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Beneath those rugged elms, that yew-trees shade,
Where heaves the turf in many a moldering heap.
Each in his narrow cell,
The rude forefathers of the hamlet sleep.
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Located off Highway 76 between Clemson and Pendleton, the Old Stone Church stands as one of the most interesting historical attractions in the Upstate. According to the legend, stones were gathered by farmers from their fields while women took sand in their aprons, to build the Old Stone Church. Built in 1797 on land donated by printer John Miller, the church was actually the second structure built by the religious community. The first building had been built in the early 1790's on the land of Ezekiel Pickens, son of General Andrew Pickens. It was called "Hopewell" after the Pickens estate nearby. A fire destroyed that wood church in 1796.
John Miller
The printer who donated the land, John Miller, came from England to Philadelphia in 1783. He moved to Charleston, South Carolina, and was appointed printer of the State of South Carolina. He founded the first daily newspaper in the state, the The South Carolina Gazette and General Advertiser. In 1795, Miller moved to Pendleton, South Carolina, a few miles from present day Clemson. There, he founded the Upstate's first weekly paper, Miller's Weekly Messinger. After the first church burned down, Miller donated seventeen acres for the building of another church. He is buried in the Church cemetary.
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General Andrew Pickens
One of the original elders of the church was General Andrew Pickens. General Pickens had a distinguished history in Upstate South Carolina. He is responsible for treaties with the native Cherokee Indians, that resulted in many settlers being able to acquire land on which they began their new lives. General Pickens was so respected by the Cherokee, that they awarded him with the name Skyagunsat, the "Wizard Owl." General Pickens married Rebecca Calhoun, aunt of the great Senator John C. Calhoun. Their wedding in 1765 was said to be the largest wedding party ever assembled in the Upstate. It took place in the Long Cane area of Abbeville and the feasting lasted for three days. The pulpit and pews in the church were donated by General Pickens. General Pickens also owned a Bible, that was printed by Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, himself, and his son Ezekiel. In his copy, Pickens recorded all of the dates of his family. He served several presidents in various capacities. His love of the wilderness led him to finally settle in a place called Tamassee, located in northern Pickens County. He served twice in the State legislature and was the first representative of his district to the United States Congress in Philadelphia. He died in 1817 at Tamassee and was buried in the Old Stone Church Cemetery. His tombstone reads: "General Andrew Pickens was born 13 September 1739, and died 11th August 1817. He was a Christian, a Patriot and a Soldier."
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Dr. Thomas Reese
The first pastor of the Old Stone Church was Dr. Thomas Reese. When the building of the church was begun in 1797, it was unclear when the construction would be completed. The church was built on a subscription basis: people donated funds to the church, and when the funds ran out, the building stopped until more money could be raised. Unfortunately, Dr. Reese did not live to see the completion of the church. He may have been the first person to be buried in the church cemetery. Dr. Reese's son is also buried there, but his story is very different from his father's. Sidney Reese shares the dubious distinction of being one of two people buried in Old Stone Church who died in duels. Sidney was killed over a quarrel on a trivial matter by a man named Michie. The other duel victim was Turner Byrum. Byrum was an ardent follower of John C. Calhoun. In a serious disagreement with B.F. Perry (a future governor of South Carolina), a duel resulted with Byrum being mortally wounded. He was buried at midnight during a heavy rainstorm.
Clergy Hall
Dr. Reese's successor was the Reverend James McElhenny. McElhenny built a small two story-four room home near the Old Stone Church. He called this home Clergy Hall. It was his residence as well as that of his son-in-law, the Reverend Joseph Murphy. In an attempt to aid local farmers, Reverend McElhenny tried to introduce rice farming to the area. A mixture of the summer heat with the flooding of the fields led the Reverend and his son-in-law to catch malaria and die. After Murphy, the building was passed to John C. Calhoun and he added to the building, creating the magnificent Fort Hill Plantation. It is unclear how Calhoun ended up with Clergy Hall. While no pictures of Clergy Hall are known to exist, one can still see the walls of the original building at Fort Hill.
John Rusk
The builder of the Old Stone Church was John Rusk. Rusk was an Irish stonemason who came to South Carolina from Ireland in 1791. He and his wife, Mary Sterritt, are buried in the cemetery. Originally, their graves were marked with simple field stones. In 1936 the state of Texas erected markers for them. Their son, Thomas Jefferson Rusk, had been very influential in Texas history. He left Pendleton in 1825 and eventually ended up in Texas. Thomas Jefferson Rusk served the state of Texas well. He was one of the drafters of Texas' Constitution, a signer of its Declaration of Independance from Mexico, the Secretary of War in Texas, the Commander-in-Chief of its Armies (succeeding Sam Houston), the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Texas, and (along with Houston) the first Senator of Texas to the United States Senate.
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General Robert Anderson
One of the more interesting persons buried in the cemetary is Robert Anderson. General Anderson, a life long friend of General Pickens, served in the Revolutionary War, distinguishing himself in the Battle of Cowpens near present day Spartanburg. He volunteered for service and began as a sergeant in the Fifth S.C. Regiment. Anderson's personal life was just as interesting as his military. He was married three times. His first wife was Ann Thompson of Virginia. In his early career, Anderson was a surveyor and he was seperated from her for over two years. During that time, she, assuming that he had died, agreed to marry another man. When Anderson was finished with his work, he was returning home, when word reached him of Ann's impending marriage Anderson raced his horse to the church. While she was dressing, Ann looked out of the window and saw Anderson riding up. Saying to her maids, "Yonder comes Robert Anderson and I love his little finger more than I love the other man's whole body," she ran down the church stairs, climbed onto his horse and the two rode off to be married. They wed on November 4, 1765. Ann was the mother of his children. His second wife was Mrs. Samuel Maverick. Their marriage ended with her death in 1803. His third wife was Jane Reese, widow of Dr. Thomas Reese, first pastor of the Old Stone Church. Robert Anderson was originally buried on his plantation. However, his grave and those of his wives were moved to the Old Stone Church in 1933. A plaque and tombstone were dedicated to his memory. Many of his desendents were present at the dedication, including two of his direct great-great-great granddaughters. The plaque reads: "Robert Anderson (1741-1813): A distinguished soldier of the American Revolution, was a Captain in the Ninety-six Dist. of S.C. Militia 1775-1778 and in the upper Ninety-six S.C. Militia -- 1779-1781; promoted to rank of Colonel for valiant service at the battle of Cowpens Jan. 1781; chosen Brig. General of state militia just after close of war; County and City of Anderson named in his honor." Despite his great influence on the Upstate's history, there are no surviving images of General Robert Anderson.
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Slaves in Church
The Old Stone Church was the first church in South Carolina to allow slaves to be members. They were not only permitted to enjoy the church services, but were welcomed as members, sitting in the gallery at the rear of the church. The slaves entered the gallery from a staircase located on the rear wall. The staircase is shown here, prior to the rebuilding of the church that took place during the early 1960s. Even though the community was sparsely populated, the membership of the church grew rapidly. According to church records, by 1833, the roll of the church show one hundred and eleven whites and sixty-nine black members. This list did not include children and non-members. Adding these in, it would have placed the total at well over two hundred. Taken from the earliest Session Book is this note:
When 16 colored people were examined on their faith in Christ and fitness for membership, eight were received on condition they obtain certificates of good character from their masters, and eight are to wait for further instructions.
While members had to show good character prior to being accepted into the church, once in, they had to abide by the rules of the church. The following extract tells of a woman who did not.
Moses, Hannah, and Maria are reported to have forsaken the ordinance of this church. Whereupon they are cited to appear before the Session of this church and answer the charge. Mary, a servant of Mrs. Walker, having formerly been in the communion of this church and having been under suspension for the irregularity for forming a connection without a formal marriage, came before the Session and acknowledged her faults and professed her penitence for her former and careless manner of life, whereupon she is received under the care of this Session to be restored in due time as soon as it shall be satisfactorily ascertained that she shows her reformation to be genuine and permanent.
The Old Stone Church was not only used as a church. It served as a school, and in 1919, the first Sunday School in the Upstate was held at the Old Stone Church. The builders of the church knew that living this close to Indians was dangerous. The church could double as a fort if it were needed. Therefore, they built heavy wooden doors which could close over the glass windows to add protection.
Osenappa
One of the legends surrounding the Old Stone Church is the story of Osenappa. While little is known of this Cherokee Indian, his impact on the life on Dr. Thomas Reese, the first paster of the church, must have been great. Osenappa was converted to Christianity by Dr. Reese, and he was very influential in converting other Indians. According to the story, it was Osenappa who supplied the Reese family with food and supplies in their early days. When an Indian uprising occurred, it was the actions of Osenappa that saved the Reese family. For a time, the Indian friend lived in the Reese household. Osenappa is buried in the Old Stone Church. His tomb is marked by a simple marker bearing his name and the date 1794. The family respected Osenappa so much, that George Reese, a son of Dr. Reese, named one of his sons Osenappa. Unfortunately, the boy only lived for seven months before he died of diptheria. His small tomestone reads "Osenappa, son of George and Anna Reese, Died at 7 Months."
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Restoration
In the 1960s, the church was completely restored. An earthquake sixty years before had severely damaged the structure of the chuch. To complete the restoration, it was necessary to take the church apart stone by stone and rebuild the entire structure. After several months of work, the building was completed. The inside of the church was restored to its original stark whites and deep browns. The magnificant pulpit was also restored. The present bulding is used for special services, and the Cemetery is still used be many upstate families and members of the two Presbyterian churches (the Pendleton Presbyterian Church and Fort Hill Presbyterian) that branched off of the original Old Stone congregation. The Church is used for weddings year round. It usually sees at least one wedding a week, for the entire year, and reservations have to be made a year in advance.
The cemetery is open to the public and is a very interesting place to visit. As one walks the cemetery grounds, history is everywhere. During the early days of the church, the engraving of tombstones was an art. Many of the carvers put their names on the stones so that other families could see their work. In addition, the skill of these workers is evident today. Many of the markers can still be read, almost two hundred years later. The standing of the Old Stone Church is a testiment to a people not forgotton. As a writer said of the church "it has been an influence for the good of humanity, the preservation of the faith, once delivered to the saints and a dominate factor in those sturdy principles that have brought forth a citizenry of stalwart men and women, whose lives have been a decisive force in bringing this great nation to its present exalted position of leadership among the great powers of the world."
Information for this article was provided by Mrs. Peggy Rich of Clemson.
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City of Clemson
Phone: 864-653-2030 or email.
1250 Tiger Blvd. Suite 1
Clemson, SC 29631
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