Friday, October 23, 2009

Village of Chaneysville

~~Southampton Twp.~~Bedford County~~Pennsylvania~~
The 21st century finds Chaneysville a sleeping little village full of history... It all began in the mid 1830's when Thomas Chaney Jr. built the first house in what was once known as Watertown. This house doubled as a tavern/hotel, it has seen many owners come and go. Unfortunately on a sub-zero night in January 2004, fire destroyed over half of this old hotel.



In those early days the flourishing village of took care of it's own with two stores,two grist mills, two blacksmiths, two wagon makers, a sawmill, a tannery, a shoemaker shop, a public hall,hotel it's very own post office (1855-1938), a few churches and a doctor's office. Most of these building are gone now. Even our store is closed and the mail comes from the post office in Clearville. Today you'll find three active churches and a volunteer fire company taking care of our 1010 households.

~~~~~~~~~TIMELINE OF CHANEYSVILLE~~~~~~~~~
* SOUTHAMPTON TWP.* BEDFORD CO.* PENNSYLVANIA *

1625-Thomas Powell's Expedition arrived from Jamestown, Virginia, where they saw the first Indians near the Warrior's Path

1728-The first 13 settlers moved into this area

1737-Joseph Powell built a Trading Post on Little Sweet Root, about the same time his cousin Robert Ray opened his Trading Post near Bedford

1737-Huff discovered Saltpetre Cave in Sweet Root Gap

1764-Mason and Dixon were commissioned to survey and mark the boundary between Maryland and Pennsylvania

1758- Indians invaded Chaneysville

1758-Fort Bedford was constructed

1766-Village of Bedford was surveyed, Bedford was named for the Duke of Bedford, before that time it was known as Raystown, probably because of Robert Ray's Trading Post

1771-Bedford County was formed on March 9th of that year

1784-Two Methodist Preachers arrived in Beans Cove, Southampton Twp.

1787-Pennsylvania became the 2nd state, eventually it was divided into 67 counties

1799-Southampton Twp. was organized

1806-First log school was built

1830-Thomas Chaney Jr. built his house in Chaneysville, his family had moved here in 1786 from Washington Co. MD.

1840-Monroe Twp. seceded from Southampton Twp. and Providence Twp.

1840-William Perdew a Revolutionary War Veteran died

1862-Confederate cavalry scouts entered Black Valley from Flintstone, Md. and camped near Chaneysville

1869-New framed schools were built

1876-Mann Twp. was erected from Southampton Twp.

1879-Hewitt Covered Bridge was approved for use

1921-Forester W. Byers had the Martin Hill Fire Tower built

1930-Someone started a fire on Tussey Mt. that burned 1150 acres on 5/4

1935-CCC camps were set up in Sweet Root and Blankley Parks

1949-P.T.A. was organized

1957-Sweet Root Park opened in July

1960-Chaneysville Volunteer Fire Company received their charter in January

1981-David Bradley wrote the novel "The Chaneysville Incident" a story of 13 runaway slaves who passed through Chaneysville

1986-Sponsored by the Chaneysville Seniors, Mabel Hoffman was crowned "Ms. Senior Pa." (honoring women 60 and over) in Nov. at Hershey, Pa.

1987-April 1st in Atlantic City, Mabel Hoffman won the title of "Ms. Senior America"

1989-"In late 1980s, a BLACK panther paid visits to Chaneysville Cove School grounds, witnessed by law enforcement, 6 teachers & 30 students, who have never forgotten those events." (quoted cryptomundo.com)

1998-Trica Miller complied a list of Veterans buried in Southampton Twp.

2000-Hewitt Covered Bridge restored

2001-Dec. 17th UPMC-Bedford Memorial Hospital donated $1000.00 to each of the 13 local fire companies including Chaneysville

2002-On March 16th the Martin Hill Fire Tower(built in 1921) was quietly removed. It is no longer the icon for Southampton Township that could be seen from miles around on a clear day.

2002-Chaneysville and Hewitt are included (with photos) in an article written about the Mason-Dixon Line by Anna & Lou Leopold for the June/August issue of the magazine "Westsylvania"

2004-Fire at the "hotel"

2007-Feb. 15th the Everett Area School Board voted to close Chaneysville-Cove Elementary School at the end of the school term

2007-March 14th Headlines from the Bedford Gazette read "Chaneysvlle parents file complaint; Group hires lawyer to review closing of elementary school"

2007-Friday, July 13 the Honorable Judge Howsare ruled the Everett school board's action was "an abuse of discretion" and Chaneysville-Cove Elementary will remain open

2007-The following week the school board put an automatic supersdeas on Judge Howsare's July 13th ruling, thus the school will be closed and the children will be bused over Tussey Mountain, unless...

2007- August 17th Save Small Schools won once again against the school board when the Honorable Judge Howsare ordered the automatic supersedeas would be lifted and Chaneysville-Cove Elementary would be opened August 29th

2007-August 29th the doors of Chaneysville-Cove Elementary opened as they had since 1954, the only difference is the bus routes

2008- March-DSL has finally arrived in Chaneysville

2010- Southampton Historical Society was formed... 1st project...restore Point Pleasant 2-room School.

2011-SHS Newsletter "Southampton Times" was created,  $10.00 membership dues (per calendar year) will get members a spring & fall newsletter, each newsletter includes articles with photos and "Rabbit Tales" which features a story of a plant, animal or natural formation which helped shape the history of our township.

2011- Our first newsletter ($5.00) The Early Days of our Township, 1st settlers, Powell Expedition, our timeline, Veterans buried in our township to 1998, and William Tell of Beans Cove

2012- Spring newsletter ($5.00) Post Offices of our Township, Updated vet burials, SS Robert Hartsock, Hewitt Covered Bridge and  Mt. Zion Church list

2012- Fall newsletter ($5.00) Election Houses, Olympian Natalie Dell, Penetecostal Church Bombed, Robert Hartsock Bridge, CCC Camp Halloween Party

2013-Spring newsletter ($5.00) with a lot of photos of the inside of the Beans Cove Methodist Church and the Caves of Southampton Twp.

2013-Fall newsletter ($5.00) Carl Cessna/Mid State Trail, William H. Knee, Double Murder of the Roses, and 1931 Superintendent Report of our schools.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Hotel

Before:

During the Fire:

The Day After:

Copied from "History of Bedford, Somerset, and Fulton Counties, Pa. 1884"

Southampton, now part of Bedford county, was erected by order of the court of quarter sessions during the April term in 1799. Its boundaries were then described as follows: "Beginning at the province line near the house of Joshua Lewman, thence along the top of Evitt's mountain to the dividing ridge between the waters of Flintstone and the Cove creek about nine miles, thence along the top of the said ridge to Terrace mountain about two miles, thence along the top of said mountain to the dividing ridge between the waters of Town creek and Sideling hill creek and the waters of Juaniata about six miles, thence along the top of said ridge to the top of Town hill about ten miles, thence along the top of said hill to the province line about ten miles, thence by said line to place of beginning."

At that time Southampton included Mann and Monroe townships.

Early Chaneysville












In this early photo of Chaneysville on the right you can pick out the Perdew house and the old mill. In the background is a covered bridge(326S). The building in the foreground that looks like a covered bridge was actually a wagon shed. Note the orchard on the hill.

This is a close-up of the beautiful Perdew house that once stood near where the DCNR building is today. Note the German Reformed Church on the hill in the background.





This photo was taken in the 60's.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

~~FACTS OF SOUTHAMPTON TOWNSHIP~~

According to our Southampton Twp. Newsletter...

*There are 25 townships in Bedford County. Southampton Township is the second largest in square miles, but the least populated with only about 12 people per square mile.

*Southampton Twp. is 80 square miles.

*One third of that land is State Forest and State Game Land.

*There is 39 miles of township roads.

*The 2000 Census show 1010 people living in Southampton Twp.

*There are 435 registered voters in Southampton Twp.

*Pennsylvania stands for Penns Woods(because of William Penn) and sylvan, meaning "a forested region".

The Log of Thomas Powell

As copied from "The Kernel of Greatness"...The first white men on record to set foot in what is now Bedford County, Pennsylvania, were those of the Thomas Powell expedition in 1625. Thomas Powell was the brother of John Powell, who as captain of the "Seafoam" came into the James River (VA.) country in 1620.

Thomas fitted out an expedition to explore the western part of Virginia. His report was made to the ancestor of Martin L. Cresap, as follows: "I have the pleasure of reporting to your Highness, that after going many days, a little northwest through the wilderness we came to a high plateau of land, which abounds in all kinds of game. We camped and killed and ate our fill: when rested, we continued about the same direction, when we came upon water that drained north-ward; we followed it, and it got bigger, when to our great chagrin we heard thunder noise. We were then close to a great mountain when all of a sudden it disappeared and from all of its noise I think it fell through the earth. I know not what to name it unless "Lost Water." as it can never get on top of ye earth. (This could be "Lost River," West Vir.) We then went towards the setting sun for two days when we came to other waters going towards the North Star. We continued along its bank till it got larger. We found it not so good traveling, and crossed to the other side. In doing these things we lost one of our men, George South, which I much regret. We got him and of course buried him in his clothes near a big pine tree, that we marked. We came on down this water two days travel when we came to a large water. By making log rafts all got over safe, then we rested and fished two days. We took our course towards the North Star one day's journey and came to (1) another water as though it came from the North Star; we followed it three days travel; we came to where three waters came together, one was near the star. (2) This water had a sweetish taste; was full of the most beautiful speckled fish we have ever seen. There were lots of Indians here; they showed us all the friendship they could; we continued up this till we came to (3) high ground; we went beyond that, where the water runs towards the North Star; then we turned." Powell ended, "I assign myself your humble servant": Captain Thomas Powell, October 25th day 1625.

Indians around Jamestown had told the white men that there was silver and lead to the north, but that north of the great waters, where other waters ran toward the North Star, the natives were not friendly. Having no previous knowledge of this county, when this expedition crossed the Potomac River, they believed it to be the Indians' "Great Waters," so that when they found the stream running north (in what is believed to be Friend's Cove), they went only a short distance, then turned back toward Jamestown.
It is believed by several exploring groups that followed Powell's directions (1) that the stream with three forks is Town Creek, (2) the stream with sweet-tasting water is Little Sweet Root Creek, (3) the high ground is Martin Hill: and the place where Powell turned around is near Ashcom of today. None of Powell's group ever settled in Pennsylvania, but Joseph, a grand-son of Powell, led a group to this section over one hundred years later. They settled in the area south of Chaneysville.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

The Powell's


As you enter Sweet Root Park you will be amazed at the history that is surrounding you. The first explorers led by Thomas Powell made the dangerous 300 mile expedition from Jamestown, Virginia into this area as early as 1625. This was 50 years before William Penn received the charter for his colony.

Another Powell, Joseph led the first thirteen settlers into this area before he went back to Virginia. In 1737, he returned to the Sweet Root area with his brother George. Joseph, built a trading post situated near the Old Iroquois Indian Trail, on Little Sweet Root Creek at the foot of Tussey mountain.



On the path that leads to the broken down bridge is the "rabbit rock" which got it's name because of the giant rabbit track imprinted in the flat rock.




In the early 1900's this sawmill owned by the Greguss Kormierkowski family was located further upstream from the trading post.



Joseph Powell's 1st cousin was Robert Ray, who had a trading post near what is now Bedford. In Sept. 1756, Robert Ray got sick at his post and four men, Joseph Powell, John Perrin, Michael Huff, and a Mr. Vogan carried him to the Sweet Root area to the "Powell Trading Post". Ray stayed there until he felt better, he then walked 6 miles south of the post to his sister's home, Mrs. John Perrin. A few days later he died and was buried on the Perrin farm.


According to Mrs. Henry Nicum...

***Capt. John Powell came to Jamestown in command of a frigate, he brought with him, the first slave into the colony. (VA. history gives her name as Brass). John was Burgess in 1657-58 and in 1666 he was an Assemblyman of Elizabeth City,
***Capt. John Powell married a sister of Governor Argel, they had a son George in 1660.
***George Powell had two sons who settled in Southampton Twp., Joseph (who had the trading post) and George (who found the salt petre cave).
***Nathaniel Powell was governor and member of the Virginia Council in 1619 of Jamestown.
***Nathaniel had a son Thomas who arrived in Jamestown in the fall of 1620 commanding the "Seafoam", Five years later, Thomas led the expedition here.
***Joseph Powell was the son of George, grandson of John and a grand-nephew of Thomas Powell who led the expedition here in 1625.

The First Thirteen Settlers

The year was 1728 when Thomas Powell's grandson, Joseph Powell led a group of thirteen settlers into the valley surrounding Town Creek, south of Chaneysville. They included John Spergen, Thomas Prather, Richard Iames, Robert Fleehart, George Painter, Heredius Blue. Philip Broadwater, Ignatius Rock, John Still, Archer Worley, Michael Huff, Joseph Johnson, George Tunis. Only Joseph Powell went back to Virginia before returning here in 1737.
John Spergen, built the first mill on Town Creek abt. 1730. In 1889 it was destroyed during the Johnstown Flood. The old mill dam was then washed out in the St. Patrick's Day flood of 1936.

Richard Iames, was the ancestor of the Iames familes from this area, he died Jan. 26, 1758 and was buried on his property. His gravestone is the second oldest in Bedford County with a date.

Joseph Johnson, was the first settler to die, he was buried in the Shawnee Graveyard in 1731.


Thomas Prather, Robert Fleethart, Philip Broadwater and George Painter all drowned while trapping.

Heredius Blue and Ignatius Rock also met their maker by drowning in Town Creek and have a "deep hole" named after them. Records show that Rock was drawn onto thin ice by a beaver and was drowned in the icy water.

John Still, married an Indian maiden and fathered three children. He built a mill on Big Sweet Root Creek and operated it until his death in 1770.

Archer Worley, built the first saw mill on Big Sweet Root Creek, he also bought "Indian Orchard" from the Indians. He went back to Virginia and returned with his wife and died here in 1775.

Michael Huff, was a trapper and hunter who also returned to Virginia to get his wife and daughter and two sons.

George Tunis was an unmarried Indian Trader. That is all that is known about him.


note: by 1758, most of these family men had at least one child.

Warrior's Path

One of the important Indian trails in central Pennsylvania went through Southampton Twp. This war path of the "5 Nations" ran from central N.Y. to the Carolina mountains, it was one of the longest Indian Trails in America.

The "Warriors Path" crossed the Juniata River at Bloody Run (Everett) then ran between Warrior Ridge and Tussey Mountain southwest through the Black Valley (named that because of the dense forest). About six miles into the valley the Indians picked up Clear Creek and followed it to it's source. Three miles later it came to Sweet Root Creek that flowed southward, they followed it for four and a half miles, hugging Warrior Ridge's steep slopes for the next five miles. Just before it reached the mouth of the Black Valley Gap it turned and for the next five miles the Indians kept close to Iron Ore Ridge going into Maryland. Then at the Flintstone Gap it turned east into Murley's Gap and the path ascended to the top of Warrior Mountain and for the next ten miles the path ran along the summit, before it descended toward the Potomac River at Opessah's Town (Old Town, Md). Members of the Iroquios war parties liked to visit Colonel Thomas Cresap at his trading post, so there were always a lot of Indians near Opessah's Town.

Since this path ran through the Sweet Root area, that might explain why the first expedition led by Thomas Powell encountered Indians near Chaneysville. Today, as you travel along the lower Black Valley road you can still see traces of the "Warriors Path".

Saltpetre Cave


Saltpetre Cave is located in the Sweet Root Gap.


A saltpetre cave was discovered near the top of Tussey Mountain. Michael Huff mined the saltpetre for Jacob Rowland who made gun powder for the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War.
Black powder consists of potassium nitrate (saltpetre), sulfur and charcoal.


Entrance to the cave


Looking into the cave



According to Joseph Leconte (1832-1901):

"The general conditions necessary to the formation of saltpetre are: 1st, the presence of decaying organic matter, animal or vegetable, especially the former; 2nd, an alkaline or earthy base, as potash or lime; 3rd, sufficient moisture; 4th, free exposure to the oxygen of the air; and 5th, shelter from sun and rain."






Billy Knee sitting on a ledge deep into Sweet Root Gap, near the saltpetre cave.


The same area at least 60 years later.


Indian Will

Robert Ray's sister, who lived south of Chaneysville was married to John Perrin. She was captured along with Mrs. Clark, Mrs. Vogan, Mrs. Davis, and Mrs. Thimbleson by a large band of Indians led by Chief Wills. Unfortunately, with a small child in her arms Mrs. Perrin couldn't keep up the pace as they started to ascend Tussey Mountain. So near two white rocks (Perrin's Rock) the Indians killed and scalped Mrs. Perrin and her child.
When the alarm was sounded Mr. Perrin, Mr. Davis, Mr. Vogan, Mr. Clark, Michael Huff and George and Joseph Powell went in hot pursuit after the murderers. When they caught up to the savages, the Indians had been joined by one hundred more warriors near the top of Will's Mountain. The next morning the Indians split into two groups, the large band of Indians headed west with the women, the others with the exception of Chief Wills went north.

History tells us that George Powell snuck up behind the resting chief and at the distance of seventy steps he fired his flintlock and killed him. He then scalped and buried the chief on top of Wills Mountain less than 2 miles west of Bedford, a short distance from the Old Forks Inn (Jean Bonnet). Miraculously the women were returned from Montreal, Canada after living six years in captivity.


note:In 1825 somebody removed his body from his burial place.

The C.C.C. Camps




note: This is a typical C.C.C.Camp photo, so far I haven't found any photos of either the Sweet Root or Blankley Park Camps.

The (CCC) Civilian Corservation Corps was created in 1933 by the Emergency Conservation Act. Under President Roosevelt's "New Deal Program", single men between 18 and 25 would be housed, fed, paid, and would receive medical care from six months to two years. In return they would do road construction, flood control, reforestation and landscaping to help with soil erosion or work on park projects. Even though enrollees were paid $30.00 a month, $25.00 was sent directly home to their families at home, who were on relief. A typical camp could house 200 men, with 24 building including a kitchen, mess hall,barracks for the men and officer quarters.

The men who were selected, spent about two weeks at an Army base going through an orientation program to prepare them for camp life. From there they were sent directly to a camp. We had two such camps near Chaneysville, one at Sweet Root the other one at Blankley on top of Tussey Mountain.


Life in the camp began at 6:30 with reveille, then exercise before breakfast. After roll-call, the men went out on work detail, some planted pine trees on top of "Worley", known as Pine Ridge, others layed up stone culverts along our roads. One of the most important projects was to cut out fire trails all over our forests that could also be used as fire breaks. Blankley and Sweet Root Parks were also constructed by these hard workers. At the end of the day, there were plenty of activites for the men to get involved in like: football, basketball, baseball, track, even boxing. They participated in intramural competition. For the less athletic men, there was even a camp newsletter to be published.


The camp at Sweet Root (S-142) was originally erected to provide housing and work detail for WWI Veterans and itinerants, it was established July 10, 1933 and closed Oct. 31, 1935. Another camp in the Buchanan State Forest was on Martin Hill, this housed all the black enrollees near Blankley Park (S-154). Today if you take a walk into Sweet Root Gap, you'll see stone foundations of the CCC garage. Going further into the gap you can make out where some of the barracks and the mess hall stood.







The following is copied from the Everett newspaper...
Chaneysville C.C.C. Camp Holds Halloween Party

Over five hundred people attended the Halloween Party at the Chaneysville Camp of the Civilian Conservation Corps on Friday night. The personnel of the camp acted as hosts for the evening and provided several hours of pleasant entertainment for their guests.

Trucks of the camp were dispatched to nearby towns during the early part of the evening to transport to the party, and return transportation was also provided for these guests. Many folks traveled to the camp in their own automobiles.

The activities of the evening were held in the camp mess hall. The room was attractively decorated with autumn leaves, evergreens and Halloween novelties.

The entire evening was one of gayety and fun. A lively and entertaining program was presented and plenty of music was furnished for dancing. Appetizing refreshments were distributed in generous quantities to the hundreds of guests.


FACTS
***All CCC Camps were officially closed on July 2, 1942.
***By 1940, more than 160,000 young men of Pa. had once belonged to a camp.
***These men planted 50,000,000 trees and built over 6,300 miles of trails and roads, also 98 dams, 86 lookout towers and many more improvements to our parks and forests.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Sweet Root Park




It was said that Sweet Root Creek at one time was so full of fish that you could catch enough in two hours to feed your family for a week. After the drought of 1911-1913, everything changed, today in some of the deepest holes (if you're lucky) you may find a few native brown trout. There is 69 acres of virgin Hemlock still standing at the foot of Tussey Mountain, because it is deep inside the Sweet Root Gap it is impossible to harvest.
In the 1940's there was a plan to build a 35-40 acre artificial lake in this area. Instead, in July 1957 the Sweet Root Park was officially opened. The park covers about two acres of the 256 acre track that Albert Adams sold to the state in the mid-thirties. At the cost of approximately $1000.00 the park was equipped with 16 picnic tables, cement and metal fireplaces, a hand pump and rest room facilities. Some of this work had been started by the C.C.C. enrollees who lived in the park in the mid 30's.

Since then, the State Forest Commission designated 1400 acres of the "Sweet Root Natural Area" in 1970 to be "preserved for scientific, scenic, and educational values" (no motorized activities are allowed). Then in 1979, the natural area was also designated for amphibian and reptile protection (no killing or taking of).

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Covered Bridges




The Hewitt Bridge is the only covered bridge remaining in Southampton Township. It spans Town Creek at a length of 88 ft. and it is 13 ft. 10 in. wide. This county-owned bridge has a medium-gable-roof high vertical-plank sidewalls, it's abutment is made of cut stone. This "Burr Truss" bridge was inspected on December 1, 1879 and approved for use on Dec. 5, 1879. Just to the west of it is the ruins of a gristmill that belonged to the McElfish family.


There was also a 60 ft. covered bridge that crossed Town Creek near Chaneysville (Rt326) which was still standing in the late 50's, it had been built in 1892. Because of the weight of a school bus, the children had to get off the bus and walk across the bridge on foot, then reload to continue on their way to school. Replaced earlier was a short 34 ft. bridge (no photo) that spanned Sweet Root Creek near Point Pleasant and the Adams Mill that was built in 1878.




The fourteen covered-bridges remaining in Bedford County are: Hewitt, Colvin, Herline, Turner, Cuppett, Snook, Hall's Mill, Fitchner, Jackson's Mill, Ryot, Dr. Knisely, Felton's Mill, Bowser, and Claycomb.
"Burr Truss" was a patented wooden-span trussing system designed in 1804 by Theodore Burr, from Torringford, Connecticut. The Burr arch truss, combined great reinforced arches with multiple kingpost trusses. The arches tie directly into the bridge's abutments, permitting wider streams to be spanned. Of the remaining covered bridges, twelve are burr trusses. The shortest Burr-arch bridge remaining in Pa. is the Cupperts Bridge here in Bedford County, measuring in at 60 feet. The longest in our county is the Herline Covered Bridge.

Hewitt Covered Bridge
















Work began in Dec. 1999 on the Hewitt Covered Bridge. It was completely removed by P. Joseph Lehman, Inc. of Hollidaysburg who was hired by the county to restore it at the cost of $617,000. The engineers were able to retain 80 percent of the original bridge. As of Oct. 2000, it was once again opened to traffic.






Saturday, October 17, 2009

Area Churches



METHODIST
As early as 1784, two Methodist preachers arrived in Beans Cove, they were Rev. Thomas Leakins and Rev. John Leasure. Their small congregation gathered in a log church at the foot of the mountain. In 1816 another Methodist church was built on that site.

Then in 1838 Rev. Thomas Leakins traveled over the mountain to Chaneysville to preach at the home of Joseph Powell. As the congregation grew it began to gather in the Adams schoolhouse until 1860 when the Methodist Church on the hill overlooking Chaneysville was built.


East View Cemetery
The building committee of the Methodist Church were: Barnard O'Neal, Jared Hanks, and Jason Hanks. This new church was organized with nine members, and it belonged to the Cumberland MD. circuit. Jason Hanks, Nathan Evans and Owen Ash were the first trustees. This church is no longer in the Methodist Conference, today it is the Chaneysville Community Church.

MOUNT ZION CHRISTIAN

Church was first held in the Buxton Meeting House, then in 1824 Elder Lewis Comer organized the Christian Church, where the Rev. B.A. Cooper preached.



BUXTON MEETING HOUSE/School.




PROSPERITY CHRISTIAN

The original church, organized by Elder John Ramsey in 1843 stands about 1 mile south of the Prosperity Church that is being used today. This newer church which stands at the foot of the Warrior Path on Route 326 was built in 1940.



MOUNT HOPE CHRISTIAN

This church was built in 1845, you can look in the windows and see how the church was divided in half, the women and men used separate doors and the center pew is divided in half with a wooden railing to them separated, there is also a potbelly stove in the center of the room.




ASSEMBLY OF GOD

When Rev. Walter Long brought his traveling revival to town, he stirred up the people so much that within that year of 1921 a church was built. Some people in Chaneysville didn't like this new religion, and although arson was never proven the church burned down. Another church was built on land donated by Hezekiah Walters, where it remains today.




GERMAN REFORMED CHURCH

In 1948 this once beautiful stone church was slated to be torn down and the stones sold because of the excessive repairs necessary to restore it.



OUR LADY OF THE SEVEN DOLORS IN BEANS COVE
This Catholic Church under the Capuchin order was built on land donated by the Donahoe family in 1878. Before that, because of the many Catholics in the area the Donahoe family set aside a large room in their house for church purposes whenever Father Heyden visited in the early 1800's.





OAK DALE ON FLINTSTONE CREEK
This church just celebrated its 100th birthday. On Jan. 18, 1900 the membership met at Simon Oster's and decided to accept a piece of ground owned by Moses Wigfield to build a church. John B. Wigfield was elected treasurer, and Howard Hendrickson was the secretary. "A resolution was adopted that the building be held in trust by duly appointed trustees for the use and membership of the M.E. Church South, with a provision in the deed that the said building shall not be sold in the event of its failure to be used by membership and ministry of said denomination. Further, in case of its failure to be used, it shall be held as a place of Divine Worship for any Bible Based denomination that shall be acceptable to the community."

BLACK VALLEY VICTORY BAPTIST

This church is the newest one built, but it is no longer in use at this time. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Although the German Reformed Church has been torn down, the others are still standing. With the exception of Mount Hope and Mount Zion, the others are still in use every Sunday.