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Faithful Members Built Presbyterian Church Through The Years
Small Group
Always Loyal;
Now Growing
The Perry Presbyterian Church
reached the century mark of serv
ice in 1947 and held special serv
ices in 1948 to commemorate its
100th anniversary.
The official date of founding of
the church was April 25, 1847, by
order of the Presbytery of Flint
River. A few members of the
local church convened in Perry
for the purpose of constituting
themselves into a church. Rev.
R. Hooker of Macon pleached the
sermon and the Rev. Montgomery
of Talbotton was elected to pre
side over the meeting.
The following persons present
ed themselves, with church let
ters, ,and were received into the
church: Dr. Charles West, Mrs.
Sarah E. West, Miss Clifford
West, Dr. William S. Townsend,
Major A. W. Stephens, ,Mrs.
Clemenia Stephens, Col. J. D.
Havis, Mrs. Sophia Havis and
A. A. Wilkin. A covenant to be
HOME JOURNAL, PERRY, GA., THURSDAY, JULY 19, 1951
- YEARS AHEAD -
IN DESIGN and SERVICEABILITY
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Fo Help Great Old Houston Grow With A Faimall On Every
Farm and An I-H Refrigerator-Freezer In Every Home.
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EARL LEWIS
t.
used upon admission of members
was adopted and the following
men were elected as elders: Dr.
Charles West, Col. J. D. Havis
and Dr. William S. Townsend.
Small But Faithful
As the Presbyterians did not
have a house of worship the
records show that early meetings
of the congregation were held in
the Baptist Church in Perry.
There was a gradual growth of
the church, though the member
ship was never large. An old
citizen of Perry stated that the
church was never large but those
who were members were faith
ful and loyal to their church.
Slaves who belonged to members
of the church were received into
the membership of the church
with much care and considera
tion.
In Ihe record for Sept. 22, 1849,
it is stated that a house of wor
hip had just been completed and
that aid from the Church Exten
sion Fund would be sought. This
church building still stands today,
though it has been remodeled and
enlarged by generous members
PERRY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH has been remodelled and ex
panded in recent years by a growing, vigorous congregation under
the leadership of Rev. John Pridgen Jr.
of the church in the last few
years.
In the Acts of the General
Assembly passed in Milledgeville,
then the state capital, in annual
session in November and Decem
ber, 1859, on page 114 there is
recorded an enactment whereby
Jesse D. Havis, Spencer R. Pen
nick and Robert Miller and their
successors in office were declared
trustees of the Perry church.
Legal Title Obtained
On November 10, 1929, it hav
ing been found that there was no
legal title to the church and that
for some reason there were no
legally appointed trustees, a
Congregational Meeting was call
ed and F. C. Chandler, J. C. Ward
and A. B. Ramage were elected
trustees and a title obtained and
recorded.
The period of the War Between
the States shows that the church
(passed through interesting but
trying experiences. Augustus Al
den was clerk of the Session and
principal of the college in Perry
in the early sixties. A Mrs. Lucy
Dayton joined the church after
fleeing to friendly territory from
Union-held Tenn. The
church aided in lurnxsnmg Bibles
to the destitute in the Confeder-
REV. JOHN PRIDGEN, JR.
Presbyterian Pastor
ate army. The ranks of members
were riddled by the war and the
church became unable to contin
ue to maintain a resident minis
ter. The membership dwindled
away to Jive members as of Jan
uary, 1893. In March, 1898, the
church was revived and has con
tinued active.
It was at this time that H. T.
Gilbert united with the church
from the Presbyterian Church in
Lexington, Ky., and throughout
his life served the church faith
fully. He is said to have been
responsible for keeping the
church alive in critical times.
Women’s Work
In April, 1921, the Women’s
Auxiliary was adopted as the
plan of the women’s work in the
church and an active organiza
tion was begun under the leader
ship of Mrs. J. C. Ward, pres
ident; Mrs. A. B. Ramage, vice
president, and Mrs. Katherine
Holtzclaw, secretary and treas
urer.
The Preebyterian church was
served for many years by minis
ters who lived in other cities. In
May, 1932, Rev. Everette P.
,Moye came to Perry to labor
with the people of Perry and
Clinchfield. He is the first Pres
byterian minister ever to make
his home in Perry, remaining
here until his resignation in 1937.
As far as is shown, only two
other resident ordained ministers
served the Perry church until
1949, when the present pastor,
Rev. John B. Pridgen, accepted
the call of the church. The oth
er two ministers of record were
Rev. Robert F. Boyd and Rev.
Mr. Agerton.
In 1937, the church was en
larged by an addition of the pres
ent Sunday School department.
In 1947, additional space was pro
vided for the Sunday School and
the interior of the church audi
torium was remodeled.
Membership Grows
In October, 1947, when Paul
Gess, student pastor, was the
minister of the church, the mem
bership was 26, and rose to 39
during his pastorate.
Under the leadership of the
present pastor, the membership
has increased to more than 100
members and the Sunday School
enrollment to more than 100,
also. The church operates on a
full time basis at present and is
a leading force for the spiritual
development of the community.
FIRST OFFICIALS
OF PERRY LISTED
By selection of the Inferior
Court of Houston, the county seat
was located on Lot. No. 49 in the
10th land district and when set
tled in 1823 was named Watts
ville, but was later changed to
Perry.
The very first settlers in Perry
were Edward Welch, John R.
Cook, Major J. M. Kelley, Giles
B. Taylor, Arthur Morgan, Bent
ley Outlaw, Col. Howell Cobb,
and F. W. Jobson.
In 1826 there were only 20
homes in Perry, made of round
poles and hewn logs ceiled with
boards or chinked with clay. The
first framed dwelling house was
built by James E. Duncan.
Perry was incorporated in 1824
and the first commissioners were
James H. Killen, James M. Walk
er, Wilson Collins, Edmond
Welch and Alexander J. Robin
son. John M. Moore was the first
marshall of the town, as well as
the first postmaster.
SHAKESPEAREAN CLUB
On Jan. 19, 1886, the first meet
ing of the Perry Shakespearean
Club was held at the residence of
Col. C. C. Duncan who was chos
en president.
Old College
Fair Heads
Are Listed
Great preparations for the
Houston College Fair on Nov. 19
and 20, 1884, enlisted the efforts
of nearly everyone in town, The
Home Journal of that date re
ported.
Old pupils of the school organ
ized a society and did zealous
work on behalf of the enterprise.
Society officers were Mrs. Wil
liam Brunson, president and Mrs.
C. T. Lawson, secretary.
The following committeemen
were named, chairman first:
General Supt, William Brun
son Sr.; Agriculture, Dr. M. W.
| Havis, Mrs. J. G. Davis, Mrs. A.
L. Miller, .Mrs. D. H. Culler, Mrs.
W. H. Norwood, Mrs. J. H. Hodg
es.
Fruits, J. W. Mann, Mrs. F. S.
Cater, Mrs. C. R. Faulk, Mrs. M.
L. Nottingham, Misses Lula Fea
gin, Claude Hill and Ida Notting
ham; Flowers, J. G. Holtzclaw,
Mrs. H. M. Holtzclaw, Mrs. F. M.
King, Mrs. Conyers, Mrs. C. F.
1 Cooper, Misses Maggie Gordon
and Mattie Tharpe.
Music, T. T. Martin, E. Ragin,
Misses M. E. Ragin, Lee Tharpe
and Minnie Norwood; Art, F. M.
Houser, Mrs. C. C. Duncan, Mrs.
W. M. Gordon, Mrs. N. E. Cox,
Mrs. C. E. Gilbert, Mrs. R. N.
Holtzclaw, .Mrs. F. M. Houser,
Misses Cornelia Smith and Mag
gie Tharpe.
Played Post Office?
Post office, A. B. Davis, Misses
Katie Killen, Katie Felder and
Florine Cox; Cigars, Misses Cal
lie Brunson and Lee Tharpe; Ice
cream, Mrs. C. H. Moore, Mrs.
A. S. Giles, Mrs. M. C. Hook,
Mrs. T. J. Cater; Decorations,
Miss Florence Cater, .Misses Nena
Norwood, Annie Schilling, Nettie
Hook, Della Ragin, Hattie Sim
mons, Florine Hill, Sallie Felder,
Katie Paul, Lorena Schilling,
Mattie Jobson, Fannie Woolf oik,
i Mary Faulk, Olivia Brunson, No
ra Killen, Mary Simmons, Janie
Tharpe, Jennie Killen, and Mes
srs. L. F. Cater, W. C. Davis, Wil
liam Brunson Jr., J. P. Duncan,
W. G. Ezell, and Misses Lizzie
Kunz, Annie King and Annie
Pierce.
Refreshments, Mrs. H. L. Den
nard, Mesdames Dr. J. B. Smith,
T. M. Killen, McD. Felder, S. D.
Rogers, L. S. Townsley, R. J.
Smith, E. S. Wellons, Dr. M. W.
Havis, W. D. Day, G. W. Killen,
L. Pickard. J. W. Colyer, A. B.
Schilling, S. L. Feagin, D. W.
Holland, J. D. Martin, T. J. An
derson, B. F. Avant, D. D. Bate
, man, J. H. Houser, W. L. Rainey,
I W D. Pierce and W. F. Killen.
EVEN IN 1875,
HOUSTON FARMS
WERE DIVERSIFIED
A wide range of farm products,
including many not so widely
produced now, were listed in
The Home Journal of Jan. 16,
1875, as coming from Houston
county farms the previous year.
Here are some of them:
9,660 bales of cotton valued at
$579,600, 662 bushels of rice val
ued at $1,324; 5,421 bushels of
wheat at $10,842; 907 bushels of
rye, $1,814; 72 bushels of barley,
$120; 16,378 bushels oats, $16,378;
540,425 bushels corn, $540,425.
52,000 bushels of sweet pota
toes at $56,000, 2,770 bushels of
Irish potatoes at $5,540; 528 lbs.
tobacco at $105; 9,000 gallons of
cane syrup, $6,000; 722 gallons
sorghum syrup, $350; 3 tons clo
ver hay at $100; 328 gallons wine,
$1,000; 89 bushels dried peaches,
$500; 161 bushels dried apples,
S4OO.
$4.00.
6,158 bu. peanuts, $6,158; 559
sheep, 10,302 hogs, 1,998 horses
and mules and 3,425 head of cat
tle.
Houston Manufacturing Co. at
Houston Factory made 383,727
yards of 4-4 sheeting, 2,550 lbs. of
sewing thread and 2,895 lbs. of
knitting thread.
OLD PERRY HOTEL
“Twenty well-furnished rooms’'
were available for guests at the
Perry Hotel on Feb. 18, 1886, it
was announced by Mr. and Mrs.
Tuttle who proudly listed in the
Home Journal improvements
that had been made.