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This project for information pertaining to historic Gravel Hill Christian Church in Craig County, Virginia. Please feel free to add profiles for anyone related to this church.
Story from family search website but gives history of church
There are few if any now living who remember the first meeting house erected on the hill overlooking the quiet and the little village of Simmonsville. The hill is so named because it is so gravelly. The turnpike, the only highway leading through the valley of Sinking Creek at the time of the meeting house, was built on the hill. The turnpike ran over this hill and was later changed to go around the hill thus leaving the church off the main road. The church was then call Antioch and in 1850 there was a reorganization of the membership and at that time the name was changed to Gravel Hill.Between 1832 and 1835 the followers of Alexander Campbell, known as “Reformers”and those of Barton W. Stone, known as “Christians” formed a union. At this time it was estimated that the “Disciples” in the United States numbered 200,000. Dr. Chester Bullard immediately began to preach and to organize churches after the “ancient order”. He preached the New Testament and had a natural gift of eloquence that made him an effective proclaimer of the gospel. John Thomas, “The White Pilgrim”, was one of the earliest preachers to visit the Sinking Creek Valley. He was attached to a group known as "The Christian Church", which led out of the Methodist Church. The Life of the Pilgrim printed in 1817 contains an account of his earlier visits to the valley. Jacob McPherson was one of the members of the church when Dr. Bullard was preaching at the meetings at Gravel Hill. He prepared a subscription paper dated February 24th, 1827, asking for donations for the building to help repair the “meeting house” and another on June 29th, 1850 at which time there was a reorganization and the name Gravel Hill given to the church.When the new church building was being considered, there was considerable discussion about putting on a self-supporting roof. Adam Smith, was a contractor, and he said “it could be done”. There were people who came to Gravel Hill Church from John’s Creek, from Craig’s Creek, and for miles up and down the valley. Some came from as far as Giles to attend the meetings . People went to church, listened, and then read their Bibles at home, and discussed the way of salvation. Some of the first trustees and officers were Jacob McPherson, John Miller, Jacob Kinsley, James S. Givens, Adam McPherson, Joseph Reynolds, Giles Huffman, Floyd Givens, Daniel Ashwell and Alexander McPherson. For convenience, services sometimes were held other places other than the church like the McPherson school house.From 1832-1835 the church was a log meeting house. This meeting place burned down in 1835 and in the same year a new building erected which is the building as it stands today.Gravel Hill always made much of her music. George Hendrickson, a grandson of Jacob McPherson, studied vocal music in the Valley of Virginia. He later compiled a shape notebook and wrote and set music to a number of hymns. For many years the only musical instrument was the tuning fork; but later there was a good choir that sang with real credit. Singing schools were held annually. In those days people lived lonely lives and church meetings were a way for people to get together and socialized as well as worship. Dinner would be served on the ground for four or five days. These sessions would last for almost a week. The early preachers at Gravel Hill were Chester Bullard, James Cowgill, George W. Abel and William Huffman. Of course, many preachers visited Gravel Hill from time to time, either conducting one or more services, or holding protracted meetings.One of these was B.A. Abbott who conducted a meeting about 1887. Pastoral and evangelistic services were also rendered by A.M. and A.A Furgeson, J. H. Wingo, J.R. Fitzerald, J.A. Spencer, and J.W. West. The following pastors served at Gravel Hill: L. Green, 1892-94; C. B. Reynolds, 1895-96; J.A. Campbell,1897-99; R.W. Lilley, 1900-03; J.T.Watson,1906-09; S.A. Bristor; 1910-11; S.A Morton,1913-16; J.C. Reynolds, 1917-21; Z.N.DeShields, R.D.Scott and O.L. Huffman 1921-27; H.B Worley, 1930-??; who was greatly loved by the people. Two of his daughters attended Gravel Hill Church, Ruth W.Caldwell and Margaret W. Estes. Both very talented in music.Gravel Hill Christian Church is often referred to as the “old mother church” because Level Green, Forks of Johns Creek and even Bethel are daughters churches of Gravel Hill. As for the teachers, it is hardly possible to mention them all. Many young people joined the church in 1889, when Dr. H.W. Hoover held a summer meeting as district evangelist.The One Hundredth Centennial Anniversary of Gravel Hill was held on Friday, August 23rd, 1935 and was lead by the Rev. H.B. Worley. Those on the committee were Miss Lottie McPherson, L.R. Givens, H.B. Worley and C.B. Reynolds.In the late seventies a committee of Ruth Caldwell, Claudine Estes and Carolyn Harris worked to get carpet, curtains and the interior of the church painted. Garner P.Dobyns was the pastor then and helped with the projects with great enthusiasm.Not many changes or additions were added to the church except the above mentioned until the summer of 1998, when a building fund was established to add classrooms, restrooms and indoor plumbing. John F. Cox was the pastor and welcomed the needed changes. The building committee raised enough money to start and complete the construction in only four months. Many descendants of the ancestors of the church made donations. A dedication ceremony was held on October 18th, 1998. The building project was called “Promise Builders for Jesus”. James, Carolyn and Michelle Harris and many other individual volunteers helped with the construction. Local businesses donated materials and local contractors donated their time to the effort.The building committee was composed of Claudine Estes, Tom Hilton and Carolyn H.Harris, Chair Person. Much effort was put into doing the construction without changing the existing building from the outside. Because the church had so much unused space inside than was needed for the current enrollment of members, the rooms were put in the inner structure to save on cost. Even after the additions inside the church it can still seat over 125 people. In the days before the rooms, curtains and folding room dividers were the way the classes where separated inside the church and there was no indoor plumbing or a septic system. The names of those who contributed are too numerous to list but all were recognized at the dedication ceremony. A memory plaque was placed in the church thus fulfilling the dreams of many past and present members who wished for these improvements for the church.. Thus ends the short history of Gravel Hill Church.
From "HISTORY AND MEMBERSHIP OF THE GRAVEL HILL (ANTIOCH) CHRISTIAN CHURCH SINKING CREEK VALLEY CRAIG COUNTY, VIRGINIA 1830 - 1871" compiled by George Chapman Miller, Church Elder (1853 - 1871); Copied and printed by Patricia Givens Johnson, Copyright 1974
"Between the years 1818 and 1828 John and Henry Williams, Samuel Kyle, John and Samuel Rogers and William Lane of Ohio, visited the Valley of Sinking Creek, Giles County, now Craig County, Virginia, and in connection with Joseop Thomas the White Pilgrim, baptized a number of persons in said Valley. Incessant speculations of the divinity of Jesus Christ which together with personality differences with their pastor, George Adams, in a short time scattered the most of them, who had been baptized. So that in 1835 the commencement of the labors of Elder Chester Bullard, in this region, whose conceptions of Christianity, were a rejection of all speculative theology and that faith, repentance and a life of obedience, as the religion of the Bible, sentiments so near those of Alexander Campbell that when he Bullard knew them, he coalesced with them. When the labors of Bro. Bullard commenced in the region, October 10, 1835, only about 10 of those who had been received by the first named preachers, could be found, who having been baptized in the belief of the atonement of Jesus Christ, were willing to constitute a truly antisectarian and a practical (congregation). The labors of Brother Bullard began in 1835 and numbers were in a short time added. In after years helpers were occasionally raised up who added their labors to his in this valley............."
The records in this book would not cover the time period of George Cliffton Duncan and his first wife, but may have his parents or grandparents. It has the members from 1830 thur 1867 with a very few exceptions. I noticed Anna Hypes (dead or removed 1840), John L. Duncan (first meeting - 1837, dead), Hannah Duncan (first meeting 1837, dead or removed 2/1862), William Duncan (first meeting 12/27/1842), Major James Duncan (first meeting 1856), Peter Hypes (first meeting 1866), Henry Duncan (first meeting 1860, removed to Spruce Run), Joseph Duncan (first meeting 1860, removed to Bland County), James A. Duncan (first meeting 1871), Martha A. Duncan (first meeting 1871), Benton Hypes (first meeting 1871), Jacob and Mary Hypes (first meeting 1836, removed to Indiana), and perhaps others.
https://librarycatalog.dar.org/library/Details/detaillib.aspx?Recor...
https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/022-5048_Gr...
https://hswv.pastperfectonline.com/archive/0B433E19-AEA3-4824-A835-...
https://www.familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/639099
https://www.mapquest.com/us/virginia/gravel-hill-christian-church-3...
https://www.google.com/amp/s/boatdog.wordpress.com/2010/07/14/roots...