The author, Steve Bailey, is outreach coordinator at the Anson County Historical Society. Sources for this article include the Primitive Baptist Library at Elon College, Lawyer’s Spring Church minutes, Court records and family recollection. The photo is of the original Lawyers Springs Primitive Baptist Church in Peachland, which was organized July 31, 1821, and still exists.
My mother’s ancestors helped to establish a church, the small relatively short-lived Deese’s Chapel Primitive Baptist, in north Wadesboro. Here’s the story.
On Monday morning, Oct. 4,1926, Elder Edwards reported that he, along with Elder Treece and Jason Eudy, had formed a presbytery on Friday, Sept. 28,1926, and organized Deese’s Chapel.
Soon thereafter the Bear Creek Primitive Baptist Association received a petitioner’s letter from Thomas Harward in which Deese’s Chapel Primitive Baptist Church requested membership in the association. This request was unanimously granted and Brother Harward was named “messenger.” Then, by motion, Elder Treece was elected “moderator” and Brother Jones, “clerk.” Also, Brethren Outen, Taylor and Simpson were appointed to the Committee of Arrangements and Brethren Harward and Burris were appointed to the Committee of Finance.
On Nov. 27,1926, Harward, as trustee of Deese’s Chapel, paid $500 to Carl and Lucy Lawson for less than an acre of land, to build the church on. By spring 1932, Deese’s Chapel had disbanded. The reason was trouble among family members that could not be resolved. Some of the church members were Michael and William Harward, Rebecca Curlee, Sallie Harward, Frank Harward, Rowena and Sallie Deese, Rosetta Whitley, Will and Jina Howell.
Some of the former members joined Lawyer Springs Primitive Baptist Church in Peachland. Deese’s Chapel was organized in 1926 with seven members and had only 12 members by 1931.