Comments on: South Carolina Universalists

By: Steven R

Steven R — Sun, 31 Jul 2005 01:55:43 +0000

I believe the location you are refering to is Hartford - which is about a mile or less from the old Brethren - Universalist cemetary. This was used about 25 years pre-war — after the war, it was used as a school up to the 1940s-1950s or so. My understanding is that that particular building was torn down (or at least a history of Newberry says it was). The place Im thinking of is north-west of Newberry -
if you know anyone who has a picture of the Mountville church, I would love to see that. Its cemetary is still standing (and just used within the last few years, to bury someone who had been a student the Southern Institue-in Camp Hill!!)

everyone but Scott and me have their eyes glazing over, with this kinda talk?

By: Scott Wells

Scott Wells — Sat, 30 Jul 2005 15:02:47 +0000

I was driven past a building less than a mile from the old Brethren-Universalist cemetery — on the way back into Newberry — by a member of the Clayton Memorial church. This was perhaps 1998. He said a building, now a private home with an extra wing attached, it was originally a church, and perhaps the you are looking for.

Don’t be horrified — OK, be horrified — but said man (now elderly) recalls tipping over the headstones as a lad to make a garden for the house.

Of course, in the old Brethren-Universalist cemetery, there is an almost perfectly square area devoid of headstones. I think this must be the site of the oldest Universalist church, already in ruins by the Civil War. See the Annals of Newberry.

By: StevenR

StevenR — Sat, 30 Jul 2005 12:45:01 +0000

Oops, when I listed the blogsite with my name, I thought I would get some folks coming by, saying “that’s interesting”, but never thought I would get a formal annoucement. I would have cleaned up a bit better! As it is I have three to four feet worth of paper files I can add to it —
I used to post on a now gone website, and missed it- thus my blog….
Since I spend most of my time looking at stuff up to 1917, I dont know much about Clayton Memorial at all — I was hoping that since this was their anniversary year, they would do a booklet - so I can just read and not research! — I had offered to give information (either talk or share) on Father Clayton, but got no response back on that. I do see Edgar Halfacre listed as an Universalist minister. I am still looking for the actual location of the other church (not the historic one, but the one north of town )
I could go on, but am going to Columbia in a few minutes, to see if I can locate Mrs. Irwin’s grave- and see how her plot is from Father Claytons.