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A House of Historic Interest to Baptists
By Dr. R. J. Massey
T is of unusual interest to note in the
midst of a busy city a house whose
existence began even before that of
the city in which it now stands, but
this is true of a little two-story un
pretentious frame dwelling which
stands today at the intersection of
Crew and Clark Streets, Atlanta. The
house itself was built long before the
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first stake was driven by Chief Engineer Long,
of the Western and Atlantic Railroad, at a point
which established the center of the South’s great
est commercial emporium, and was moved to At
lanta from Penfield, Greene County, Georgia. This
town was the former site of Mercer University,
and the house was the property of J. M. Roberts,
a prominent Baptist, and it is highly probable,
that more Baptists of prominence have been within
its walls than within any in the State of Georgia,
or it may be in the whole South.
From Mr. Roberts it was transferred to Major
R. L. McWhorter, known then as he is now, as
“Bob” McWhorter. Bob McWhorter was a mer
chant, prosperous farmer and a veritable “Geor
gia Major.” To my youthful eye, in his regimen
tals at a Georgia militia muster, Bob McWhorter
was the finest looking soldier I ever saw. I have
been intimate, in after years, with many
officers and men of the Mexican War and
the late Civil War. and I have found none
more soldierly in their bearing than Bob
McWhorter.
Before and since the war Major Mc-
Whorter has been a leading politician in
Georgia. Besides filling other important
trusts, he represented his county in the
Legislature several times, at one time very
acceptably as Speaker of the House. Dur
ing the war, he led the gallant “Dawson
Grays” in many engagements in Virginia,
and fully proved himself a fine soldier.
Major McWhorter has been a leading Bap
tist for nearly seventy years.
“Look Not Upon the Wine When it is
Red.”
It was at this small house in Crew
street, during the month of May, 1845, I
was invited to a wine supper. At it were
some fifteen or twenty young gentlemen of
the different classes of Mercer University.
This was at an era when the social glass
was not tabooed on festive occasions, as it
is the custom of church members at present. Even
the clergy of the two prominent denominations,
Baptist and Methodist, of the State, were in the
habit of taking a little “for the stomach’s sake”
whenever the occasion required.
Each young man was called upon to give a toast
in response to which all the others sipped wine.
When about half had been called upon, and res
ponded, a small pale faced young man came for
ward. He very modestly arose and extending his
glass of wine in full view, said: “Look not upon
the wine when it is red, when it giveth its color
in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. For at
last it bitheth like a serpent and stingeth like an
adder, etc.” Suiting his acts to his words, he said:
“Dash it down, dash it down,” and upon the floor
he did dash it. Then taking up a glass of clear
water he said: “This is pure water, a beverage pre
pared by God Himself to nourish and invigorate
his creatures.” He followed it with one of the
most beautiful temperance speeches it has ever
been my lot to hear. Suffice it to say this ended
the wine drinking for the night. We had never
theless, a splendid social time.
The young man who gave the temperance lecture
afterwards graduated at Mercer Univtersity. A
few years thereafter he took the degree of M. D.
at the Georgia Medical College so as to befit him
self for his future work. The public has known
him for the last half century as Rev. W. H. Clark,
M. D., who spent thirty years of his life as a mis
sionary in Africa, appointed by the Georgia Bap
tist convention. Dr. Clark has given to the world
a better knowledge of the dark continent than any
other man, save, possibly, H. M. .Stanly.
At present his son, Rev. Harvey Clark is Bap
tist missionary to Japan, who is at home on vaca
tion at this time. It is customary with foreign
missionaries, after having served seven continu
ous years, to receive a respite for a few months.
Mr. Clark is now enjoying that privilege.
Major McWhorter sold the Crew Street house
to Dr. Nathaniel Macon Crawford, eldest son of
Hon. William H. Crawford, who, for at least thirty
years, was one of Georgia’s leading statesmen.
Being of splendid physique and courtly mein, it is
on record that Mr. Crawford is the only man in
honor of whom Napoleon Bonaparte, during his
whole life, ever raised his hat. When Mr. Craw
ford was presented to him as United States Min
ister to France, the Emperor paid him this honor.
In connection with Mercer he was Professor of
Theology and President of the University. Under
him Mercer prospered wonderfully. Mild manner
ed and gentle, he possessed great firmness of char
acter and regardless of all consequences, under no
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circumstances, could he be induced to swerve from
what he regarded as a line of his duty.
A Manifestation of Divine Grace.
One incident in his life will show what sort of a
man he was. During his connection with Mercer
University as professor there arose great friction
between the trustees and one of the professors, in
consequence of which Rev. J. L. Dagg, president
of the college, and two professors, retired. This
trouble brought about great dissension. It was re
ferred to the Georgia Baptist Convention.
Delegates from all parts of the State came in
structed either to ratify or annul the action of the
trustees. Many bitter things had been written,
worse had been said, upon he subject, both pro
and con. A great many were aimed at Dr. Craw
ford personally.
The Convention met at Savannah, and this par
ticular business was made the order for a certain
hour. Up to this time Dr. Crawford had never
been known to utter a single word on the subject.
The controversy against Dr. Crawford had been
lead by a great and wonderful man. He exerted
his utmost, both by speech and writing, to defeat
the plans of the trustees. He had done and said
more than any other man on that line. The hour
arrived; the matter was called up; suspense hov
ered over the whole house; disruption threatened
the Convention. Dr. Crawford quietly arose and
The Golden Age for April 12, 1906.
A House of Historic Interest to Baptists.
asked the President if the Convention would per
mit him and this aggressive brother to retire to
the ante-room, and pray together over the subject.
Permission was given; they retired. Within a
very few minutes Dr. Crawford and his brother
appeared on the stage, and amid the silence of the
dropping of the proverbial pin, Dr. Crawford very
quietly announced that the difficulty had been ami
cably and satisfactorily settled. Following this
announcement, there was a general handshaking and
universal rejoicing. Scarcely a dry eye was found
in the house.
There has probably never been such a manifesta
tion of Divine grace since Pentecostal day.
While Dr. Crawford visited this house, I, my
self, was present at a meeting at which were five
Baptist ministers and two Baptist laymen; the for
mer were the Rev. A. T. Spalding, Rev. J. S. Mor
row, Revs. W. L. Compton, A. D., Phillips and Rev.
J. H. Kilpatrick. Also the Rev. T. B. Cooper and
John T. Clark, together with Rev. William H. Da
vis and L. W. Stephens, all useful and well-known
men, were frequent guests at this hospitable
home.
Ex-Governor Northern was raised within a
stone’s throw of the lot on which this house stands
and must also have been there manv times.
In 1856 Dr. Crawford sold the house to
Rev. AV. L. M. Harris, the third son of Rev.
John Harris. The latter had two sons, Ed
wa~l and John, both of whom became Bap
tist ministers and visited the house while
their brother, the doctor, lived there. Dur
ing his stay in the house, Dr. Harris had
four sons, all of whom became in turn Bap
tist ministers, three of whom are still liv
ing.
In 1868 Dr. Harris sold the house to
Rev. H. H. Tucker, then president of Mer
cer University. Dr. Tucker was for many
years known as one of the ablest divines in
the United States. He made a European
tour and performed the ordinance of Bap
tism at Rome, in the river Tiber, the only
instance of the kind known since the time
of the apostles.
In 1876 Dr. Tucker bought the lot on
which the house now stands from R. P.
Zimmerman, a prominent Baptist who had,
in turn just purchased it from Penfield,
and put it up in its original shape. For sev
eral years it was occupied by another Bap-
list, Captain S. P. Verdery. At the death of the
latter, Hon. Warren D. Webster was the next ten
ant of the house, and he also was a prominent Bap
tist.
Still the long list of Baptists who have been as
sociated with the little house in Crew Street is not
ended. Among those seen there may be mentioned
Rev. Hillman Williams, of Texas; Dr. Sylvanos
Landrum, of Atlanta; Rev. E. T. Winkler, of
•Charleston, Savannah and Montgomery; Rev. W. B.
Crawford, of Madison, Ga., and others.
Os all these great and good men so far as I can
remember, only six are living: Hon. R. L. Mc-
Whorter, fast approaching his nonagerian mile
post; Rev. A. T. Spalding, of Atlanta, still faith
fully working in his Master’s cause; Ex-Governor
Northern, who is today working all the time doing
good for his church, State and country; Rev. J. H.
Kilpatrick, who is today working as faithfully for
his charge at White Plains as he did fifty years
ago, when he commenced; and last, but by no
means least, that grand triumvirate of Baptist
preachers, the Harris brothers, able, earnest and
consecrated.
Now, if this good old house isn’t entitled to the
role of apostolic succession it certainly can come
in upon the plea of Baptistic succession for nearly
seventy years.