PHOTO BY HELEN WIGGINS
By Acenath Herring
Sunday, January 25, 2015, sitting on the handmade pew of Pee Dee Presbyterian Church brought back precious memories of 50 years ago. I went to this church with my beloved great aunt, Ida Cora McIntyre. I remember two things that I was told by her about church. One was I could not turn and look when I heard someone entering the church after we were seated. Two was I could not put a penny in the offering plate. I had to put at least a nickel because God deserved more than a penny from me. 50 years ago a penny and a nickel was a lot of money to me. Of course I could not talk during the service. This was the teaching of that era.
This event is called The Kirkin’ of the Tartan” which translated means “Blessing of the Families”. You don’t have to be dressed in a kilt or the attire of the peasant lassie to receive this blessing. Everyone is blessed during this wonderful service.
The Rev. Wayne (Butch) Farrah from the Methodist Church of Rowland, NC delivered the sermon with great knowledge of the heritage and history of our people. Using the Bible text about Joseph in the Old Testament to show the importance of heritage made us understand more of our Bible History as well.
Mrs. Jane Shaw sang 2 beautiful songs with Evelyn Cook as pianist.
The people that attended this service helped bless and keep alive the existence of this wonderful place of worship. Thanks to the people of Dillon, Rowland, NC, Lake View, Hamer, Chadbourn, NC, Clarkton, NC and other places. While at this service Mrs. Judy Carmichael Carter Elkins of Clarkton, NC found the grave site of some of her ancestors in the graveyard adjoining the church. She said that she remembered hearing her parents and grandparents speak of these ancestors. This goes to show that the descendants of this little church have spread near and far. They have made this world a better place to live, worship and work. On November 23, 2003 the church was removed from the Presbytery and placed in a trust with appointed trustees. These trustees have worked hard to maintain this historic building and grounds. William (Billy) Hayes lives near the church and keeps a close eye on the building and grounds. He repairs anything that gets broken as well as maintaining the yard and cemetery grounds. Christine Carmichael and her sons, Johnny and Neil have worked to help bring this service together and in order. Monroe McIntyre has maintained the records and items that were used in the beginning of the church which includes the old Bible. Robert (Bobby) Glenn has supported the program by bringing together the banners as well as spreading the word and working where he is needed. The Rev. Eugen Bach put together the order of the program with a lot knowledge of why and how the program should run. The service would not be what it was without the bagpiper, Bill Cauldill. He always comes to make this service very Scottish. Mrs. Janie McNiel of Dillon has always helped with the Tartan banners. She has always shared much Scottish history with me.
If anyone has any questions about Pee Dee Presbyterian Church or would like to help with it please contact any of the above mentioned people or me, Acenath Herring, 206 Rusty Brook Rd, Taylors, SC 29687.
Some attending include as known, Judy Carmichael Carter Elkins, Ramona White Barns,Star Saunders, Sandra McKeller, Pearl Nettles, Doris McRae, Billy Hayes, Helen Lane Wiggins, Neil M. Carmichael, John D. Carmichael, Evelyn D. Cook, Sarah McRae Rowan, Jimbo McLellan, Kenny & Phyllis McDaniel, James & Dianne Campbell, Jenny Bach, Susan McNiel, Jane McNiel, Jane Blake Shaw, Allison Farrah, Cissy Kinny, Susan Hooker, Jacob Hooker, Dr. Robert Hooker, Elizabeth McRae, we apologize for names omitted.
Pee Dee Presbyterian Church
The early members of Little Pee Dee Presbyterian Church were settlers from Scotland who built their homes along the Little Pee Dee River near Dillon. These Scottish Presbyterians attended services at Ashpole Presbyterian Church near Rowland, NC, but the considerable distance and poor condition of roads caused their travel to be very difficult. This was especially true during winter months. These early Presbyterian settlers often met in the home of Alexander Campbell. With more settlers arriving and families enlarging, the group grew in numbers. Rev. Duncan McIntyre, a native of Scotland, was the minister of Ashpole Presbyterian Church and was also a relative to many within the Pee Dee group. He was successful in establishing Little Pee Dee Presbyterian Church in late 1828 under Fayetteville Presbytery in North Carolina. There were about 50 charter members.
Some of the services were preached in Gaelic in a log church about one mile east of Campbell’s Bridge. That building is no longer in existence. The new building that replaced it was completed in 1851 on property donated by Mrs. Neil (Christian) Carmichael and her family. Individual families built the pews for the wooden frame Gothic Revival sanctuary. Each family also had a certain tree to hitch their horse and buggy. At that time, the church had two doors. The men would enter through the door on the left and sit on the left side. The women and children entered and sat on the right. The pulpit was between the two doors.
The church building was renovated around 1905. The front of the church was remodeled by changing the two doors into windows, and one double door was installed between them. A new area was added to the back of the church for the new pulpit that was built by Mr. Dan Dillon, son of the founder of Dillon County. Therefore, the sanctuary became reversed. New clapboards were added at that time. The same building, pews, and pulpit are still used for services.
Little Pee Dee Church was very active and continued to grow from 1828. The earliest records are believed lost, but church records are fairly complete from 1840 when Little Pee Dee was transferred from Fayetteville Presbytery in North Carolina to Harmony Presbytery in South Carolina. Little Pee Dee Church was received into the new Pee Dee Presbytery at its organizational session, which was held in Darlington, SC on December 4, 1889. “Little” was dropped from the church’s name about that time to avoid confusion with another church.
Pee Dee Presbyterian Church is the oldest Presbyterian Church in Dillon County and the second oldest Presbyterian Church established east of the Big Pee Dee River. It is the second oldest church in Dillon County and many of its former members have been among the charter members of Marion, Kentyre, Latta, Fork, Dillon, and Dunbarton Presbyterian Churches. The Dillon County Historical Society presented a SC Historical Marker to Pee Dee Church. It was unveiled during an afternoon service at the church on April 13, 1986 and stands in front of the church.
Following the reunion of the Presbyterian Church US and the United Presbyterian Church USA in 1983, Pee Dee Presbytery was renamed as New Harmony Presbytery. Pee Dee Presbyterian Church remained a member of New Harmony Presbytery until November 23, 2003 when the church was dissolved due to declining membership.
The property was placed into a trust and trustees were appointed who are responsible for the maintenance of the building and the two cemeteries. Memorial services are held frequently where we celebrate our Scottish Heritage.
