Old Third Creek
A
One of the most interesting old
churches in the state: rich in its
historical associations and a re¬
ligious bulw ark in the early days
of the colony.
By HARRY X. TUCKER
FOH years Third Creek Church in
Rowan County has been the re¬
cipient of much publicity as the
final resting place of Napoleon’s
Marshall Ney. of France. Aside from
this interesting enigma, which lias
challenged the ability of researchers
at home and abroad, old Third Creek
Church is within itself a shrine of
great religious and historic interest.
In viewing this church of the early
Scotch pioneers on the Yadkin, not
only as a religions organization, but
more particularly as a pioneer Amer¬
ican institution, let us see how tradi¬
tions and services are interwoven and
handed down with something of the
very life of the early settlers.
Organized in 1787
Thin! Creek Church was organized
in 1787. It was in 1792 that wealthy
Samuel Young, said to have been a
graduate of the University of Edin¬
burgh. ceded to its trustees one
неге
and nine square perches of ground
on the ridge between Third and
Fourth creeks. Since the initial do¬
nation. however, others have ceded
lands to the church property, until
the acreage now totals more than
twenty acres.
Samuel Young was a picturesque
figure along the Yadkin Country in
the early colonial days. He was bom
in Scotland in 1721. and came to
North Carolina after 1718. acquir¬
ing
и
plantation of more than four
thousand acres in Rowan County, lie
owned a line of ships which operated
out of Philadelphia, where he fre-
quently rode a horse to attend to Ins
growing business there.
The children and Negro slaves of
Samuel Young were regularly in¬
structed in the Presbyterian cate¬
chism. especially on the Sabbath, a
•lay which was
м*
religiously ob¬
served that even visiting was neither
approved or practiced. Everyone was
required to attend all religious wor¬
ship. Neither remoteness nor stress
of bad roads were accredited alibis
for lack of attendance at Third
( 'reck.
In this stern and ritualistic Pres¬
byterian neighborhood, religions innl
theological meditation was fostered
by the contents of the large and val¬
uable library of Samuel Young.
There is still extant
а 1ни*к
of ser¬
mons which lie brought from Scot¬
land entitled "A Treatise of the Life
of Faith." Among many other dis¬
sertations, the I
юок
contains sixty-
six sermons on one chapter of He¬
brews. There were also in his library
many volumes on geography, his¬
tory. astrology, law. and numerous
other subjects. There was no fiction.
A Circulating Library
When Samuel Young died bis
IsHiks went to his five sons. Something
of the present circulating library
method had I . . thought up by this
good man, for he not only left direc¬
tions how the books were to be equally
divided into five lots, but the lots
were ordered to be exchanged as
needed or as desired.
The people of the Third (.'reek
community, aware of the deep learn¬
ing of the thrifty Scotchman, gave
him the respectful appellation of
"Folk's Lawyer." Samuel Young
had not only won the confidence of
the neighboring planters and trap¬
pers, he was known and well liked by
the colonial officials of North Caro¬
lina. He not only had their confi¬
dence, but in the troublous times
lie fore the Revolution he was a cap¬
tain of the King's militia. Later he
became a member of the Rowan Com¬
mittee of Safety, and was an ardent
patriot. He was elected twice as a
representative to the Provincial Con¬
gress. After the Revolution he served
several years in the North Carolina
legislature.
After the death of Samuel Young.
in
17ИИ.
Third Creek Church con¬
tinued to grow and prosper. In ISTl
plans were completed for the erection
of the present substantial brick edi¬
fice. The subscription
ра|нт.
long pre¬
served in the archives of the church,
shows amounts subscribed and
pledged from one to a hundred dol¬
lars. The sun-dried bricks were made
by tile slaves of the neighboring
plantations; the heavy iron hinges
and bolts were made by blacksmiths
in the community. Linen for use in
the communion service was woven
by the women of the congregation.
A Sturdy Structure
The simple dignity of the church is
symbolic of Scotch- Irish slimline»
and sincerity. It stands, firm and
four-square, as sure in its physical
stability as it is unchanging in its
spiritual tenets. Inside are plain
white walls, straight aisles, solid
benches, and wide, high windows.
The high arched roof, with no visible
support, is an interesting and intri¬
cate architectural oddity, and signi¬
fies that the architects were no com¬
mon laymen.
A wide gallery used by the Negro
slaves in ante-bellum days, and show¬
ing signs of good taste in woodwork,
runs around three sides of the inte¬
rior. Third (’reek congregation, said
to be one of the most prosperous and
lx*st dressed ill all the Yadkin Valley,
boasted of artistic candle holders and
reflectors brought from (Slasgow.
(Continued on
роде
hmih/seiwn )
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