The rich heritage of Lewisville United Methodist Church goes back over a hundred years before the church was established in 1878. The rich land along the Yadkin River was considered to be the most valuable farming land in Western North Carolina. This land was settled before the Moravians came to the area in 1753. Robert W. Ramsey in his Carolina Cradle tells of the Bryan settlement on the Yadkin River, at the Shallow Ford in 1747-1748. There were six families on the east side of the river and two on the west side. The strip of land between Muddy Creek and the river contained most of the early Methodist Churches of the Yadkin Valley. Francis Asbury and his Circuit Riders came into this area by way of the Shallow Ford -- there were no bridges across the river and communication was by horseback and stagecoach.

The most important road through the area, beginning in the 1740s, after the treaty with Indian tribes, was the Great Wagon Road running from Pennsylvania to South Carolina and Georgia. It came through Bethania to the settlement which later was to become Lewisville. The Shallowford Ford from Salem to the Shallow Ford joined the Great Wagon Road in front of the present location of the Lewisville United Methodist Church.

(from A HISTORY OF LEWISVILLE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 1878-1988)

G. Galloway Reynolds, 1904-1993, Church Historian, gathered and assembled information for the book, with the help of the History Committee. He financed the publication, continually urging the publisher on until completion. After the initial sale, he presented the remainder of the books to the church. They can be bought at the church office.

Ruth Reynolds Hartle March 7, 2003

In the one hundred years prior to the organization of our church in 1878, times had not changed much in the settlement later named Lewisville. There was a store, a tavern and a campground. The campground was located about where Lizzie Mock's house is now. Since the settlement was located on the Great Wagon Road, travelers passing through on their way to the Shallow Ford from the east, or having crossed from the west, stopped for provisions or found that they unexpectedly had to "put up" for the night at the tavern. If the waters of the Yadkin River were swollen from severe rain storms, the travelers had to wait until the waters receded for it would have been very dangerous to attempt crossing the Shallow Ford under such conditions.

It was in the settlement that the Rev. Moses Hunt saw "activities of an unrighteous nature" that prompted "Uncle Mose," as he was called, to pull his horse up to the site of our church and to kneel in prayer to God for a church to be built there. The Rev. Moses Hunt was in charge of the Forsyth Circuit made up of all Methodist Churches in Western Forsyth County. He observed those "activities" as he passed in visiting his churches.

Things started to change in 1878: Our primary founder came from Brookstown and a benefactor came from California!

Ruth Reynolds Hartle April 7, 2003

Prayers of the Rev. Moses Hunt offered in the grove of trees where the "front yard" of our church is now located were answered by 1878 as men and their families came from Brookstown and Sharon Churches to help organize a congregation. From Brookstown came A. Eugene Conrad, Philip and George Mock and Alexander Stimpson. From Sharon came the Rev. Albert W. Craft, with S. Winbourne and John T. Craft. (Descendents of these families are still members of Lewisville United Methodist Church). This little group met for worship in an old log school building which was located on the present right-of-way of Highway 421, where the red bud trees bloom so beautifully in the springtime.

A. Eugene Conrad began making plans to start a church building. Lewis Laugenour returned from California with his fortune and gave tracts of land to the Methodists and Baptists on which to build churches. By 1881, the settlement had become a religious community and eventually became Lewisville, named after the man who was its chief benefactor.

Ruth Reynolds Hartle April 16, 2003

After the little group of families had come from Brookstown and Sharon in 1878 and had organized the Lewisville congregation, they decided under the leadership of A. Eugene Conrad to build a house of worship on the tract of land given by Lewis Laugenour.

William Wright was hired to supervise the building project. A. Eugene Conrad, who kept a sawmill, gave most of the timber and Lewis Laugenour offered to kiln dry all timber brought to his mill for use in buildings, both of the Methodists and the Baptists. As a result of such generous gifts of materials and volunteer labor, the church was completed for the cost of $200.

It "was a heavy timbered frame structure, of one room, 40 x 60 feet. So commodious and so well constructed was this frame building that it served the congregation as adequate meeting house for fifty years." (From "answers to questionnaire" 1941, The Rev. G. C. Graham) The Rev. G. C. Graham, 1887-1985, was pastor of our church 1937-1941, father of Beryl G. Moser, and is buried in our cemetery along with wife, Olive.

The lighting system was made up of four kerosene lamps. The church was heated by two "pot-bellied" stoves joined and exhausted through a chimney. The cooling system--open windows under the shade of oak trees. Worshipers "stirred the air" with palm-leaf fans or those provided by undertaker's establishments in Winston-Salem.

Ruth Reynolds Hartle May 21, 2003

The Lewisville congregation had celebrated its 50th anniversary and seemed to be doing well, still in the white church built in 1881. In fact, it was doing so well that in 1929 the Conference sent a "church building preacher" to the Lewisville Charge, of which our church was a member. He was The Rev. G. W. Fink, but he preferred to be called "Mr. Fink." The next year, 1930, a building committee was selected with L. A. Reynolds as Chairman and Charles Lasley as Secretary and Treasurer. Mr. H. N. Haines of Durham was approved by the Conference and the Duke Endowment Fund as architect. Most church members were pleased with the plans but some thought them too ambitious for a country church.

According to G. Galloway Reynolds (1904-1993), Church Historian: "The plans provided for a sanctuary, forty by seventy feet with ceiling and framing supported by heavy-timbered trusses forty feet in length, and a balcony across the rear of the sanctuary. There were large stained glass windows, plastered walls with plaster moldings and oak pews enough to seat 260 persons. Beneath the sanctuary was a fellowship hall, kitchen, and furnace room. Behind the sanctuary was a three-story educational building, complete with restrooms and all necessary utilities."

By the time the plans arrived in the fall of 1930, so had The Great Depression.

Ruth Reynolds Hartle / August 20, 2003

As the year 1930 drew to a close and the intensity of the depression pressed on, the excitement over starting a new church building faded. The congregation of Lewisville Methodist Church became wary. Bread lines formed in the cities, banks closed, millions lost jobs, and the economy crashed.

During the winter of 1930, The Rev. G. W. Fink preached some powerful sermons saying that with God's help the congregation could accomplish great things . . . that, in fact, it was an ideal time to build, with so many young men of the church out of work, as were construction workers.

In an act of great faith, in January 1931 the old building was removed. A skilled superintendent and other craftsmen were found locally. They were willing to work at a reduced price because they were out of work. The younger men of the church worked daily on the church. Their first job was picking up rocks to be mixed with concrete for the foundations. Some of the men who had mules and horses went with drag pans and worked excavating basement areas and foundations. Four families contributed all the timber from their woods, which was needed for construction. One member, having no trees, mortgaged some property for cash to be used toward construction. A member provided a truck and driver which was used during the duration of the building program. The Rev. G. W. Fink, before answering "the call," was a painting contractor. He and one church member did all the painting required in and on the church.

"Mr. Fink" and a building committee member canvassed the larger churches and some businesses in Winston-Salem for financial aid. Most were gracious with their contributions.

While the men were working, so were the women and children. They had bake sales and rummage sales (now called "yard sales") in downtown (Winston-Salem) stores and ran food concession booths at the Forsyth County Fair. They cooked and baked and raised money by having ice cream parties, and chicken pie, fried chicken, and ham suppers.

The women sold quilt squares, embroidered on the purchasers' names, and made a quilt which was auctioned off. The framed quilt hangs in Asbury Hall. The women worked on it for eight more years.

Services were held during construction at Lewisville School Building. The congregation moved into the new building in November 1931. Detailed records were kept of the cost. Due to donated labor and materials, the cost of construction was many times less than the $24,000 debt which remained. It was paid off and the church was dedicated in 1939.

G. Galloway Reynolds, 1904-1993, wrote in "The History of Lewisville United Methodist Church, 1878-1988" :

In the more than one hundred years of Lewisville United Methodist Church history, 1931 wasits finest year. Those of us who volunteered our labor and services during the spring, summer, and fall of the construction are now the older members of the congregation. We remember with deep satisfaction our part in the seemingly miraculous accomplishment. It was a high point in the congregation's dedication and faith in God, with willingness to sacrifice to the end that a place of worship and Christian education might be provided for many years to come."

Ruth Reynolds Hartle (September 17, 2003)

In going through the church archives and Galloway Reynolds' book, "The History of Lewisville United Methodist Church 1878-1988," in preparation for the articles that have appeared monthly in the Shallowford Steeple, I saw again and again how tenacious the congregations were in their love of God and dedication to this church. The meaning of tenacious? It is being adhesive, cohesive, tough, strong, persistent and persevering.

Take the handful of founders who came from Brookstown and Sharon with their families to organize Lewisville Methodist Church in 1878. They engaged an old log schoolhouse located near where the right-of-way of Highway 421 intersects with Williams Road. They held worship services here. They worked diligently getting members. And ... they were successful, for in three years' time, they had enough people to consider building a church. Lewis Laugenhour, the man for whom Lewisville was named, gave the land. William Wright was engaged as foreman and all the others labored. The church was finished and dedicated on October 22, 1882. Dedicated means ... it was paid for. The names of 60 men and women were listed in the archives as members on that date.

But, that isn't the last we hear of that congregation! Two years later, in 1884, they influenced the Forsyth Circuit to locate their parsonage in Lewisville. The house was recently restored and the Lewisville Historical Society plans to place a historical marker on the premises. It is located at 6630 Shallowford Road.

Now, let's look at the congregation which built the modern brick church plant in 1931. They had committed to build a church in 1929, but by the time the plans, drawn by an architect approved by the Conference and by the Duke Endowment Fund, arrived in 1930, the "Great Depression"had arrived. In the cities millions were out of work, there were bread lines, banks were closed and the U. S. economy had collapsed. By January of 1931, the Depression had arrived in Lewisville. At first the members hesitated, but they soon determined that, with God's help, they would build the church. The foreman and the craftsmen cut their prices -- glad to get the work. Men and women, boys and girls of the church ... everyone worked. Several families gave timber from their woods for lumber. There were those who mortgaged property to raise cash for materials. The women put on suppers every Saturday for several years. Kids put on plays, sold eggs, and ran errands for their little money. Everyone sacrificed and kept working and didn't give up until the church was dedicated (paid for) on October 8, 1939. And, they paid the preacher all the while.

We give Thee but Thine own
What ere the gift may be
All that we have is Thine alone
A trust, Oh Lord, from Thee.

Presented by Ruth Reynolds Hartle at the special service held on Sunday night, October 5, 2003, as part of our 125th Anniversary Celebration

In years past, it was considered imperative that a house be provided for the minister and his family. City churches, in particular, now provide their ministers with an allowance for housing.

Our experience with parsonages, until we built the present one on Sonata Drive, appears to have been very painful. This was because Lewisville Methodist Church was on a circuit or charge from 1878 to 1976. We shared ministers and parsonages with from twelve churches to one. When churches were moved from one circuit to another, it was often difficult to figure the percentage of ownership shares held by the remaining churches to everyone's satisfaction. It was equally as difficult to agree on whether or not to make improvements and to what extent.

Three parsonages:

1) First house -- bought 1884. No well, bare walls ... after a time improved. Sold 1935 to Roy and Grace Stimson, church members.

2) The brick parsonage--built adjacent to church, 1935. Lewisville was reluctant to be a part of this building project. The congregation disliked the style of proposed building and it was worn out from building and paying on debt of new church completed in 1931. Finally, it gave in and contributed and worked as hard on parsonage as they had on church.

3) Present parsonage built 1990 on Sonata Drive next door to Louise Reynolds. Galloway and Louise Reynolds gave the lot and a generous contribution to start the parsonage building fund. 

Ruth Reynolds Hartle
November 19, 2003

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