SPRING HILL
CHAPIN, SOUTH CAROLINA
In May 1873 a small group of South Carolina Lutherans of German descent gathered with their pastor, Rev. William Alexander Houck, to dedicate their newly-completed church. Located in the heart of the Dutch Fork in the old settlement of Spring Hill, four miles east of Chapin on Highway 176. Many had been attending other Lutheran churches but in horse and buggy days transportation was difficult.
By 1873 Spring Hill had grown to a flourishing spot on the map. Businesses included a grist mill, flour mill, cotton gin and blacksmith shop, all located down on Wateree Creek. Across from the church, bordering on Old State Road was a two story general store which housed the Post Office. (Mr. W. Sanford Eleazer, a charter member of Mt. Olivet was the store keeper.) Next door to the church was country doctor, J. W. Willingham who served the community for miles around. Located back in the woods about a quarter of a mile was Spring Hill Academy, a very fine school that attracted scholars from a wide area.
The task of building the new church continued for more than two years. Mr. Robert J. Eleazer gave two acres of land for the church. His farm and land joined the church land.
Church records indicate there were forty two charter members of Mt. Olivet with five other persons joining within a short time after the dedication. No records were found for the very beginning of the church's organization. The earliest book known to exist dates from 1878. The first record of church members does not state which persons were charter members but it is possible to tell by the way the names and dates were recorded.
Mt. Olivet was constructed of simple pine in a rectangular shape. It did not have a steeple in 1873. The main entrance was sheltered by a recessed shallow porch, flanked on either end by a single small enclosed room. Against the wall in the middle of the porch was a "crying bench" to which mothers with fretful babies were expected to retire during preaching.
From the porch, two separate doors opened into the church and led down two aisles which separated the squarish box pews into three sections. It was customary for the men to sit in the left section, the women on the right with the children, and the mid section was used by those families who preferred to sit together.
Records indicate that Pastor Houck became very ill the latter part of 1873 and resigned his work. He died in February 1874 at the age of 47 at his wife's family homestead in Orangeburg, County. Pastor Houcks body was returned to the Dutch Fork and buried at St. Michael's Churchyard..
For the next 100 years Mt. Olivet was served by some very prominent ministers, their accomplishments too numerous to mention in this short history.
In 1973 this church at Spring Hill was the oldest church building in the Dutch Fork in active use. (Old St. John's, Pomaria is still standing but is no longer used for church activities.)
CHARTER MEMBERS
Porter Bickley, H. E. Bickley, Miss Maggie Bouknight, E. Artemis Bouknight, Mrs. Mary A. Eargle, John M. Eleazer, Mrs Nancy Eleazer, Robert J. Eleazer, W. Sanford Eleazer, Mrs Nancy E. Ellisor, Henry J. Fulmer, Mrs. Nancy Ellen Fulmer, Miss Elizabeth E. Fulmer, John E. Fulmer and wife Martha M. Fulmer, Albert A. Guise, David Haltiwanger, Jacob E. Haltiwanger, John S. Haltiwanger, Miss Mary Catherine Haltiwanger, Miss Louisa R. Julien, Mrs. Frances Koon, Walter Kesler and wife Amanda M. Kesler, Mrs. Samantha E. Lemmon, Miss Barbara Richardson, Mrs. Carolina Richardson, Jacob L. Richardson, James A. Richardson, Job W. Richardson, David A. Richardson and wife Julia A. Richardson, Mrs. Louise F. Riddle, James Belton Shealy, John A. Shealy, John Calvin Shealy, Mrs. Mary A. Shealy, Paul Shealy, Samuel D. Shealy and wife Sarah E. Shealy, Mrs. Susan N. Shealy, Miss Missouri Tucker.
OTHERS WHO JOINED SHORTLY AFTER DEDICATION
Mrs. Frances Eleazer
Mrs, Isabella Eleazer
Mrs. Lavinia Eleazer
John Frick
Miss Amanda V. Metz
PASTORS WHO SERVED MT. OLIVET THE FIRST 100 YEARS
1. William Alexander Houck, Founding Pastor ................................... Early 1871December 1873
2. George William Holland, Supply..................................................... Early 1874September 1874
3. Emanuel A. Wingard, Student Supply......................................................................... latter 1874
4. Levi Bedenbaugh, Supply....................................................................... Early 1875Spring 1876
5. Jacob H. Hawkins............................................................................. April 1876November 1878
6. Jefferson A. Sligh?, Supply? ................................................................................................ 1879
7. Peter Miller ........................................................................................ December 1879latter 1883
8. Jacob Schaeffer Moser ........................................................................ Spring 1884August 1885
9. J. H. Summit, Supply ................................................................................. latter 1885early 1886
10. John Eusebius Berly .............................................................................. August 1886July 1890
11. Andrew Jackson Bowers, Supply............................................................................... 18901891
12. Willis Alexander Deaton ................................................................. June 1891November 1893
13. Henry Antine McCullough, Supply ..................................................................................... 1894
14. Sidney C. Ballentine ............................................................................... June 1894March 1905
15. Jesse Bowman Haigler ................................................................ October 1905December 1912
16. Verley Lorenzo Fulmer ..................................................................... February 1913April 1915
17. Henry Smith Petrea ............................................................................. May 1915October 1918
18. William Addison Dutton ................................................................... March 1919October 1921
19. Julian Bachman Harman ............................................................. January 1922December 1922
20. Edgar Zirkle Pence ....................................................................... February 1925October 1928
21. Thomas Harmon Weeks.................................................................... May 1929December 1938
22. John Shelton Moose................................................................ September 1939December 1943
23. James Kenneth Webb ........................................................................... May 1944August 1950
24. Paul Harold Heisey, Supply............................................................. October 1950January 1951
25. Voigt Keisler Kleckley..................................................................... January 1951August 1952
26. George Calvin Kahl.......................................................................... June 1953December 1954
27. Paul Owens Slice, Student Supply ........................................................ June 1955August 1955
28. William V. McCray....................................................................... September 1955March 1957
Posted 5 November 2004