Baxter Presbyterian Church History

 

• Baxter Presbyterian Church in Dunmore, West Virginia was built and dedicated in 1858. The land for the church was purchased on July 5, 1858.
• Baxter Church was established because Presbyterians in the area had to travel 10 or 12 miles to Liberty Church in Greenbank.
• Although there is no official record, oral accounts indicate that a Sunday school existed at Baxter from the church's founding. This is contradicted by session minutes that state there was no Sunday School in 1851 and that a Union Sunday School existed in 1853.
• The Sunday school met irregularly, possibly due to the distance some members had to travel on horseback.
• The first superintendent of the Sunday school appears to have been Rachel McCutcheon. Ernest Moore, who was 84 years old at the time the document was written, recalled attending Sunday school at Baxter when he was a child.
• Several individuals played significant roles in the early years of the church and Sunday school, including:
  • Miss Rachel McCutcheon: Likely the first Sunday school superintendent.
  • Miss Sallie Pritchard: Also involved in the early Sunday school.
  • Mrs. Isaac (Rachel) McCutcheon: Played a key role, possibly as a teacher or leader.
• The Sunday school used a variety of methods to educate the children, including:
  • Catechism: A traditional method of religious instruction using a question-and-answer format.
  • Bible verses: Memorizing and reciting verses from the Bible.
  • Conference writing: Possibly involved writing reflections or summaries of lessons.
  • Practical work: Possibly involved activities or projects related to the lessons.
• In 1912, a Women's Missionary Society was organized. The society focused on supporting missionary work. One of their early contributions was sending $35 per year to Levi Lancaster.
• The Missionary Society was reorganized into the Women's Auxiliary in 1924 under Mrs. D.M. Monroe.
• The church has undergone several repairs and renovations over the years.
• Baxter Church has had one outpost at Lick Run School, which has contributed significantly to the church's growth, adding numerous members, two deacons, and establishing many Christian homes. However, the schoolhouse is no longer in use, and the people are transported to the Dunmore church by truck.
• The Hively and Fertig families from Stony Creek attend the Dunmore church.
• The Ladies Aid Society was established in 1900 with assistance from Flora Moomaw of Greenbank. It was reorganized in 1920.
• The document also mentions an old log church that predates Baxter Presbyterian Church. John Gum and his wife, Jane Wooddell, sold land for this church. The church was a source of local lore, with a story about a boy who broke his leg while riding a log down a hill.
• This old log church was dedicated to the Methodist Protestant faith. However, there is some uncertainty about which branch of Methodism used it. While it was thought to be associated with the Northern branch, the majority of the members belonged to the Southern branch. To avoid conflict, the Southern branch eventually relinquished their claim, and the church became affiliated with the Northern branch. The reason for building and using the old log church for only about 17 years remains unclear.

Note: This information is solely derived from the provided source and does not include any information from outside sources or the conversation history.