Rock Run United Methodist Church
Encyclopedia
Rock Run United Methodist Church is a one story building, with stone walls and a slate
-covered gable
roof, located on a 1.24 acre
plot of land at the corner of Craig's Corner Road and Rock Run Road near Level, Maryland and approximately six miles south of Darlington, Maryland
. It is a sister church to Darlington United Methodist Church
, which forms the Darlington-Rock Run Methodist Charge and is a part of the Baltimore-Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church, headquartered in Columbia, Maryland. It was listed on the Maryland Inventory of Historic Properties in 1977 by the Harford District Commission with code title HA 565. The Church also includes a cemetery
behind the building along Rock Run Road. An old school house used to reside on the property.
in Harford County, Maryland
can be traced to Francis Asbury
during his travels in 1785. It was then in that year that Ms Rachel Barnes Stephenson offered her home as a place of Methodist meetings. This was located near the Rock Run along the Susquehanna River
, now located within the boundaries of the Susquehanna State Park. During one of the meetings, her nineteen year old son, William Stephenson, was converted. Meetings continued through the following years from 1785 to 1811.
It was in the year 1795, approximately ten years after William had been converted to the Methodist faith, that he was ordained as a local Methodist preacher
. Some of the duties that were required of him included marriage and burial and also attendung to the needs of the sick. In 1830, he and his wife traveled throughout Harford County on horseback to those who were almost secluded from other religious societies.
In 1811, 125 people were members of the Society. It became apparent that more room was needed and the first church was built on land given by Rev. William Stephenson and Mr. Thomas Nathaniel Smith, on the east side of the old Stafford Road (now in the Susquehanna State Park) near a spring
. Local field stone were used in the construction of the walls. The building was completed in 1813 and served as both a church and a school house for nearly 30 years. The Rev. William Stephenson is considered respectively as the first minister of the Rock Run Methodist Episcopal Church.
In 1843, with approximately 145 members, the current stone church was constructed and it was at this time that Craig's Corner Road was named Stafford Road. The land for the church was donated by Stephenson's nephew Mr. Joshua W. Stephens, who also built the church building. Due to the ongoing segregation of the area, a balcony
was included inside for the use of the local colored people. However, it was removed in 1869.
Messrs. Oliver Ege and Thomas Swetze were the ministers of the church in the year the Rock Run Church was built. It was in the year 1848 that the mortgage for the building was paid off, which was written in an old letter by Miss Hannah S. Stephenson to one of the former pastors.
In 1893, a 50th Anniversary celebration was held at the church with the current minister, Harry D. Mitchell. In preparation for the festivities, the church was painted and decorated, accordingly. In light of the celebrations, former ministers who served Rock Run were in attendance.
Stained glass
windows were added to the building in 1908 during Reverend Beall's term as pastor
. And in 1912, another renovation occurred that included new carpet. The pulpit furniture that currently resides in the chancel
were given in the same year and a painting of a scene regarding the three crosses of Calvary was also completed. It does not currently exist.
In 1932, shortly after the merge with the Darlington and Thomas Run Methodist Charge, a sesqui-centennial celebration was held. It was at this time that the Rev. Raymond E. Manley was the pastor. In 1945, Thomas Run Church
closed its doors which resulted in Rock Run and Darlington United Methodist Church
as the remaining churches in the Methodist Charge. Four years later, in 1949, the church was re-decorated, with new carpet included, and the addition of side doors on the Northeast wall. Chester Soyer was the pastor at that time.
With much needed improvements to the building along with the growing needs of the Sunday School
, the church formed a committee in 1959 to oversee the construction of a new Christian Education wing, which was completed in the spring of 1962. This was during the time of the Reverend Luther Starnes. In the fall of 1967, the church sanctuary was again re-painted and the lighted cross was included and placed behind the pulpit. During the week of March 3–10, 1968, the Church celebrated its 125th Anniversary with bishop John Wesley Lord
, Dr. Edward H. Porter (the District Superintendent of the Baltimore Northeast District), and both the Reverends Luther W. Starnes (former pastor from 1960 to 1962) and Paul Lee Grant (1966 to 1970).
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
-covered gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
roof, located on a 1.24 acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
plot of land at the corner of Craig's Corner Road and Rock Run Road near Level, Maryland and approximately six miles south of Darlington, Maryland
Darlington, Maryland
Darlington is an unincorporated village in northeastern Harford County, Maryland, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a historic district in 1987 with approximately 100 contributing properties .-Community:Local children attend the Darlington Elementary...
. It is a sister church to Darlington United Methodist Church
Darlington United Methodist Church
Darlington United Methodist Church is located in Darlington, Maryland. It is a pre Civil War structure, built in 1852, with white siding, large windows, and many historically original architecture. It is a church within the Baltimore Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church...
, which forms the Darlington-Rock Run Methodist Charge and is a part of the Baltimore-Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church, headquartered in Columbia, Maryland. It was listed on the Maryland Inventory of Historic Properties in 1977 by the Harford District Commission with code title HA 565. The Church also includes a cemetery
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
behind the building along Rock Run Road. An old school house used to reside on the property.
History
The founding of MethodismMethodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
in Harford County, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
can be traced to Francis Asbury
Francis Asbury
Bishop Francis Asbury was one of the first two bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Church, now The United Methodist Church in the United States...
during his travels in 1785. It was then in that year that Ms Rachel Barnes Stephenson offered her home as a place of Methodist meetings. This was located near the Rock Run along the Susquehanna River
Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...
, now located within the boundaries of the Susquehanna State Park. During one of the meetings, her nineteen year old son, William Stephenson, was converted. Meetings continued through the following years from 1785 to 1811.
It was in the year 1795, approximately ten years after William had been converted to the Methodist faith, that he was ordained as a local Methodist preacher
Preacher
Preacher is a term for someone who preaches sermons or gives homilies. A preacher is distinct from a theologian by focusing on the communication rather than the development of doctrine. Others see preaching and theology as being intertwined...
. Some of the duties that were required of him included marriage and burial and also attendung to the needs of the sick. In 1830, he and his wife traveled throughout Harford County on horseback to those who were almost secluded from other religious societies.
In 1811, 125 people were members of the Society. It became apparent that more room was needed and the first church was built on land given by Rev. William Stephenson and Mr. Thomas Nathaniel Smith, on the east side of the old Stafford Road (now in the Susquehanna State Park) near a spring
Spring
Şpring is a commune located in Alba County, Romania. It is composed of six villages: Carpen, Carpenii de Sus, Cunţa, Draşov, Şpring and Vingard.-References:...
. Local field stone were used in the construction of the walls. The building was completed in 1813 and served as both a church and a school house for nearly 30 years. The Rev. William Stephenson is considered respectively as the first minister of the Rock Run Methodist Episcopal Church.
In 1843, with approximately 145 members, the current stone church was constructed and it was at this time that Craig's Corner Road was named Stafford Road. The land for the church was donated by Stephenson's nephew Mr. Joshua W. Stephens, who also built the church building. Due to the ongoing segregation of the area, a balcony
Balcony
Balcony , a platform projecting from the wall of a building, supported by columns or console brackets, and enclosed with a balustrade.-Types:The traditional Maltese balcony is a wooden closed balcony projecting from a...
was included inside for the use of the local colored people. However, it was removed in 1869.
Messrs. Oliver Ege and Thomas Swetze were the ministers of the church in the year the Rock Run Church was built. It was in the year 1848 that the mortgage for the building was paid off, which was written in an old letter by Miss Hannah S. Stephenson to one of the former pastors.
In 1893, a 50th Anniversary celebration was held at the church with the current minister, Harry D. Mitchell. In preparation for the festivities, the church was painted and decorated, accordingly. In light of the celebrations, former ministers who served Rock Run were in attendance.
Stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
windows were added to the building in 1908 during Reverend Beall's term as pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
. And in 1912, another renovation occurred that included new carpet. The pulpit furniture that currently resides in the chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
were given in the same year and a painting of a scene regarding the three crosses of Calvary was also completed. It does not currently exist.
In 1932, shortly after the merge with the Darlington and Thomas Run Methodist Charge, a sesqui-centennial celebration was held. It was at this time that the Rev. Raymond E. Manley was the pastor. In 1945, Thomas Run Church
Thomas Run Church
Thomas Run Church, also known as Watters Meeting House, is a historic Methodist church located at Bel Air, Harford County, Maryland. It is a one-story, rubble stone, three-bay church with a slate-covered gabled roof...
closed its doors which resulted in Rock Run and Darlington United Methodist Church
Darlington United Methodist Church
Darlington United Methodist Church is located in Darlington, Maryland. It is a pre Civil War structure, built in 1852, with white siding, large windows, and many historically original architecture. It is a church within the Baltimore Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church...
as the remaining churches in the Methodist Charge. Four years later, in 1949, the church was re-decorated, with new carpet included, and the addition of side doors on the Northeast wall. Chester Soyer was the pastor at that time.
With much needed improvements to the building along with the growing needs of the Sunday School
Sunday school
Sunday school is the generic name for many different types of religious education pursued on Sundays by various denominations.-England:The first Sunday school may have been opened in 1751 in St. Mary's Church, Nottingham. Another early start was made by Hannah Ball, a native of High Wycombe in...
, the church formed a committee in 1959 to oversee the construction of a new Christian Education wing, which was completed in the spring of 1962. This was during the time of the Reverend Luther Starnes. In the fall of 1967, the church sanctuary was again re-painted and the lighted cross was included and placed behind the pulpit. During the week of March 3–10, 1968, the Church celebrated its 125th Anniversary with bishop John Wesley Lord
John Wesley Lord
John Wesley Lord was an American Bishop of The Methodist Church, elected in 1948. Lord was active in the African-American Civil Rights Movement and pushed for the racial integration of the Methodist Church, and was a Vice President of the National Council of Churches.-Early life:John was born 23...
, Dr. Edward H. Porter (the District Superintendent of the Baltimore Northeast District), and both the Reverends Luther W. Starnes (former pastor from 1960 to 1962) and Paul Lee Grant (1966 to 1970).