231, ST. JOHN’S CHURCH, SALISBURY Though this is the oldest Lutheran church in North Carolina, there was for a considerable period such a decline as almost amounted to extinction. Still there were Lutherans here, and they owned a lot and building that were used by occasional ministers of their own faith as well as by other denominations. In 1822, steps were taken to secure its reorganization. The Rev. Gottlieb Schober, president of the Synod that year, addressed a letter to the Lutherans of Salisbury urging them to gather up their forces, re-constitute their church, and claim their property. This letter had the desired effect, for the adherents of the church met, arid a paper was drawn up by the Hon. Charles Fisher pledging the signers to reorganize the church. This paper was dated September 20, 1822, and was signed by the following persons, viz.: John Beard, Sr., Charles Fisher, Daniel Cress, Peter Crider, John Trexler, John Beard, Jr., Peter H. Swink, Moses Brown, John H. Swink, Bernhardt Kreiter, Lewis Utzman, H. Allemong, M. Bruner, John Albright, and Henry Swinkwag. Efforts were at once made to secure a minister, but without success. About this time a fence was placed around the graveyard, which had lain for some time in a neglected condition. In 1825, the work of reorganization was begun again, and Messrs. John Beard, Sr., George Vogler, and Moses Brown were elected elders, and Messrs. Nathan Brown, George Praley, and Henry C. Kern, deacons. During the following year, 1826, the church was successfu l in its efforts to secure the Rev. John Reek, of Maryland, as pastor. He found but fourteen members at his arrival; but the next year there were thirty members in full communion. Mr. Reek remained with the church five years, and his labors among them were greatly blessed. In 1831, the pastor resigned and returned to Maryland. “After this time the congregation had such a continued and rapid succession of ministers, besides having been at times unsupplied with the stated means of grace, as not to be enabled to command the influence which the regular ministration of a permanent pastor might have given it.” 260, On the fifteenth day of September, 1827, Moses A. Locke, Charles Fisher, and John Beard, Jr., as executors of Lewis Beard, executed and delivered to John McClelland, James Martin, Stephen L. Ferrand, Thomas Chambers, Edward Yarboro, and Edward Cress, vestry of the Episcopal congregation of St. Luke’s Church, a deed in fee for Lot No. 11-one hundred and forty-four square poles—in the town of Salisbury-now the east corner of Church and Council Streets. 268, Mr. Davis removed to Camden, S. C., the latter part of the year 1846, after a continuous residence in Salisbury of ten years. He was admired, respected, and beloved by all who knew him. The parish records of St. Luke’s Church before the rectorship of Mr. Davis are lost, and the records kept by him are incomplete. Mrs. Jane C. Mitchell (now Boyden) is the first name among the list of confirmations, September 9 , 1837. The last name is Charles F. Fisher, September, 1846. Among the baptisms is this entry: “July 24, 1844, James Alexander Craige and George Kerr Craige, infants of Burton and Elizabeth Craige, Catawba County.” Among the burials are the following names: November, 1841, Mr. George Baker; August 22, 1843, Mrs. Mary N. Steele; January 24, 1844, W. D. Crawford.” Among the marriages are the following: 1843, Dr. George B. Douglas and Miss Mary Ellis; July, Mr. Charles F. Fisher and Elizabeth Caldwell; November, Mr. N. Boyden to Mrs. Jane Mitchell; Dr. R. Hill to Miss M. Fisher. The record of marriages before the year 1843 has not been preserved. 270, The Diocesan Convention met in St. Luke’s Church, Salisbury, May 24, 1849, and again on May 27, 1857. The delegates elected to the last-named were William Murphy, Charles F. Fisher, Benjamin Sumner, and Luke Blackmer, from St. Luke’s Church; 273, Since the year 1823, many of the most distinguished citizens of the State have either been communicants of St. Luke’s Church or members of its congregation. John W. Ellis was a member of the General Assembly, a Judge of the Superior Court, and Governor of the State. Richmond M. Pearson became Chief Justice of the State; and Nathaniel Boyden became a member of Congress and an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. James Martin, Jr., Romulus M. Saunders, and David F. Caldwell were Judges of the Superior Courts. Mr. Saunders was also Attorney General of the State, and Minister P lenipotentiary to Spain. John Beard, Jr., Thomas G. Polk, Charles F. Fisher, John A. Lillington, John B. Lord, A. H. Caldwell, Stephen L. Ferrand, John L. Henderson, Richard H. Alexander, William Chambers, H. C. Jones, have been members of the General Assembly, in one House or the other; and many of them have occupied other important public stations. Archibald Henderson was a member of the Council of State under Governors Reid and Ellis. I have not included in the above list any persons now living. A large majority of the persons named were communicants. 274, 275, LOWER STONE, OR GRACE CHURCH lying in the center of the German population of Eastern Rowan is the parent of all the German Reformed Churches in Rowan County. The fathers and mothers of these inhabitants came into this region along with the Lutheran settlers about 1750, and their descendants may still be found on or near the old homesteads. The names of the Reformed families were Lingle, Berger, Fisher, Lippard, Peeler, Holshouser, Barnhardt, Kluttz, Roseman, Yost, Foil, Boger, Shupping, and others still familiar in that region. According to the custom of these early days, the settlers united in building a joint or union church. The first church erected by the Lutherans and Reformed jointly was a log church situated about six miles northeast of the present Lower Stone Church, which was called St. Peter’s Church. From a want of harmony or other unknown cause a separation took place, and the Lutherans built the Organ Church, and the Reformed b uilt the Lower Stone Church. Both these churches were of stone work, and were named, one from 275 HISTORY OF ROWAN COUNTY it organ, and the other from the material of its building. The land for the Lower Stone Church was purchased from Lorentz Lingle for two pounds (£2), proclamation money. The deed bears the date of 1774, and conveys the land to Andrew Holshouser and John Lippard for the use of the “Calvin congregation.” The Reformed Church was distinguished from other denominations in these early days by the fact that they were followers of the great reformer of Geneva, John Calvin, who perfected the reformation that was begun in Switzerland by Ulric Zwingle. The site of this church is about four miles west of Gold Hill, on the Beattie’s Ford Road. The first structure was of logs, but they were not long content with so humble a building, judging rightly that a house erected for the worship of God ought to be superior to their own dwellings. The Lutherans had just completed their house of stone, and in the year 1795 the Reformed Church set about the erection of their church of the same material. The cornerstone was laid in 1795, under the pastorate of the Rev. Andrew Loretz. Col. George Henry Berger, who was a prominent member of the Rowan Committee of Safety before the Revolution, and Jacob Fisher, were the elders of the Church at this time, and were most active in the erection of the new church. But many trials and discouragements obstructed the good work, and it was not until November, 1811, sixteen years after the cornerstone was laid, that the building was completed and dedicated to the worship of God. In the services of that occasion Pastor Loretz was assisted by the Rev. Dr. Robinson, then and for many years the beloved pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Poplar Tent. Previous to the pastorate of the Rev. Mr. Loretz there were different pastors, whose names are unknown. The Rev. Mr. Beuthahn resided in Guilford County, organized churches, and preached among them, but supported himself chiefly by teaching a German school in the southeast corner of Guilford County.