This does sound interesting. I wonder if ancestor William Graham is mentioned. His Biography stated that he was a member: "Mr Graham has had membership since 1833 in the Presbyterian Church." Jeanette S. French -----Original Message----- From: SGates1949@aol.com [mailto:SGates1949@aol.com] Sent: Monday, March 15, 2004 10:38 AM To: WVKANAWH-L@rootsweb.com Subject: [WVKanawha] From today's Charleston Gazette-have any list of those members? I read this article on today's online version of the Charleston Gazette. Is there a list on our site for the original members or the roll of members through the years? I rather think I may find some ancestors there-Moran, Rand, Caldwell, Gates and others. Church dedicates ark for storing its historical papers By _Mandy Rorrer_ (http://www.wvgazette.com/displayEmailContact.php?rid=355) STAFF WRITER John Campbell carefully unwrapped what looked like old letters from a faded envelope. “This is a real prize,” said Campbell, a member of Kanawha United Presbyterian Church. What Campbell held were the church’s first 15 sermons, handwritten and preserved for more than 180 years. The sermons and a large collection of documents that detail the church’s history were displayed Sunday morning at a celebration of Kanawha Presbyterian’s 185th birthday. The documents included old newspaper clippings, church bulletins, photographs of the pastors over the years and a collection of Bibles. - advertisement- (http://phpads.cnpapers.com/adclick.php?bannerid=71&zoneid=0&source=&dest=http://www.cnpapers.com/ads/charter/charterhome.htm) The Rev. John Davis also dedicated a new ark, or wooden chest, to hold the church’s documents. The church’s collection had outgrown the old ark, which Davis believes had been in use since the 1950s. Davis said former pastors started to gather Kanawha Presbyterian’s historical documents in 1879. The church also owns another ark from the Schwamb Memorial Presbyterian Church, which joined with Kanawha Presbyterian in 1970. Campbell and his wife picked out and donated the ornately carved chest, which depicts the Last Supper on its lid. It took the couple five years to find the perfect ark. Campbell would only say that the new ark came from an artisan in Tennessee, and he found it somewhere in Charleston. “It is important to keep these documents for the younger members of the church to know what the lay people and the ministry did for the church,” said Campbell, who has been a member of Kanawha Presbyterian for more than 50 years. The Rev. Henry Ruffner founded Kanawha Presbyteria in 1819. The church has survived a fire and a denominational split in the 1870s, according to church records. The ark also contained an 1880 advertisement for stonemasons to help build Kanawha Presbyterian. Davis said the congregation started building the current stone church on Virginia Street in 1873. It took 11 years to complete because the congregation shrank from 23 members to 16 during the denominational split. The church building is modeled after a church in Scotland and is the oldest house of worship in Charleston. Sharon Lee Gates ============================== Gain access to over two billion names including the new Immigration Collection with an Ancestry.com free trial. Click to learn more. http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=4930&sourceid=1237

This is exciting! Sabbath, October 6th, 1833: "...Mr. William Graham and... were, upon examination before the session, received as members of this church, and the ordinance of Baptism administered to all of them except Mrs. Cunningham, who had been previously baptised." August the -?-, 1835: "The Reverend Andrew S. Morrison commenced his ministerial labours, and the following members of the church attend his ministry, to-wit: ...Private members... Wm. Graham..." Hope that this helps you! Frances Wentz Taber Fernandina Beach, Florida This does sound interesting. I wonder if ancestor William Graham is mentioned. His Biography stated that he was a member: "Mr Graham has had membership since 1833 in the Presbyterian Church." Jeanette S. French

Yes, it IS exciting. Thank you Frances for the information you sent. Jeanette S. French -----Original Message----- From: Frances Wentz Taber [mailto:francestaber@bellsouth.net] Sent: Monday, March 15, 2004 6:56 PM To: jfrench1@earthlink.net; WVKANAWH-L@rootsweb.com Subject: RE: Kanawha Presbyterian Church - early members - William Graham This is exciting! Sabbath, October 6th, 1833: "...Mr. William Graham and... were, upon examination before the session, received as members of this church, and the ordinance of Baptism administered to all of them except Mrs. Cunningham, who had been previously baptised." August the -?-, 1835: "The Reverend Andrew S. Morrison commenced his ministerial labours, and the following members of the church attend his ministry, to-wit: ...Private members... Wm. Graham..." Hope that this helps you! Frances Wentz Taber Fernandina Beach, Florida This does sound interesting. I wonder if ancestor William Graham is mentioned. His Biography stated that he was a member: "Mr Graham has had membership since 1833 in the Presbyterian Church." Jeanette S. French