This is from the
writings of Juanita Dilley, Clover Lick, West Virginia, November 08, 1940.
Writings
are below pictures.
Posted
on this site March 11, 2007.
Check
bottom of page for notes on numbers.
Woods Page Chapel (Poage Lane Church) Woods Page Chapel (Poage Lane Church) 1991
Woods Page Chapel (Poage Lane Church) 1991
CHURCHES AT POAGE LANE—near Clover Lick
The very first church services in this community were held in a school house on the lands of Woods Poage and at another school house near the Tom house, where a man by the name of Tom lived. The place is still called Tom Hollow.
The first church to be built was an old log church, dedicated
Union
Chapel
Church, but
always called Beverage
Church. The
deed for the land was given
November 25, 1873
by Jacob Beverage Sr. and Susan his wife, to I. W. Allen, Levi Beverage, William B. Hannah, John A. Beverage and Isaac
Shinaberry, trustees. The church was built and dedicated the following year
(1874). Although it was not ceiled for about 10 years, at which time Marcus
Waugh was given the contract to do the work. He tongue and grooved the lumber by
hand and put up the ceiling in three weeks.
Savanah Beverage Waugh, daughter of Jacob Beverage Jr., tell me that when she
was a girl this old church was always filled with people on Sunday, and that she
has known as many as 70 children and young people to be enrolled in the Sunday
school at one time, beside the many adults who attended, making the attendance
around 100. Most of the people of the community had rather large families, and
every one went to church in those days,
This was a union church from 1874 to 1890, and was used by all
branches of Methodist and Dunkards. Those who were early members of this church,
as remembered by the older people. are
Jacob
Beverage Sr.-----Susan Beverage
Levi
Beverage-----------Jane Beverage
Jacob
Beverage Jr.------Rachel Beverage
I.
Walton Allen----------Eliza Allen
Abraham
Shinaberry----Mildred Shinaberry
Isaac
Shinaberry---------Jerushu Shinaberry
Mr. and
Mrs. Peter Shinaberry
Mr. and
Mrs. Phillip Kreamer
Mr. and
Mrs. William B. Hannah
Mr. and
Mrs. Jacob Shinaberry
Mr. and
Mrs. Marion Ray
Mr. and
Mrs. Brooke Ware
Mr. and
Mrs. Peter Carr
Mr. and
Mrs. James Friel
Rev. Joseph Beverage was a local preacher at the church. Some of these were Methodist and some were Dunkards, but they always worshipped together, and went to hear all the preachers regardless of denomination. It is said that while the Dunkard did not usually shout, that they enjoyed seeing the Methodist shout. Levi Beverage always shouted when they sang “Play On The Golden Harps”. Once when the Dunkards were having their feet washing, Jane Beverage got happy and shouted all over the church barefooted. She went to the preacher, Joe Miller, and said, “If my way of worshiping does not suit you, you can just take my name from the church roll. But he answers. “Sister Jane. Worship your God the way he tells you to”. (The Dunkards did not believe in shouting). The other members politely waited until she was through and back to her place, and then they went on with their foot washing.
These people were great for having basket dinners and all day meetings. They sometimes had as many as four in one summer.
In 1890 Jacob Beverage Jr. and Rachel deeded the Union Chapel property to the Methodist Episcopal Church but it was to be uses by all evangelical denominations with all of its appurtenances.
By 1900 many of the people of this side of the Poage Lane Community had passed away or moved elsewhere , and the other side of the community had became more thickly populated, so the church services were transferred to the present day Poage Lane school House [1]. This school was used as a community center from that time until 1919 when the Woods Poage Chapel was built. Some of those who were class leaders at the school house were: Levi Beverage, John Beverage, Jacob Waugh, Susan Malcomb, George Malcomb, Lydia McClung, Davis Shinaberry and Ercie McClung.
John Beverage and Mary Beverage, his wife, lived two miles and yet rarely ever missed services. They had two black horses that they rode to church, and the community still remembers these two good people though they have been dead for many years.
In 1919 the people of the Poage Lane community had a chance to buy a church building that had been built by the Lumber Company at Raywood, and since the company had moved out and most of the people with it, the church was no longer being used. This was a two story building. The lower story was used as a church and upper story as a lodge hall. The church was torn down and moved to its present location at Poage Lane. The money was raised by subscription , and much of it was paid by people in surrounding communities. It was built at a time when lumbering was at its height in this section of the county, and it was not difficult to collect money for church purposes.
The lot was given by Quincy W. Poage and Mattie A. Poage to the trustees who were John R. Poage, J. O. Mann, Q. W. Poage and Charles Shinaberry.
While the church was dedicated Woods Poage Chapel, in memory of Woods Poage the first settler in the community and father of the two Poage brothers for which the community was named., it is usually called Poage Lane Church. It cost about $1300 dollars when completed, and was a one story building with comfortable seats, and heated by wood stove. It was built under the pastorate of O. N. Miles, Presbyterian, and C. B. Rutlidge, Methodist. It was deeded to the Presbyterians but was to be open to all denominations when not in use by the Presbyterians. This church was for many years a mission point of Alexander Memorial Church at Stony Bottom. Rev. O. N. Miles was for twelve years (1918-1930) pastor of this church and the only Presbyterian pastor they had. [2]
It was used by Methodist until 1926 when it was discontinued as a Methodist appointment. Since 1930 it has been used by the Brethren with J. W. Pugh as pastor [3]. At the present time there are only a few Methodist and Presbyterian members, but quite a few Brethern. ( These Brethern contribute very little toward the upkeep of the church, and since the other classes are so small the church is in need of repair.)
Among the class leaders of various denominations in this church since it was built in 1919 are J. O. Mann, Woodsie Poage, Charles Shinaberry [4], Ida Grimes, Georgia C. Shinaberry [5] and Mary Dominici, also Annie Gragg.
Most of the people take little interest in the church any more, and the only Sunday School they had this summer was conducted by Georgia C. Shinaberry for the young people and children, she being the only adult who came. However, most of the Brethern members managed to get out to preaching twice a month.
In 1938 the people hired Ellis Allen to put a new roof on the church, And Opal Shinaberry gave an Alladin lamp to help light it, but it still needs some repairs very much.
Important things in the deed to Union Chapel
November 25,1873- Jacob
Beverage and Susan his wife, parties of the first part and
I. W. Allen,
Levi Beverage, William B. Hannah, John A. Beverage and Issac Shinaberry,
trustees, parties of the second part- for the consideration of one dollar- doth
convey to the above trustees and their successors in office one half acre more
or less that they shall erect and build or cause to be erected or build a house
or place of public worship of Almighty God for the use of the members and
families of the various evangelical denominations residing within convenient
distance of said house of worship. Said trustees shall originate and maintain a
regular corporative government among themselves, which shall be renewed as often
as occasion may require. In the event a vacancy shall occur in said board it
shall be filled from the congregation in regular attendance at said house of
worship, by election, by the remaining members of said board and by confirmation
agreeable to the laws of West Virginia.
Said trustees shall allow said
house to be occupied by any evangelical minister or properly authorized layman
as a place of worship by regular appointment, the particular hours for which
shall be arranged by the president of the board and the party so dividing the
time as to give all denominations contributing toward the erection of said
house, proportionally, equal ecclesiastical privileges therein. Provided no
appointment for preaching or meeting shall be thrown forward more than six weeks
from the day it is announced at one time for said house for anyone denomination
except for protracted meeting shall occupy five days in succession if necessary.
And provided further that the oldest appointment shall always hold good unless
relinquished by the party or agent making it.
Any party wantonly or willingly
violating any of the provisions herein contained so as to create disturbance to
any extent shall forfeit his right to use said house.
Said church will be called
Union Chapel and shall be under the care as herein set forth of the trustees of
whom is expected such action on the premises that will promote the peace and
quiet of the community, to have and to hold with all its appurtenances and with
general warranty.
The last deed given by Jacob Beverage Jr. and his wife Rachel is dated April 28, 1890, and made to John A. Beverage, William B. Hannah, Thomas Aldridge, I. W. Allen and Jacob M. Beverage, trustees
From – Deed books
Note from Juanita: Jacob Beverage no doubt realized there would be some difficulties arise over the use of a Union Church and this is no doubt the reason he set forth all of these provisions concerning the use of the church. It is also the reason those people got along so good together
The numbers were put in by George Shinaberry
[1]. The old school house is still standing, but was converted to a home around 1948-1950. The last classes were held in the spring of 1946. It is at the corner of Back Mountain and Beverage Road.
[2].
Rev. Acie Bryant, Presbyterian Minister, along with his wife Eva, was at the
Woods Poage Chapel (Poage Lane Church) in 1955. I don’t know how many years he
was there.
I,
George Shinaberry, have a Bible he presented to me in 1955. Inside front cover
reads: George C. Shinaberry,
Poage Lane
Sunday School, Presented by Rev. Acie Bryant,
April 17, 1955.
Rev Bryant passed away on August 02, 2004. He was 87 years old.
[3]. I know that Rev. Pugh, a Brethern Minister, was still a minister in the church in the early 50s. Around 1958 a Brethern Minister, Rev. David Rittenhouse was pastor there.
[4]. Juanita Dilley’s father
[5]. Juanita Dilley’s mother and Q. W. Poage’s daughter
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Dunkards
Note:The Dunkard Religion is now the Brethren
Dunkards were a Swiss/German pietistic sect much like the
Mennonites,
Moravians, etc. They were called Dunkards, or Dunkers, or
Tunkers--because they believed in baptism by dunking (immersion). Duncking was
to be done in a river three time, one each for The Father, That Son and The Holy
Spirit.
They wore plain clothing, coats with standing collars for the men, plain
bonnets and hoods for the women. Men were urged, but not required, to
wear beards; they should not wear mustaches alone. Women should not wear
jewelry.
They were to avoid narcotics, including tobacco. They did not
use
instruments of music in the house of God. They observed the Lord's
Supper (full meal, with the soup eaten from a common dish), and
communion of the bread and cup after the meal. This was usually held
once in the spring and once in the fall. They did not pay their
ministers a salary. They did not celebrate holidays such as Thanksgiving
or Christmas.
They were to obey civil government as far as its laws did not
conflict
with their religion. No Dunkard was to participate in politics. They
were not allowed to affiliate with secret societies or lodges. They
would not take nor subscribe to an oath. They considered slavery
abhorrent.
They believed in nonresistance, so they were much maligned in
the New
World. Their neighbors were often at odds with the Dunkards because they
would not participate in the Revolutionary War. Indians soon learned the
Dunkards would not resist, so they raided their homes.
There was one Dunkard who had a store which was raided three
times.
After the third time, he armed himself with a gun. He was excommunicated
from his church for this act.
They stayed to themselves, spoke only German and stayed out
of trouble.
Mainly they were farmers and weavers. Because they did not speak
English, other residents thought them illiterate, although the printing
presses of Germantown, Pa. were a product of the Dunkards.
Tracing genealogy in this group is a daunting process. Since
they were
pacifists, there are no war records to pursue. There are few marriage
bonds prior to 1820, as both the Dunkards and Mennonites took a dim view
of paying the state a fee for the performance of a Christian ordinance.
Prior to 1800, Dunkards could be excommunicated for obtaining a
marriage license or bond.
Basically, they began life in the
New World in
Pennsylvania.
Their
pacifism caused persecution and sometimes imprisonment. So they
started fleeing local pressure, generally going first to
Virginia and
then the Carolinas. Then they moved to the remote West, being among the
first to enter the Ohio and Mississippi valleys.
Much of the history of the frontier was written by
Presbyterian
ministers, so little is heard about these Dunkards--a peaceful,
industrious, plain-clothes people who were among the first white
inhabitants.
Hons in White County are descended from Jacob Hon, who came
here about
1812. Jacob was disowned in the will of his father, Jonas Hon, a Dunkard
minister near Louisville,
Ky. Much speculation has taken place as to why
Jacob was excommunicated from the folds of his Dunkard family.
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