
Some gave nails, others lumber,
and one entry says “any and
everybody, eggs and cash, $1.55.”
Through perseverance, h o w-
ever, the church building went
up. Because the members didn’t
want curious folks looking in the
windows, they put the small
frame building on high blocks, to
raise windows above eye level.
But this led to another circum
stance—during a high wind, the
half-built building was blown off
the blocks, bowing the timbers
of the sides.
“They had a terrible time get-
Ahoskie Building and Loan
Met Big Need; Begun in "23
AHOSKIE—Entering an era of
great business activity and
growth in Ahoskie, a select group
of business and professional men
met on April 27, 1923, to form the
Hertford County Building and
Loan Association.
J. Roy Parker, in his book “The
Ahoskie Era,” lists R. H. Jerni-
gan as president, W. L. Curtis as
vice president, F. P. Meadows as
secretary-treasurer, and L, C.
Williams as attorney. Among the
charter members were Dr. A. W.
Greene, Dr. L. K. Walker, J. I.
Crawford, V. D. Strickland, O, W.
Hale, George J. Newbern, S. M.
Apylebaum, W. A. Thomas, the
Rev. E. J. Isenhower, and Parker.
-First loan recorded went to Dr.
L. Ik. Walker for construction of
a-mi^k building to house a new
drug store. Loans that first year
totaled only slightly more than
$5,000. Stock in the association
proved valuable as the years went
by, and most of the stockholders
bought more when their original
serial stock matured automatical
ly after seven years.
Stockholders are particularly
proud of the fact that $33,000 in
dividends was paid out, during
the same week that banks closed
during the depression. Activity
has decreased slightly in more
recent years, but during 1958 a
total of $128,800 was loaned by
the association.
After the death of President
Noah S, Garrett in 1957, Roberts
H. Jemigan was elected presi
dent. During his recent illness,
the position has been filled by
N. S. Godwin, acting vice presi
dent.
ting the building back on lower
supports,” Mrs. Hurdle recalls.
“And to this day, our church is
probably the only one with bow
ed sides,” add the Rev, Raymond
'Potter, the present minister.
But by 1912, the church was
built, and J. B. Williams, who had
started the movement with his
prayer meetings, returned to
serve as the first minister of the
congregation.
Charier Members
Only 21 members were the
charter members, who labored to
build the church. Their names
were: W. A. Peel, Mrs. W. A. Peel
(now Mrs. Hurdle), H, C. Terry,
Mrs. Eula Harris, Mrs. Bettie Las
siter, Mrs. Elsie Farmer Terry,
Mrs. Hosannah Harrington Out
law, Miss Janie Keel, Miss Lucy
Outlaw, Mrs. C. M. Minton, Mrs.
Addie Riddick, L, L. Matthews,
Miss Pearl Outlaw, Miss Bessie
Outlaw, Miss Mary E. Minton,
J. C. Terry, Mrs. Mettie Lassiter,
Mrs. Martha F. Terry, W. J. Ter
ry, E. T. Lassiter, Mrs, Mary E.
Outlaw, C. L. Parks, Mrs. Annie
Outlaw Jacobs, Mrs. Addie Parks,
H. G. Terry, Mrs. Texana Las
siter, J. W. Terry and C. M. Min
ton.
The first baptisms for the
church were performed at the
“lightwood knot” millpond east
of the church, near the preseni
Oak Grove Baptist Church. Tht
millpond is now just a stagnant
pool, but was then a running
stream in which candidates were
immersed by George Stanley, ont
of the traveling evangelists. Mr.
Stanley is now retired from the
ministry in Siler City.
, There were times. when only
the determination of the few
members kept the church alive,
recalls Mrs. Hurd^e.
During the hard depression
years in the 1930’s, Harvey Hur
dle can remember when it took
two collections to get enough tc
pay the $1 light bill each month.
Ministers who came to serve the
church then were paid about $6
for each visit.
Shortly after World War II,
rowever, conditions had improv-
-d so that a pastorium was built
lext to the church, on land do-
.lated by Wayland Jenkins of Au-
iander.
Mrs. Lessie Polston, the first
woman minister to serve the
hurch, directed the building of
be two-bedroom frame house,
vhich. cost only $600 in labor,
ince materials were donated,
-^or ;the past ten years, the
hticVt has been able to have a
:ull-V me minister.
Ahoskie Business Empire Built
From Scratch by Noah S. Garrett
AHOSKIE—Furniture, a funeral
home and a jewelry store—all these
were the domain of the late Noah
S. Garrett, one of the biggest boost
ers Ahoskie ever knew.
His business interests almost
seemed a sideline, however, in the
light of the many civic services he
rendered.
Noah Garrett came from Eliza
beth City, where he had been a
furniture salesman, to own a quar
ter-interest in the new, furniture
company formed by Archie Browne,
H. S. Basnight and' J. L. Sawyer
in 1924. The firm opened in a small
store, 26x92 feet, that October. This
building burned, however, and in
June, 1925, the company moved to
its present location at Mitchell and
Main Streets, in a three-story build
ing with offices on the mezzanine.
In 1927, Basnight and Garrett
purchased the stock and changed
the firm name to Basnight-Garrett
Co., Inc., with Garrett as. secre
tary-treasurer and manager. At
Basnicht’s death in 1936, his son,
the late W. H. Basnight, and daugh
ter, Mrs. Louise Lyon, inherited his
stock.
During 1941, the second floor of
an office building behind Garrett’s
was rented, and a connecting en
trance was built so that the space
might be used in 27 separate dis
play rooms. With other display
space, the firm advertised 32 dis
play rooms—“Our best advertis
ing.” Garrett said.
On July 3, 1943, Garrett bought
♦he entire interest in the store, and
the name became Garrett’s, Inc.
Miss Maggie Pierce, who had been'
with the company §ince its organi
zation, was elected secretary.
At the time of his death in 1957,
N. S. Garrett had served as chair
man of the building committee for
the Roanoke-.Chqwa'n Hospital, w’as
president of the Hertford County
Building & Loan Association, a
director of the Bank of Ahoskie,
vice president of WRCS radio sta
tion, and a trustee of the Ahoskie
Methodist Church. He had also been
president of the Southern Furniture
Retailers of North Carolina.
Funeral Business
In spring of 1931, as an adjunct
to the furniture store, Basnight-
Garrett opened a funeral business,
which was located on the third floor
of the furniture store building.
The first licensed embalmer and
manager was H. M. Purviance of
Boykins, Va., who was succeeded
by Ed S. Williams of Greenville.
When Williams left, J^ G. Lumsden
became manager from 1935 to 1940,
when he left to operate another
funeral home. Williams returned
then, and continues as manager.
In 1937, Garrett’s Funeral Home
moved to its present location on
Railroad Street. It is operated by
Garrett’s, Inc., of which Norvin W.
Garrett is president, and owns six
vehicles, including the latest in
ambulance-hearses.
Third division of the Garrett en
terprises is the jewelry store, which
N. S. Garrett purchased in 1944
from Mr. and Mrs. D. L. Myers,
who had operated it since 1897.
Mrs. Maggie Hobbs.has. been man
ager since 1946. Garrett’s Jewelry
Store is the sole property of Mrs.
N. S. Garrett.
Norvin W. Garrett. N. S. Gar
rett’s only son, purchased the en
tire interest in Garrett’.s Furniture
Company from his father in 1955.
Since that time, Garrett’s has con
tinued its widespread reputation for
quality furniture and home acces
sories. Quality Furniture Company
on Main Street, managed by W. A.
Garrett, brother of the late N, S.
Garrett, is also owned by Norvin
Garrett.
Starting with four employees in
the first Sawyer-Browne Company,
the Garrett-related businesses,now
employ 13 in the furniture stores,
three in the funeral home, and
three in the jewelry business.
BASNIGHT-GARRETT STORE MAIN STREET SHOWCASE
Mrs. Polston, I. D. Dickens and
the first minister, J. B, Williams,
are remembered fondly by the
congregation for their service.
The Williams family, as a me
morial to the work of Mr. Wil
liams in this area, some years ago
set up the Williams Memorial
camp grounds east of. the church.
Camp meetings are held there
annually under the direction of
Pentecostal Holiness preachers,
ilthough the camp grounds are
privately owned.
Although the church has ex
perienced a slow, limited growth,
the congregatiou now numbers
about 60 active members. The
building is' at present free of
debt, and plans are laid to begin
construction of a new sanctuary
.n the near future.
The project won’t frighten the
Millenium members, most of
whom live within a ten-mile
radius of the church. They feel
that having grown from such a
email nucleus during such years
has weathered them for the task
ahead.
Ahoskie Meat & Provision
Benefited from State Fund
AHOSKIE — The first firm in
North Carolina to receive a loan
for construction from the State
Business Development Corpora
tion is now six years old and do
ing fine, thank you.
The Ahoskie Meat and Provi
sion Company has weathered its
shakedown- cruise on the sea of
competition, since its incorpora
tion in 1953.
The firm was founded by Rob
erts Jernigan, Jr., with William J.
Miller in 1953. Jernigan had a
colorful career including a stretch
in China as an oil company office
manager at the beginning of
World War II, and was interned
by the Japanese for two years.
A native of Ahoskie, he join
ed the Navy after his release from
prison camp internment. After
the war, he managed the building
division of Peeden Steel Com
pany in Raleigh before returning
here in 1950, when he joined Eric
Garrett’s meat house on Mitchell
Street.
In 1951, Jernigan became a
partner in the Garrett firm. In
1952, Miller, a native of Union
who had been an insurance agent
and farmer, came to work for
Garrett’s. In March, 1953, Jerni
gan and Miller incorporated their
present business, and purchased
Garrett’s interest.
The company remained on Mit
chell Street until September,
1956, when it occupied a new con
crete building on Catherine Creek
Road. The structure was built at
a cost of $50,000, for which the
$25,000 loan from the State Busi
ness and Development Corpora
tion was obtained, payable in ten
years.
Ahoskie Meat and Provision
distributes canned and packaged
meats, po.ultry, canned goods,
Kraft cheeses and products on a
wholesale basis to stores in the
Roanoke - Chowan area and
Southampton County, "Va.
The firm began with six em
ployees, and has doubled that to
a staff of twelve. Jemigan is
president and treasurer, and
Miller is secretary. Mr. and Mrs.
Jernigan, the former Linda Wil
liams of Sanford, have three chil
dren. Mr. and Mrs. Miller, the
former Betty Armstrong of Min--
nesota, are parents of three
daughters.
THE HERALD. Ahoskie, N. C.—MILESTONE YEAR 1959—PAGE 3
Indian Motif at Tomahawk
AHOSKIE — One of Ahoskie’s
newest, most modern businesses—
the Tomahawk Restaurant*— has
capitalized on the Indian back
ground of the town, and the Roa-
noke-Chowan area.
Built by Craig 'Vaughan, the
Tomahawk is decorated in Indian
motif, with Indian articles (im
ported, not homemade) for sale
as a by-line. “Tourist trade
makes up about 75 per cent of our
business,” says Odie Bracy, who
with his brother Randolph leases
the restaurant from Vaughan. And
tourists like those extra touches,
like the cowboys - and - Indians
scenes and war clubs which dec
orate the restaurant.
Odie Bracy started in the res
taurant business in 1946, with his
own cafe in the old Talmage Bak
er building opposite the Ahoskie
post office. This building burned
in 1948, and was replaced by a
bHck structure. Bracy reopened
his cafe there, in the same loca
tion occupied until la,st month by
the Shamrock Cafe, and contin
ued there until 1950.
At that time, he took over opera
tion of the Garrett Hotel coffee
shop,- which he ran with his broth
er, James W; Bracy, until 1952
Tired of the constant pressure of
restaurant operation, Odie Bracy
then went to work as a shipping
clerk for the Ahoskie Fish and
Produce Company, Craig Vaughan’s
firm.
The Tomahawk restaurant was
opened bn November 20, 1954, but
closed in January after it opened.
On February 1, 1955, Odie Bracy
leased the restaurant, and the fol
lowing year, Randolph Bracy join
ed him in its -operation. A new
feature, curb service, was added
by Bracy soon after he became
manager.
- The Bracys are proud of the
cleanliness -and- pleasant atmos
phere of their restaurant, which
draws many return -visits from
tourists of the north - south high
way. There are now 16 employees,
including waitresses and kitchen
workers.
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P 200th Anniversary Is Really
/ Something to Crow About...
These folks at your Colonial Store in Ahoskie
join the CS Rooster in saluting the citizens of
Hertford County as they approach a Mi lestone
in the history of North Carolina ... the 200th
Anniversary of progressive Hertford County.
Over the years we hove tried to give the peo
ple of Hertford County food values worth
crowing about. We appreciate your patron
age and we will continue to supply your table
with good things to eat.