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St. Paul's Methodist Church, Little Rock, Dillon County, SC
by Victoria Proctor, 2001, modified 2005
Formerly Liberty Chapel. The church originated in 1786 when Bishop Francis Asbury organized a preaching station on the Little Pee Dee River, and it is located across the road from the old Stackhouse home. The congregation worshipped under a brush arbor until a meetinghouse was built on the site where T.F. Stackhouse later built his dwelling. As settlers living at a distance brought their families in wagons to the services, often remaining over at least one night, the location became known as the Gaddy Camp Ground. Before 1803, the church was relocated near Harllee's Bridge, just south of the Evander Bethea home. The name of Liberty Chapel was adopted prior to September 17, 1814, when Philip Bethea designated it as such in his will. Bethea was not only a staunch churchman but also a friend of Asbury's and bequeathed a share of his estate to the church. The charter members of the chapel included Herod, Isaac, and Tristram Stackhouse, Jesse Proctor, and John Roper.
As the new site eventually proved unsatisfactory, the church was relocated at Harlleesville. Presumably Thomas Harllee donated the land for the building, as in 1823 he deeded an acre of land to be used for a church, and in 1844, his son, Thomas Harllee, Jr. donated land adjacent to the chapel property for a school. The new location also became known as the site of the Harlleesville Camp Meetings, which continued annually until 1848.
In 1871, a new building was erected at the present location in the town of Little Rock, the new name for Harlleesville. At that time, the name of the organization was changed to St. Paul's Methodist Episcopal Church, with W.C. Power as its first minister. The church continued its program and the congregation was augmented in 1936 when the Beulah Methodist Episcopal Church disbanded and its membership joined that of St. Paul's.
--Source: Stokes, "The History of Dillon County, South Carolina"
The following newspaper extract was contributed to Dillon County SCGenWeb by Helen Moody, 16 July 2001:
"Pastors and Church Members of Long Ago" Liberty Chapter September 12, 1935 issue of The Dillon Herald, Dillon, SC Female Members Martha Roper Celia Stackhouse Martha Stackhouse Kiddy Bethea Ann Harllee Mary Roper Elizabeth Hargrove Zillah Paul Sarah Carter Kiddy Proctor Nancy Gaddy Mary Jackson Jeanette McRae Catherine McRae Nellie McCoy Martha Braddy Harriett Braddy Polly Bethea Malinda Proctor Levina Hargrove Ann Miles Margaret Murchison Mary Trawick Phoebe Rowell Martha Hamilton Nancy Hamilton Elizabeth Roper Martha Coward Martha Bethea Sarah Bethea Harriett Bethea Kiddy Braddy Harriett Walter Drucilla Cottingham Delia Jackson Nancy Hamilton Sarah McAllister Mary Murchison Mary McQuage Margaret Trawick Ann Butler Charlotte Bethea Hannah Fullmore Catherine Pate Elizabeth Jackson Eliza Stackhouse Lydia Jackson Mary Ridgel Mary Stackhouse Elizabeth McSwain Sarah Hendrson Ann C. Lyster Lucretia Stackhouse Sarah Bethea Lucinda Jackson Flora Murchison Mary Davis Nancy Meekins Caroline Gaddy Jane Gray Elizabeth Gray Susan Gray "Pastors and Church Members of Long Ago" Liberty Chapter, September 19, 1935 issue of The Dillon Herald, Dillon, SC Male Members H. Stackhouse, C.L. Jesse Proctor, EX John Roper Cade Bethea John Sherwood, Sr. Isaac Stackhouse Peter Harlee Allen Gaddy Aleck Murchison Othel Trawick Robert C. Hamer John Hamilton John A Hargrove Duncan McAllister Philip Bethea Lysias Stackhouse James Roper Thomas Stackhouse John Sherwood, Jr. Richard Sherwood Mastin Sherwood Anderson Proctor Porter Trawick, C.L. Lewis Huggins Thomas Bethea Colin Edwards Wesley Stackhouse Archibald McLellan Thomas Proctor John Braddy David Bethea Evander Bethea John Bethea Reuben Paul William Hamilton Tristram Braddy William Davis Daniel McKenzie Hugh Henderson Tristram Easterling William Bethea Aleck McNeill Calvin Bethea William Stackhouse James Sherwood
Last modified: 2 Feb 2005.
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