Life and Times of Benjamin Van Pelt.indd

A Friend of Bishop Francis Asbury
and Pioneer Methodist Preacher
In Greene County, Tennessee
1790 - 1817
The Pioneer Trails
The early Indian and buffalo trails were the corridors for this westward flowing caravan of people. As the migration
continued, the Native Americans were forced to concede their homeland to the seemingly unending flow of
Europeans. Between 1778 and 1783, this flow of settlers continued to increase. East Tennessee became home to
many of these first families, but others stopped for a brief time and continued on their westward journey.
There were two primary routes of travel into Tennessee. The Great Indian Warpath was originally one of the great
trading and warpaths between northern and southern Indian tribes. This route was expanded to handle the settler’s
wagons and became known as The Great Wagon Road. Interstate 81 and Highway 11 flow through the Shenandoah
Valley along this same basic route. This road started in southern Pennsylvania, came down the Shenandoah Valley
to Staunton and Roanoke; where it split into two routes. The Wilmington, Highpoint and Northern Trail entered
North Carolina near the present town of Eden and flowed south-east to the coast at Wilmington, NC. The other
route continued down the Great Wagon Road into East Tennessee. After the Cumberland Gap was discovered
settlers began filing into what would become Kentucky and West Virginia. These trails were one of the few ways
families could move through the territories in the middle of the 18th Century.
The Carolina Road or Occaneechie Path lay on the east side of the Appalachian Mountains. Beginning in Northern
Virginia, Highway 15 follows this old pathway to Occaneechie Island, an Indian trading post on the Roanoke
River. This trail started on the James River, through Ft. Henry (later Petersburg, Virginia), southwest to the Indian
trading town of Occaneechie, where it crossed the Roanoke River. The trail continued southwest to the Haw River
in Chatham County, North Carolina, through present day Charlotte, North Carolina, and continued to Augusta,
Georgia.
Table of Contents
Preface .................................................................................................................................................. i
Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... i
Francis Asbury – Methodist Missionary to America ........................................................................... 1
Bishop Asbury Visits the Earnest Family in Eastern Greene County .................................................. 1
Bishop Asbury Visits the Van Pelt Family in Western Greene County ................................................ 2
The Van Pelt and Crosby Families of Western Greene County ........................................................... 2
Special Appreciation to the Following Individuals
William “Bill” Bradley. Bill is a dear friend from my years as his pastor at Carter’s Station United Methodist Church from
1972–76. Bill is retired from the Magnavox Company and now lives in the Mt. Carmel Community of Greene County,
Tennessee. He is now a member of Mt. Carmel United Methodist Church. Bill helped inspire my love of local history and he
and I have spent many hours “digging up bones” and trying to understand the stories of those who came before us. We have
also learned that we are related by marriage through George Redenour, our common ancestor, who is buried in the Mt. Carmel
Cemetery.
Wayne Conduff. The discovery of Van Pelt’s location is the direct result of Wayne’s work researching old deeds in Greene
County. Wayne is retired from the former Magnavox Company in Greeneville and is now a professional historian and
genealogical researcher. Wayne is a member of the Pine Grove United Methodist Church. I recommend Wayne’s services
to anyone seeking such assistance. Ancestor Homeland Locator: Specializing in Land Grants & Old Deeds, Location of
Old Roads and Trails and Location of Grave Sites. Wayne lives in Mosheim, Tennessee and may be contacted by e-mail at
[email protected] or phone at 423/638-6896.
Camp Meetings in Greene County ....................................................................................................... 4
Early Roads in Greene County ............................................................................................................ 7
Life on the Road with Bishop Asbury ................................................................................................. 7
Epilogue ............................................................................................................................................... 8
Additional Historical Notes ................................................................................................................. 9
Special Appreciation ........................................................................................................................... 10
Geneva Dyer. Geneva is a member of Concord Baptist Church and was generous in giving her time allowing us to visit the
Concord Church and provided a copy of the minutes from 1822, which included a reference to Van Pelt’s meetinghouse.
References ............................................................................................................................................ 10
Jim Snowden. Jim is the son of the late Lloyd Snowden and grew up in this community. His mother, Laura Maude Ailshie
Snowden, and his uncle, James “Spud” Ailshie, remembered the location of the old unmarked cemetery where we believe
Benjamin Van Pelt is buried. Jim and his wife Shirley live in Morristown and are members of Morristown First United
Methodist Church.
About the Author ................................................................................................................................. 11
Millie Meese. Millie is the Graphic Designer for Holston Conference who created the Map of Greene County and prepared this
document for publication.
References:
R.N. Price. Holston Methodism. 5 vols. Nashville; Dallas: Publishing House of the M.E. Church, South. Smith & Lamar, Agents. 1908,
Vol. 1, pages 134-135 & 193f.
The Journal of Francis Asbury.
Greene County Tennessee Deed Book 6, page 438 December 23, 1801. Benjamin Van Pelt to Joseph Van Pelt.
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Map of Greene County circa 1795 ....................................................................................... Back Cover
Additional Historical Notations
A Chronology of a Few Key Events in Early Tennessee History:
Preface
This article is not intended to be an exhaustive work to cover all the people and places related to the time of
Francis Asbury. Information of a general nature is included to provide historical context for the readers. My
primary purpose is to unveil the story of Benjamin Van Pelt, a pioneer preacher who moved to the Fairview-ThulaMcDonald community in western Greene County in 1790 and died there in 1817. This is the community where
the author was born and completed high school. I am indebted to the many historians and writers who across the
years have inspired me to read and appreciate the history of our region. The words in this document are largely my
own interpretation of the facts as others and I have discovered them amid a wide variety of sources and personal
conversations. I am especially indebted to the following for their assistance: William “Bill” Bradley, Wayne
Conduff, Geneva Dyer and Jim Snowden.
Introduction
This report links Methodist Bishop Francis Asbury (1745 – 1816) with another pioneer friend and pastor, Benjamin
Van Pelt, who moved to western Greene County in 1790 and very soon thereafter established a meetinghouse for
the benefit of his community. Church historians have identified several key historic sites within Holston Annual
Conference, which encompasses Southwest Virginia, East Tennessee and a portion of Northern Georgia. The
relationship between Francis Asbury and Benjamin Van Pelt has long been known, but the location of Asbury’s
frequently mentioned “Brother Van Pelt and his meetinghouse” remained a mystery. Bishop Asbury’s journal gave
the only clue: Van Pelt’s was located on the north side of Lick Creek, on what is now the road from the mouth of
Lick Creek to the village of Mosheim, about four miles north of Warrensburg. In reading Asbury’s journal, one notes
that the Van Pelt home was a frequent stopover for Asbury. I became intrigued with the idea this meetinghouse must
have been located in my home community. Bishop Asbury notes in his journal a visit to Warrensburg in the fall
of 1809; following which the Warrensburg Methodist Church was organized in 1810. We may safely assume that
Van Pelt was a participant in the organization of this congregation. During the late 1700s and early 1800s, Greene
County was a wild and untamed country. It was a difficult time and into this raw wilderness would ride a young
British Methodist preacher by the name of Francis Asbury. Of course some days were better than others, as the
cartoon below by John Lawing in a 1978 issue of Christianity Today magazine illustrates so well.
1750 Dr. Thomas Walker and other Virginians explore East Tennessee.
1757 British soldiers from South Carolina construct Fort Loudon on the Little Tennessee River.
In the ongoing struggle between the French and British; both of whom manipulated the Native Americans in
their efforts to control the region.
1760 Fort Loudon surrenders to the Cherokee, who kill most of the residents.
1763 France forfeits all claims to land east of the Mississippi River to Great Britain in The Treaty of Paris, ending
the French and Indian/Seven Years’ War.
1769 Early settlers begin the push into East Tennessee often in violation of treaties with the Cherokee people.
1772 The Watauga Association is formed and settlements begin along the Nolichucky River.
1776 The Territory of Tennessee is annexed to North Carolina as the Washington District and is named
Washington County in 1777.
1783 Greene County is formed in 1783 from Washington County, North Carolina.
1784-88 The State of Franklin era.
1789 Following the demise of the State of Franklin, North Carolina cedes their control of the East Tennessee area
to the federal government. It was commonly known as the Southwest Territory. North Carolina had
previously conveyed large tracts of land to speculators, Revolutionary War veterans and pioneers seeking a
fresh start. William Blount, a land speculator, serves as the governor with John Sevier and James Robertson
as military commanders for East Tennessee and the Middle Tennessee regions respectively.
1790 The Crosby’s, Van Pelt’s, and others settle in western Greene County.
1796 Tennessee experiences a population surge and statehood is granted June 1, 1796.
Pilot Knob. A prominent landmark near the Gap Greek Community along the road from
Van Pelt’s to Carter’s Station. Photo by Ron Matthews
The Mouth of Lick Creek and the Bend of Chucky is the area of the Cooper Farm in extreme western Greene
County. This is the same area where in October 1776, John Sevier and his army camped overnight before their
march across the Nolichucky and up Long Creek to its head, then down Dumplin Creek to the French Broad River.
They forded the French Broad near Buckingham Island, went up Boyd’s Creek to it’s head and then down Ellejoy
Creek to the Little River in Blount County. The army passed the present site of Maryville and on to the Cherokee
towns on the Little Tennessee River near present day Vonore.
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Francis Asbury: Methodist Missionary to America
John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, commissioned Thomas Coke and Francis Asbury as missionaries to
America and they sailed from England on the second day of September 1771. Asbury left behind his beloved
country, his parents and friends never to see them again in this world. As Asbury embarked for America the twentysix year-old minister wrote in his journal, “Whither am I going? To the new world. What to do? To gain honour?
To get money? No. I am going to live to God and to bring others to do so.” John Wesley may be the founder of the
Methodist movement, a reform effort within the Church of England that eventually became a denomination, but
Francis Asbury is the undisputed father of American Methodism.
Bill Bradley at Carter’s Station historic marker. Photo by Ron Matthews
Epilogue
Francis Asbury died in 1816 at 71 years of age. Benjamin Van Pelt, Sr. died in 1817 at 77 years of age. For their
time, they lived a long life; since the average lifespan for a circuit-rider was relatively brief. They burned with a
love for God and God’s people. Those who responded to such love returned it in kind. The early settlers of western
Greene County and indeed, all America, are indebted to Francis Asbury for helping spread the Good News of God’s
mercy and grace across America’s early frontier. We also owe a debt of gratitude for the legion of unsung heroes,
such as Benjamin Van Pelt, Sr. and Felix Earnest and their families. They rose to the challenges of the frontier,
journeyed into the unknown wilderness, and made a better life for themselves and their descendents. Even by
today’s travel standards, it is a long way from Staten Island to Greene County! Thank God they came our way and
passed along a good measure of their hope and faith for we who followed them.
Ron Matthews
Maryville, Tennessee
July 4, 2008
Asbury landed in Philadelphia in the fall of 1771 and soon proceeded to New York, his first field of ministry. On
his trip from Philadelphia to New York, he became acquainted with Peter Van Pelt of Staten Island, who graciously
invited Francis Asbury into his home. Asbury wrote in his journal: “Spent the following Sabbath on this Island,
preaching at Mr. Van Pelt’s ...” From this initial encounter in America, a lifelong friendship and faith bond was
established between Francis Asbury and the Van Pelt family. True to his calling as a Christian evangelist, Francis
Asbury took to the road and for the next forty-five years he pushed himself beyond normal human endurance. He
suffered from colds, coughs, fevers, severe headaches, ulcers, and eventually chronic rheumatism, which forced
him off his horse and into a carriage. Yet he continued to preach and make his annual visits among the churches. In
doing so, Asbury would ultimately ride into the territory that was to become Holston Conference and his memory is
forever etched into the hearts of her people.
Bishop Asbury Visits the Earnest Family
in Eastern Greene County, Tennessee
During his visits to Greene County, Asbury most often stayed with two Greene County families. The Felix Earnest
family who lived along the Nolichucky River near Chucky in eastern Greene County and the Benjamin Van Pelt
family, who lived near the community of Thula in western Greene County. Henry Earnest settled on the Nolichucky
in 1779 and built a family home and community fort, which is located on Tennessee Highway 351/Chucky Pike
at the Nolichucky River. The nearby Ebenezer Methodist Church, organized in 1792 by the Earnest family, is
one of the oldest churches in East Tennessee. Bishop Asbury ordained Felix Earnest, brother of Henry Earnest,
Jr., a Methodist preacher in 1806. Ebenezer Church was the site for at least six sessions of the Holston Annual
Conference meetings, the first of which took place April 27, 1795.
Matthews Gap as viewed west thru Bays Mountain into Hamblen County. Photo by Ron Matthews
The Earnest Family home and community “fort” where the local folks would gather for safety in
the event of threat. Bishop Asbury would have stayed here during his visits with this family. This is
a wonderfully preserved pre-1800 house located at the Nolichucky on TN Route 351/Chucky Pike,
Greene County, Chucky, TN. Photo by Ron Matthews 30 Aug 2007
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It is difficult to imagine how rugged and dangerous East Tennessee was at this time. Roads were little more than
cleared paths and the maintenance of those roads was delegated to those who lived along the way. Francis Asbury
often rode his buggy as far as the Van Pelt’s, where he left them and borrowed one of their horses for his ride
into Kentucky. Van Pelt’s provided a safe and comfortable way station for Bishop Asbury. Benjamin became an
enthusiastic follower of Christ and eventually was ordained as a local Methodist preacher. His meetinghouse,
no doubt a typical crude log structure so common in that day, served the entire community as a place of frontier
worship.
Early Roads in Western Greene County
Bill Bradley near Felix Earnest’s grave in Ebenezer Cemetery with
Ebenezer United Methodist Church in the background. Photo by Ron Matthews
Bishop Asbury Visits the Van Pelt F amily
in Western Greene County
When Asbury was headed west, he often rode from the Earnest home to the Benjamin Van Pelt home and “meetinghouse” in the Thula Community of western Greene County. The Reverend William Burke wrote, “At an early time,
Benjamin Van Pelt moved from Alexandria, Virginia, and settled on Lick Creek, Greene County, Tennessee. He had
considerable talent and was useful in that new country; several societies were formed by his ministry, and one of
the first Methodist chapels in this country was Van Pelt’s Meetinghouse. He was one of the “Fathers of Methodist
Class Meetings in Tennessee.” Like Felix Earnest, Benjamin Van Pelt was ordained as a Methodist minister by
Bishop Asbury. Although Van Pelt’s Meetinghouse did not survive to our day, it was an important place of Christian
worship for this community from 1790–1816. Asbury was introduced to Benjamin Van Pelt, Sr., during his visit
with Peter Van Pelt on Staten Island in 1771. Filled with the hope of land and opportunity, Benjamin and Mary
Collins Van Pelt moved from Staten Island to Alexandria, Virginia. From there, they joined the movement of settlers
from Virginia into the wilds of Western North Carolina; now East Tennessee. The astute Bishop Francis Asbury
realized his evangelist mission would require him to follow the people in this westward journey. And so he did,
preaching the gospel to all who would listen. It is no surprise that Asbury would find a warm welcome at the Van
Pelt’s home, his old friends from Staten Island who preceded him to Greene County.
The Van Pelt and Crosby Families
of Western Greene County
The Crosby and Van Pelt families moved from Fauquier County, Virginia to Greene County, Tennessee between
1789 and 1790. Caleb Pickens Crosby compiled The Crosby Family History, which is available in the T. Elmer Cox
Historical Library in Greeneville, Tennessee. According to his report, Susannah Conway Crosby and seven of her
and Uriel Crosby’s older children moved in 1789 in the company of her nephew, Thomas Conway. Uriel and the
other children arrived on or about 26 Jun 1790. The Crosby’s have been prominent members of this community
and were instrumental in the organization of Concord Baptist Church. Crosby family records indicate a Christian
worship community dating to 1796; however, the official charter for The Concord Church is 1823. The first Baptist
church in Greene County was Lick Creek Baptist (now Warrensburg), which was organized 14 Sep 1793 from
Bent Creek (now Whitesburg) Baptist Church. Geneva Dyer provided a copy of the 1822 Concord Church minutes,
which notes a meeting of those who organized Concord Baptist Church, were to meet in Van Pelt’s Meetinghouse
on at least one occasion prior to construction of their own building in 1823. Fairview Baptist Church, whose charter
members moved from Concord, was organized in 1912. It appears Van Pelt’s Meetinghouse was the first Christian
2
The August 1796 Greene County court minutes describe the order for a road to be laid off from the county line
near Fines Ferry to the Warm Springs. Among the various locations assigned were these two in Western Greene
County: Nehemiah Pettit from Blue Springs to Wood’s Ford of Lick Creek on the middle road. Nehemiah Pettit was
overseer for the road from Mosheim through Midway to the ford of Lick Creek. Benjamin Van Pelt, Sr. assumed
responsibility from the Ford of Lick Creek to the Line of Jefferson County. This is now the Hamblen County line.
The Van Pelt Great Road, as it is referenced in some early deeds, was the section from the ford at Lick Creek near
the Crosby Family Cemetery to what is now McDonald Elementary School and turned west along War Branch
Creek to the mouth of Lick Creek and the county line. When Bishop Asbury rode into Kentucky from Van Pelt’s, he
most likely traveled what is now the Westwood or Warrensburg Road west through Matthews Gap to Russellville
and then turned northwest at Cheek’s Crossroads to the Cumberland Gap. On other occasions, he would travel
down the Van Pelt Great Road to what we know as the McDonald Community, where the road followed War
Branch and Flea Ridge to the mouth of Lick Creek and the Bend of the Nolichucky.
Life on the Road with Bishop Asbury
We are fortunate to have the journal of Bishop Asbury, where he recounts his experiences on the road along his farflung circuits. The following excerpts from Bishop Francis Asbury’s journal related to his travels in Greene County,
Tennessee provide a glimpse of the difficulties in that day.
Saturday, April 6, 1793 Asbury had left the Earnest family in Chuckey; he writes ... I came alone through heavy rains,
over bad hills and poor ridges, to Brother Benjamin Van Pelt’s, on Lick Creek. He is a brother to Peter, my old, first
friend on Staten Island: I was weary, damp, and hungry; but had a comfortable habitation, and kind, loving people, who
heard, refreshed, and fed me. We had a large congregation at Brother Van Pelt’s chapel, where I had liberty in speaking.
I left the young men to entertain the people a while longer, and returned and read Mr. Wesley’s sermon on riches.
Saturday, May 11, 1793 ... We came to Brother Van Pelt’s, with whom we rested on the Sabbath. I have traveled between
five and six hundred miles in the last four weeks, and have rested from riding fifteen days at Conferences and other
places. I have been much distressed with this night work ... no regular meals, nor sleep; and it is difficult to keep up
prayer in such rude companies as we have been exposed to; I have also been severely afflicted through the whole journey.
April 1795. Even in challenging times, our forebears retained a sense of humor. Bishop Asbury recorded the following
observation after his April 1795 overnight visit within the confines of a small log cabin in the wilderness: “I spent a night
with brother Whitaker, I wish his wife may not love him to death.” I will leave it to the reader’s imagination what might
have occurred to prompt such a notation by the good Bishop!
Friday, September 26, 1800 ... We rode twenty-one miles to Benjamin Van Pelt’s upon Lick Creek; we fed our horses
twice, the riders not once! Here (Van Pelt’s) I left the horse and carriage, and borrowed a horse to ride to Kentucky.
Tuesday, October 4, 1800 ... Rode twenty miles up Nolichucky to Benjamin Van Pelt’s, where I had left my horse and
chaise. In this neighborhood the land, except a few spots, is little better than barren; nevertheless, good cultivation will
make it productive. From the twenty-seventh of last month, the day on which we left the pleasant mansion of our friend
Van Pelt, to the day of our return, we rode; I presume quite six hundred and sixty if not seven hundred miles. Hitherto the
Lord hath helped us. We have had twelve proper appointments; two of which were near failing because of rain.
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worship location in western Greene County and may in fact, slightly predate Ebenezer in Eastern Greene County.
Benjamin Van Pelt, Jr. (b. 01 Jun 1775 d. 1842) married Susannah “Sucky” Crosby (b. 22 Aug 1772 d. unknown)
in 1793 in Greene County, perhaps in Van Pelt’s Meetinghouse. Susannah was the daughter of Uriel and Susannah
Conway Crosby. Benjamin Van Pelt, Jr., was the son of The Reverend Benjamin Van Pelt and Mary Collins
Van Pelt. They lived on property adjacent to Benjamin’s parents from 1793 until sometime after the death of his
father in 1817. Benjamin Van Pelt, Jr., and family moved to Ohio, where he was known among the pioneers as a
wheelwright, and also as an occasional preacher for the Methodist church. He was a man of wide influence, and
one of the important figures of the early days of Adams County, Ohio, where he lived twenty years, and after that
in Highland County, Ohio. He served his country as a soldier of the war of 1812. His children were fourteen in
number: Joseph A., Benjamin, John, Ptiley, Anna, Susannah, Nancy, Margaret, Mary, Elizabeth, Maria, Penina,
Sarah and Lydia. They are buried in Jackson Township, Highland County, Ohio in Coss Cemetery on Coss Road,
Belfast, Ohio. (Source: Tony Keltz, descendent of Benjamin Van Pelt, Jr., and Susannah “Sucky” Crosby Van Pelt.)
L to R: Geneva Dyer, Wayne Conduff, and Ron Matthews standing on the west side of the Fairview
Baptist Church parking lot. The store building on the left and the Bible house near center background
are on property once owned by The Rev. Benjamin Van Pelt. It is most probable that his chapel was
located somewhere in this view and perhaps in the area immediately around the Bible house.
The old Revolutionary War veterans’ cemetery was nearby and we know Van Pelt’s house was
“on the road from the mouth of Lick Creek to Blue Springs.” Photo by Dr. Grady Winegar, 21 May 2008
Joseph Van Pelt, a brother of Benjamin, Jr., in 1801 received by deed transfer his father’s 200 acres in the FairviewThula community on which Van Pelt’s Meetinghouse was located. Following the death of his father in 1817, Joseph
sold the property and moved his family to Blount County, Tennessee. The Van Pelt family had moved from Greene
County by or before 1820. The organization of Concord Baptist Church and the death of Benjamin Van Pelt most
likely resulted in Van Pelt’s meetinghouse becoming obsolete and it faded into history.
The Reverend R.N. Price, who wrote the classic five-volume work, Holston Methodism: From Its Origins to the
Present Time (1904) describes Benjamin Van Pelt in volume one, page 135f:
One of the first Societies in East Tennessee was organized in the residence of Benjamin Van pelt, in Greene
County, and a chapel named Van Pelt’s Chapel was built before the year 1792. This was the fourth Methodist
meetinghouse in the Holston Country, and the third in Tennessee, of which we have any account ... At an
early date there was a camp ground at Carter’s Station, in the western part of Greene County, and possibly a
Society and chapel. In 1792 a society was organized on the south bank of the Nolichucky, a few miles east of
Greeneville. This Society consisted at that time largely of the families of Henry and Felix Earnest. Soon after
the organization of the Society a meetinghouse was built and christened Ebenezer. The Society having been
organized between July and September, 1792, it is possible that the meetinghouse was built that fall ... It is
safe to say that the meetinghouse was erected either in 1792 or 1793.
Price continues on page 193f:
This house near Fairview Baptist Church on the road from McDonald to Mosheim is believed to be the
approximate location of the home and meetinghouse of Benjamin Van Pelt, Sr. Photo by Ron Matthews
Our next mission was to discover the location of Benjamin Van Pelt’s grave. To date, we have found no identifiable
grave stones in the local cemeteries with the Van Pelt name. The Reverend Doug Smith, former pastor of
Morristown First United Methodist Church, and friend of Jim Snowden, who grew up in this community and
whose father once owned the local store, told Jim about our quest. Jim questioned his mother, Laura Maude
Ailshie Snowden and his uncle, James “Spud” Ailshie, who told him about an old cemetery on this former Van Pelt
property located on the opposite side of the road from the Ailshie Cemetery. James recalled a local tradition that
this cemetery contained Revolutionary War soldiers. All the markers were crude fieldstones and they were removed
when Mr. Ben Bible purchased the property. Mr. Ailshie also remembered there was a spring near the store, but
it was covered over when the store was built. We will never know for certain, but it is reasonable to assume that
Benjamin Van Pelt, Sr. who died 23 Aug 1817 was buried in this cemetery. Van Pelt lived in the Fairview-Thula
community from 1790-1817. During that time, Bishop Francis Asbury often stopped to visit in the Van Pelt’s home
and preach in the community meetinghouse located on the road to Mosheim.
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The Bishop speaks of Vanpelt’s Chapel. This, therefore, must have been one of the earliest chapels built in
the Holston Country, erected, no doubt, about the time of the erection of Ebenezer meetinghouse (1792) in
the Earnest settlement.” R. N. Price, quoting from Jesse Cunningham, in the Methodist Episcopalian, 1850,
continues: “The principal man of the settlement was Benjamin Vanpelt, a local preacher, who lived on Lick
Creek, in Greene County, Tenn. The meetinghouse was situated on the north side of Lick Creek, on what is now
the road from the mouth of Lick Creek to the village of Mosheim, and about four miles north of the present
village of Warrensburg. It was named for Benjamin Vanpelt, whose house was one of Bishop Asbury’s favorite
stopping places. His free and disinterested hospitality has become the means of transmitting his name to
posterity, along with the name of the chief founder of Methodism in the New World. About the year 1790 Mr.
Vanpelt removed from Alexandria, Va. He was a local preacher, and well adapted to the country and the times,
being, as he was, well versed in the Bible and the Methodist Discipline, and being a Christian in experience
and practice. He was, therefore, able to guide those who were seeking salvation, to instruct and encourage
new converts, and to edify those who were more advanced in the divine life. He was a plain, unostentatious
man. In gifts and usefulness he compared favorably to the preachers of his day. In his private deportment
he was calm and cheerful. As a preacher he exhibited much ingenuity in his efforts to interest his hearers,
and he seldom failed. He was lucid in argument, apt in illustration, and his conclusions were generally
irresistible. He had no affectation of learning, and his sermons were not embellished with gems of science and
literature, but were plain, matter-of-fact discourses. He appealed to the understanding, leaving the passions
unmoved, except so far as to argument and facts were calculated to arouse them. He studied the subject matter
beforehand what he intended to say. He did not repeat, and made it a rule to quit when he was done. He
seldom preached over thirty or forty minutes and never went beyond an hour. When he was done preaching, he
had said something worth remembering, something upon which his hearers might ruminate for some time to
come. He not only preached near home, but he exercised his gifts in adjoining counties with acceptability and
usefulness.
3
Camp Meetings in Greene County
Benjamin Van Pelt, Sr. was active in the camp meeting/revival era of the early 1800s. Camp Meetings were a source
of spiritual nurture, social interaction, and entertainment. There were two major campgrounds in Greene County.
Stone Dam Campground, which was located near the current Stone Dam United Methodist Church and Carter’s
Station Campground, which is located in the Albany Community on the same property as Carter’s Station United
Methodist Church. During “camp meetings” the folks from surrounding communities would pack up their horses,
load their wagons with provisions and travel to spend a week or more camping together for worship and fellowship.
The Reverend Jacob Young wrote of an occasion at Carter’s Station as follows:
“At the close of the year I attended a camp meeting at Carter’s Station, where about ten thousand people were
assembled. Here a controversy had been going on between Presbyterians and Methodists, the former saying,
among other bitter things that the latter were hypocrites and could refrain from shouting if they would. They
were the aristocracy; we, the poor. On Monday I preached, preceded by the venerable Van Pelt, who left the
congregation calmly and silently weeping ...”
Deed of Conveyance of 200 acres by B. Van Pelt, Sr. to Joseph Van Pelt, son of Sr. 23 Dec 1801 including
Potter’s Creek: Witnesses: Benjamin Lanstrum and Benjamin Van Pelt. Reserves in Van Pelt’s Greene County
deed states: “the use of the dwelling house said Benjamin lives in with what other privileges said Benjamin
shall think proper during his natural Life, and the Life of Mary his Beloved and Lawful wife—likewise
because James shall have peaceably that part the said James now occupieth if he continues in his own person
seven years from this date. Likewise the meetinghouse and one acre of land shall be Judged most convenient
reserved forever for the Methodist use. In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my Seal
this 23rd Day of December 1801 as above written. Signed, Sealed and Delivered in the presence of Benjamin
Lanstrum (son-in-law) and Benjamin Van Pelt.”
The 200 acres once owned by Benjamin Van Pelt and on which Van Pelt’s meetinghouse was located, may be
viewed looking south and west from the front of the Fairview Baptist Church.
Some readers may question the reliability of a count of ten thousand at Carter’s Station. It is always possible that a
number was misread or that it is an example of “ministerial estimation.” Regardless, we may safely assume there
were a lot of folks at the camp meeting! We know people from Warrensburg and Thula were present at Carter’s
Station and that Benjamin Van Pelt was one of the preachers.
Fairview Baptist Church is in the left of photo. Bays Mountain is in the background.
Benjamin Van Pelt, Sr.’s property was in the area fronting this church. This view is looking north
from Easterly Road, the old pathway to Warrensburg. Photo by Ron Matthews 24 Apr 2008
Carter’s Station United Methodist Church, Greene County, Mosheim, TN. This view is
near the grave site of Rev. Benjamin Williams. These grounds include the location
of the Carter’s Station Campground. Photo by Ron Matthews
Where in the World was Van Pelt’s Meetinghouse?
Bill Bradley and I have considered possible locations for the Van Pelt Meetinghouse for many years. We assumed
it must be in the Glades–Thula–McDonald area of Greene County. At last, thanks to the deed research of Wayne
Conduff and the assistance of Geneva Dyer, we have located the property once owned by Benjamin Van Pelt and
on which his chapel stood. The Van Pelt property encompassed 200 acres on both sides of the Concord Road and
Potter’s Creek and west along the McDonald Road. It included the property across the road from Fairview Baptist
Church, the nearby community store, the Bible home and property, including the Ailshie Cemetery, and extended
west to include part of Clyde and Elizabeth Bible’s farm. Although we cannot determine the exact location of the
chapel itself; we know it was on this section of property as it is named in the deed of transfer from Benjamin, Sr. to
Joseph Van Pelt and it was located on this road.
4
L to R: Geneva Dyer, Wayne Conduff, and Dr. Grady Winegar.
Benjamin Van Pelt once owned the acreage in the background, which is directly across from the
front of Fairview Baptist Church. Photo by Ron Matthews 21 May 2008
5
Camp Meetings in Greene County
Benjamin Van Pelt, Sr. was active in the camp meeting/revival era of the early 1800s. Camp Meetings were a source
of spiritual nurture, social interaction, and entertainment. There were two major campgrounds in Greene County.
Stone Dam Campground, which was located near the current Stone Dam United Methodist Church and Carter’s
Station Campground, which is located in the Albany Community on the same property as Carter’s Station United
Methodist Church. During “camp meetings” the folks from surrounding communities would pack up their horses,
load their wagons with provisions and travel to spend a week or more camping together for worship and fellowship.
The Reverend Jacob Young wrote of an occasion at Carter’s Station as follows:
“At the close of the year I attended a camp meeting at Carter’s Station, where about ten thousand people were
assembled. Here a controversy had been going on between Presbyterians and Methodists, the former saying,
among other bitter things that the latter were hypocrites and could refrain from shouting if they would. They
were the aristocracy; we, the poor. On Monday I preached, preceded by the venerable Van Pelt, who left the
congregation calmly and silently weeping ...”
Deed of Conveyance of 200 acres by B. Van Pelt, Sr. to Joseph Van Pelt, son of Sr. 23 Dec 1801 including
Potter’s Creek: Witnesses: Benjamin Lanstrum and Benjamin Van Pelt. Reserves in Van Pelt’s Greene County
deed states: “the use of the dwelling house said Benjamin lives in with what other privileges said Benjamin
shall think proper during his natural Life, and the Life of Mary his Beloved and Lawful wife—likewise
because James shall have peaceably that part the said James now occupieth if he continues in his own person
seven years from this date. Likewise the meetinghouse and one acre of land shall be Judged most convenient
reserved forever for the Methodist use. In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my Seal
this 23rd Day of December 1801 as above written. Signed, Sealed and Delivered in the presence of Benjamin
Lanstrum (son-in-law) and Benjamin Van Pelt.”
The 200 acres once owned by Benjamin Van Pelt and on which Van Pelt’s meetinghouse was located, may be
viewed looking south and west from the front of the Fairview Baptist Church.
Some readers may question the reliability of a count of ten thousand at Carter’s Station. It is always possible that a
number was misread or that it is an example of “ministerial estimation.” Regardless, we may safely assume there
were a lot of folks at the camp meeting! We know people from Warrensburg and Thula were present at Carter’s
Station and that Benjamin Van Pelt was one of the preachers.
Fairview Baptist Church is in the left of photo. Bays Mountain is in the background.
Benjamin Van Pelt, Sr.’s property was in the area fronting this church. This view is looking north
from Easterly Road, the old pathway to Warrensburg. Photo by Ron Matthews 24 Apr 2008
Carter’s Station United Methodist Church, Greene County, Mosheim, TN. This view is
near the grave site of Rev. Benjamin Williams. These grounds include the location
of the Carter’s Station Campground. Photo by Ron Matthews
Where in the World was Van Pelt’s Meetinghouse?
Bill Bradley and I have considered possible locations for the Van Pelt Meetinghouse for many years. We assumed
it must be in the Glades–Thula–McDonald area of Greene County. At last, thanks to the deed research of Wayne
Conduff and the assistance of Geneva Dyer, we have located the property once owned by Benjamin Van Pelt and
on which his chapel stood. The Van Pelt property encompassed 200 acres on both sides of the Concord Road and
Potter’s Creek and west along the McDonald Road. It included the property across the road from Fairview Baptist
Church, the nearby community store, the Bible home and property, including the Ailshie Cemetery, and extended
west to include part of Clyde and Elizabeth Bible’s farm. Although we cannot determine the exact location of the
chapel itself; we know it was on this section of property as it is named in the deed of transfer from Benjamin, Sr. to
Joseph Van Pelt and it was located on this road.
4
L to R: Geneva Dyer, Wayne Conduff, and Dr. Grady Winegar.
Benjamin Van Pelt once owned the acreage in the background, which is directly across from the
front of Fairview Baptist Church. Photo by Ron Matthews 21 May 2008
5
worship location in western Greene County and may in fact, slightly predate Ebenezer in Eastern Greene County.
Benjamin Van Pelt, Jr. (b. 01 Jun 1775 d. 1842) married Susannah “Sucky” Crosby (b. 22 Aug 1772 d. unknown)
in 1793 in Greene County, perhaps in Van Pelt’s Meetinghouse. Susannah was the daughter of Uriel and Susannah
Conway Crosby. Benjamin Van Pelt, Jr., was the son of The Reverend Benjamin Van Pelt and Mary Collins
Van Pelt. They lived on property adjacent to Benjamin’s parents from 1793 until sometime after the death of his
father in 1817. Benjamin Van Pelt, Jr., and family moved to Ohio, where he was known among the pioneers as a
wheelwright, and also as an occasional preacher for the Methodist church. He was a man of wide influence, and
one of the important figures of the early days of Adams County, Ohio, where he lived twenty years, and after that
in Highland County, Ohio. He served his country as a soldier of the war of 1812. His children were fourteen in
number: Joseph A., Benjamin, John, Ptiley, Anna, Susannah, Nancy, Margaret, Mary, Elizabeth, Maria, Penina,
Sarah and Lydia. They are buried in Jackson Township, Highland County, Ohio in Coss Cemetery on Coss Road,
Belfast, Ohio. (Source: Tony Keltz, descendent of Benjamin Van Pelt, Jr., and Susannah “Sucky” Crosby Van Pelt.)
L to R: Geneva Dyer, Wayne Conduff, and Ron Matthews standing on the west side of the Fairview
Baptist Church parking lot. The store building on the left and the Bible house near center background
are on property once owned by The Rev. Benjamin Van Pelt. It is most probable that his chapel was
located somewhere in this view and perhaps in the area immediately around the Bible house.
The old Revolutionary War veterans’ cemetery was nearby and we know Van Pelt’s house was
“on the road from the mouth of Lick Creek to Blue Springs.” Photo by Dr. Grady Winegar, 21 May 2008
Joseph Van Pelt, a brother of Benjamin, Jr., in 1801 received by deed transfer his father’s 200 acres in the FairviewThula community on which Van Pelt’s Meetinghouse was located. Following the death of his father in 1817, Joseph
sold the property and moved his family to Blount County, Tennessee. The Van Pelt family had moved from Greene
County by or before 1820. The organization of Concord Baptist Church and the death of Benjamin Van Pelt most
likely resulted in Van Pelt’s meetinghouse becoming obsolete and it faded into history.
The Reverend R.N. Price, who wrote the classic five-volume work, Holston Methodism: From Its Origins to the
Present Time (1904) describes Benjamin Van Pelt in volume one, page 135f:
One of the first Societies in East Tennessee was organized in the residence of Benjamin Van pelt, in Greene
County, and a chapel named Van Pelt’s Chapel was built before the year 1792. This was the fourth Methodist
meetinghouse in the Holston Country, and the third in Tennessee, of which we have any account ... At an
early date there was a camp ground at Carter’s Station, in the western part of Greene County, and possibly a
Society and chapel. In 1792 a society was organized on the south bank of the Nolichucky, a few miles east of
Greeneville. This Society consisted at that time largely of the families of Henry and Felix Earnest. Soon after
the organization of the Society a meetinghouse was built and christened Ebenezer. The Society having been
organized between July and September, 1792, it is possible that the meetinghouse was built that fall ... It is
safe to say that the meetinghouse was erected either in 1792 or 1793.
Price continues on page 193f:
This house near Fairview Baptist Church on the road from McDonald to Mosheim is believed to be the
approximate location of the home and meetinghouse of Benjamin Van Pelt, Sr. Photo by Ron Matthews
Our next mission was to discover the location of Benjamin Van Pelt’s grave. To date, we have found no identifiable
grave stones in the local cemeteries with the Van Pelt name. The Reverend Doug Smith, former pastor of
Morristown First United Methodist Church, and friend of Jim Snowden, who grew up in this community and
whose father once owned the local store, told Jim about our quest. Jim questioned his mother, Laura Maude
Ailshie Snowden and his uncle, James “Spud” Ailshie, who told him about an old cemetery on this former Van Pelt
property located on the opposite side of the road from the Ailshie Cemetery. James recalled a local tradition that
this cemetery contained Revolutionary War soldiers. All the markers were crude fieldstones and they were removed
when Mr. Ben Bible purchased the property. Mr. Ailshie also remembered there was a spring near the store, but
it was covered over when the store was built. We will never know for certain, but it is reasonable to assume that
Benjamin Van Pelt, Sr. who died 23 Aug 1817 was buried in this cemetery. Van Pelt lived in the Fairview-Thula
community from 1790-1817. During that time, Bishop Francis Asbury often stopped to visit in the Van Pelt’s home
and preach in the community meetinghouse located on the road to Mosheim.
6
The Bishop speaks of Vanpelt’s Chapel. This, therefore, must have been one of the earliest chapels built in
the Holston Country, erected, no doubt, about the time of the erection of Ebenezer meetinghouse (1792) in
the Earnest settlement.” R. N. Price, quoting from Jesse Cunningham, in the Methodist Episcopalian, 1850,
continues: “The principal man of the settlement was Benjamin Vanpelt, a local preacher, who lived on Lick
Creek, in Greene County, Tenn. The meetinghouse was situated on the north side of Lick Creek, on what is now
the road from the mouth of Lick Creek to the village of Mosheim, and about four miles north of the present
village of Warrensburg. It was named for Benjamin Vanpelt, whose house was one of Bishop Asbury’s favorite
stopping places. His free and disinterested hospitality has become the means of transmitting his name to
posterity, along with the name of the chief founder of Methodism in the New World. About the year 1790 Mr.
Vanpelt removed from Alexandria, Va. He was a local preacher, and well adapted to the country and the times,
being, as he was, well versed in the Bible and the Methodist Discipline, and being a Christian in experience
and practice. He was, therefore, able to guide those who were seeking salvation, to instruct and encourage
new converts, and to edify those who were more advanced in the divine life. He was a plain, unostentatious
man. In gifts and usefulness he compared favorably to the preachers of his day. In his private deportment
he was calm and cheerful. As a preacher he exhibited much ingenuity in his efforts to interest his hearers,
and he seldom failed. He was lucid in argument, apt in illustration, and his conclusions were generally
irresistible. He had no affectation of learning, and his sermons were not embellished with gems of science and
literature, but were plain, matter-of-fact discourses. He appealed to the understanding, leaving the passions
unmoved, except so far as to argument and facts were calculated to arouse them. He studied the subject matter
beforehand what he intended to say. He did not repeat, and made it a rule to quit when he was done. He
seldom preached over thirty or forty minutes and never went beyond an hour. When he was done preaching, he
had said something worth remembering, something upon which his hearers might ruminate for some time to
come. He not only preached near home, but he exercised his gifts in adjoining counties with acceptability and
usefulness.
3
It is difficult to imagine how rugged and dangerous East Tennessee was at this time. Roads were little more than
cleared paths and the maintenance of those roads was delegated to those who lived along the way. Francis Asbury
often rode his buggy as far as the Van Pelt’s, where he left them and borrowed one of their horses for his ride
into Kentucky. Van Pelt’s provided a safe and comfortable way station for Bishop Asbury. Benjamin became an
enthusiastic follower of Christ and eventually was ordained as a local Methodist preacher. His meetinghouse,
no doubt a typical crude log structure so common in that day, served the entire community as a place of frontier
worship.
Early Roads in Western Greene County
Bill Bradley near Felix Earnest’s grave in Ebenezer Cemetery with
Ebenezer United Methodist Church in the background. Photo by Ron Matthews
Bishop Asbury Visits the Van Pelt F amily
in Western Greene County
When Asbury was headed west, he often rode from the Earnest home to the Benjamin Van Pelt home and “meetinghouse” in the Thula Community of western Greene County. The Reverend William Burke wrote, “At an early time,
Benjamin Van Pelt moved from Alexandria, Virginia, and settled on Lick Creek, Greene County, Tennessee. He had
considerable talent and was useful in that new country; several societies were formed by his ministry, and one of
the first Methodist chapels in this country was Van Pelt’s Meetinghouse. He was one of the “Fathers of Methodist
Class Meetings in Tennessee.” Like Felix Earnest, Benjamin Van Pelt was ordained as a Methodist minister by
Bishop Asbury. Although Van Pelt’s Meetinghouse did not survive to our day, it was an important place of Christian
worship for this community from 1790–1816. Asbury was introduced to Benjamin Van Pelt, Sr., during his visit
with Peter Van Pelt on Staten Island in 1771. Filled with the hope of land and opportunity, Benjamin and Mary
Collins Van Pelt moved from Staten Island to Alexandria, Virginia. From there, they joined the movement of settlers
from Virginia into the wilds of Western North Carolina; now East Tennessee. The astute Bishop Francis Asbury
realized his evangelist mission would require him to follow the people in this westward journey. And so he did,
preaching the gospel to all who would listen. It is no surprise that Asbury would find a warm welcome at the Van
Pelt’s home, his old friends from Staten Island who preceded him to Greene County.
The Van Pelt and Crosby Families
of Western Greene County
The Crosby and Van Pelt families moved from Fauquier County, Virginia to Greene County, Tennessee between
1789 and 1790. Caleb Pickens Crosby compiled The Crosby Family History, which is available in the T. Elmer Cox
Historical Library in Greeneville, Tennessee. According to his report, Susannah Conway Crosby and seven of her
and Uriel Crosby’s older children moved in 1789 in the company of her nephew, Thomas Conway. Uriel and the
other children arrived on or about 26 Jun 1790. The Crosby’s have been prominent members of this community
and were instrumental in the organization of Concord Baptist Church. Crosby family records indicate a Christian
worship community dating to 1796; however, the official charter for The Concord Church is 1823. The first Baptist
church in Greene County was Lick Creek Baptist (now Warrensburg), which was organized 14 Sep 1793 from
Bent Creek (now Whitesburg) Baptist Church. Geneva Dyer provided a copy of the 1822 Concord Church minutes,
which notes a meeting of those who organized Concord Baptist Church, were to meet in Van Pelt’s Meetinghouse
on at least one occasion prior to construction of their own building in 1823. Fairview Baptist Church, whose charter
members moved from Concord, was organized in 1912. It appears Van Pelt’s Meetinghouse was the first Christian
2
The August 1796 Greene County court minutes describe the order for a road to be laid off from the county line
near Fines Ferry to the Warm Springs. Among the various locations assigned were these two in Western Greene
County: Nehemiah Pettit from Blue Springs to Wood’s Ford of Lick Creek on the middle road. Nehemiah Pettit was
overseer for the road from Mosheim through Midway to the ford of Lick Creek. Benjamin Van Pelt, Sr. assumed
responsibility from the Ford of Lick Creek to the Line of Jefferson County. This is now the Hamblen County line.
The Van Pelt Great Road, as it is referenced in some early deeds, was the section from the ford at Lick Creek near
the Crosby Family Cemetery to what is now McDonald Elementary School and turned west along War Branch
Creek to the mouth of Lick Creek and the county line. When Bishop Asbury rode into Kentucky from Van Pelt’s, he
most likely traveled what is now the Westwood or Warrensburg Road west through Matthews Gap to Russellville
and then turned northwest at Cheek’s Crossroads to the Cumberland Gap. On other occasions, he would travel
down the Van Pelt Great Road to what we know as the McDonald Community, where the road followed War
Branch and Flea Ridge to the mouth of Lick Creek and the Bend of the Nolichucky.
Life on the Road with Bishop Asbury
We are fortunate to have the journal of Bishop Asbury, where he recounts his experiences on the road along his farflung circuits. The following excerpts from Bishop Francis Asbury’s journal related to his travels in Greene County,
Tennessee provide a glimpse of the difficulties in that day.
Saturday, April 6, 1793 Asbury had left the Earnest family in Chuckey; he writes ... I came alone through heavy rains,
over bad hills and poor ridges, to Brother Benjamin Van Pelt’s, on Lick Creek. He is a brother to Peter, my old, first
friend on Staten Island: I was weary, damp, and hungry; but had a comfortable habitation, and kind, loving people, who
heard, refreshed, and fed me. We had a large congregation at Brother Van Pelt’s chapel, where I had liberty in speaking.
I left the young men to entertain the people a while longer, and returned and read Mr. Wesley’s sermon on riches.
Saturday, May 11, 1793 ... We came to Brother Van Pelt’s, with whom we rested on the Sabbath. I have traveled between
five and six hundred miles in the last four weeks, and have rested from riding fifteen days at Conferences and other
places. I have been much distressed with this night work ... no regular meals, nor sleep; and it is difficult to keep up
prayer in such rude companies as we have been exposed to; I have also been severely afflicted through the whole journey.
April 1795. Even in challenging times, our forebears retained a sense of humor. Bishop Asbury recorded the following
observation after his April 1795 overnight visit within the confines of a small log cabin in the wilderness: “I spent a night
with brother Whitaker, I wish his wife may not love him to death.” I will leave it to the reader’s imagination what might
have occurred to prompt such a notation by the good Bishop!
Friday, September 26, 1800 ... We rode twenty-one miles to Benjamin Van Pelt’s upon Lick Creek; we fed our horses
twice, the riders not once! Here (Van Pelt’s) I left the horse and carriage, and borrowed a horse to ride to Kentucky.
Tuesday, October 4, 1800 ... Rode twenty miles up Nolichucky to Benjamin Van Pelt’s, where I had left my horse and
chaise. In this neighborhood the land, except a few spots, is little better than barren; nevertheless, good cultivation will
make it productive. From the twenty-seventh of last month, the day on which we left the pleasant mansion of our friend
Van Pelt, to the day of our return, we rode; I presume quite six hundred and sixty if not seven hundred miles. Hitherto the
Lord hath helped us. We have had twelve proper appointments; two of which were near failing because of rain.
7
Francis Asbury: Methodist Missionary to America
John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, commissioned Thomas Coke and Francis Asbury as missionaries to
America and they sailed from England on the second day of September 1771. Asbury left behind his beloved
country, his parents and friends never to see them again in this world. As Asbury embarked for America the twentysix year-old minister wrote in his journal, “Whither am I going? To the new world. What to do? To gain honour?
To get money? No. I am going to live to God and to bring others to do so.” John Wesley may be the founder of the
Methodist movement, a reform effort within the Church of England that eventually became a denomination, but
Francis Asbury is the undisputed father of American Methodism.
Bill Bradley at Carter’s Station historic marker. Photo by Ron Matthews
Epilogue
Francis Asbury died in 1816 at 71 years of age. Benjamin Van Pelt, Sr. died in 1817 at 77 years of age. For their
time, they lived a long life; since the average lifespan for a circuit-rider was relatively brief. They burned with a
love for God and God’s people. Those who responded to such love returned it in kind. The early settlers of western
Greene County and indeed, all America, are indebted to Francis Asbury for helping spread the Good News of God’s
mercy and grace across America’s early frontier. We also owe a debt of gratitude for the legion of unsung heroes,
such as Benjamin Van Pelt, Sr. and Felix Earnest and their families. They rose to the challenges of the frontier,
journeyed into the unknown wilderness, and made a better life for themselves and their descendents. Even by
today’s travel standards, it is a long way from Staten Island to Greene County! Thank God they came our way and
passed along a good measure of their hope and faith for we who followed them.
Ron Matthews
Maryville, Tennessee
July 4, 2008
Asbury landed in Philadelphia in the fall of 1771 and soon proceeded to New York, his first field of ministry. On
his trip from Philadelphia to New York, he became acquainted with Peter Van Pelt of Staten Island, who graciously
invited Francis Asbury into his home. Asbury wrote in his journal: “Spent the following Sabbath on this Island,
preaching at Mr. Van Pelt’s ...” From this initial encounter in America, a lifelong friendship and faith bond was
established between Francis Asbury and the Van Pelt family. True to his calling as a Christian evangelist, Francis
Asbury took to the road and for the next forty-five years he pushed himself beyond normal human endurance. He
suffered from colds, coughs, fevers, severe headaches, ulcers, and eventually chronic rheumatism, which forced
him off his horse and into a carriage. Yet he continued to preach and make his annual visits among the churches. In
doing so, Asbury would ultimately ride into the territory that was to become Holston Conference and his memory is
forever etched into the hearts of her people.
Bishop Asbury Visits the Earnest Family
in Eastern Greene County, Tennessee
During his visits to Greene County, Asbury most often stayed with two Greene County families. The Felix Earnest
family who lived along the Nolichucky River near Chucky in eastern Greene County and the Benjamin Van Pelt
family, who lived near the community of Thula in western Greene County. Henry Earnest settled on the Nolichucky
in 1779 and built a family home and community fort, which is located on Tennessee Highway 351/Chucky Pike
at the Nolichucky River. The nearby Ebenezer Methodist Church, organized in 1792 by the Earnest family, is
one of the oldest churches in East Tennessee. Bishop Asbury ordained Felix Earnest, brother of Henry Earnest,
Jr., a Methodist preacher in 1806. Ebenezer Church was the site for at least six sessions of the Holston Annual
Conference meetings, the first of which took place April 27, 1795.
Matthews Gap as viewed west thru Bays Mountain into Hamblen County. Photo by Ron Matthews
The Earnest Family home and community “fort” where the local folks would gather for safety in
the event of threat. Bishop Asbury would have stayed here during his visits with this family. This is
a wonderfully preserved pre-1800 house located at the Nolichucky on TN Route 351/Chucky Pike,
Greene County, Chucky, TN. Photo by Ron Matthews 30 Aug 2007
8
1
Additional Historical Notations
A Chronology of a Few Key Events in Early Tennessee History:
Preface
This article is not intended to be an exhaustive work to cover all the people and places related to the time of
Francis Asbury. Information of a general nature is included to provide historical context for the readers. My
primary purpose is to unveil the story of Benjamin Van Pelt, a pioneer preacher who moved to the Fairview-ThulaMcDonald community in western Greene County in 1790 and died there in 1817. This is the community where
the author was born and completed high school. I am indebted to the many historians and writers who across the
years have inspired me to read and appreciate the history of our region. The words in this document are largely my
own interpretation of the facts as others and I have discovered them amid a wide variety of sources and personal
conversations. I am especially indebted to the following for their assistance: William “Bill” Bradley, Wayne
Conduff, Geneva Dyer and Jim Snowden.
Introduction
This report links Methodist Bishop Francis Asbury (1745 – 1816) with another pioneer friend and pastor, Benjamin
Van Pelt, who moved to western Greene County in 1790 and very soon thereafter established a meetinghouse for
the benefit of his community. Church historians have identified several key historic sites within Holston Annual
Conference, which encompasses Southwest Virginia, East Tennessee and a portion of Northern Georgia. The
relationship between Francis Asbury and Benjamin Van Pelt has long been known, but the location of Asbury’s
frequently mentioned “Brother Van Pelt and his meetinghouse” remained a mystery. Bishop Asbury’s journal gave
the only clue: Van Pelt’s was located on the north side of Lick Creek, on what is now the road from the mouth of
Lick Creek to the village of Mosheim, about four miles north of Warrensburg. In reading Asbury’s journal, one notes
that the Van Pelt home was a frequent stopover for Asbury. I became intrigued with the idea this meetinghouse must
have been located in my home community. Bishop Asbury notes in his journal a visit to Warrensburg in the fall
of 1809; following which the Warrensburg Methodist Church was organized in 1810. We may safely assume that
Van Pelt was a participant in the organization of this congregation. During the late 1700s and early 1800s, Greene
County was a wild and untamed country. It was a difficult time and into this raw wilderness would ride a young
British Methodist preacher by the name of Francis Asbury. Of course some days were better than others, as the
cartoon below by John Lawing in a 1978 issue of Christianity Today magazine illustrates so well.
1750 Dr. Thomas Walker and other Virginians explore East Tennessee.
1757 British soldiers from South Carolina construct Fort Loudon on the Little Tennessee River.
In the ongoing struggle between the French and British; both of whom manipulated the Native Americans in
their efforts to control the region.
1760 Fort Loudon surrenders to the Cherokee, who kill most of the residents.
1763 France forfeits all claims to land east of the Mississippi River to Great Britain in The Treaty of Paris, ending
the French and Indian/Seven Years’ War.
1769 Early settlers begin the push into East Tennessee often in violation of treaties with the Cherokee people.
1772 The Watauga Association is formed and settlements begin along the Nolichucky River.
1776 The Territory of Tennessee is annexed to North Carolina as the Washington District and is named
Washington County in 1777.
1783 Greene County is formed in 1783 from Washington County, North Carolina.
1784-88 The State of Franklin era.
1789 Following the demise of the State of Franklin, North Carolina cedes their control of the East Tennessee area
to the federal government. It was commonly known as the Southwest Territory. North Carolina had
previously conveyed large tracts of land to speculators, Revolutionary War veterans and pioneers seeking a
fresh start. William Blount, a land speculator, serves as the governor with John Sevier and James Robertson
as military commanders for East Tennessee and the Middle Tennessee regions respectively.
1790 The Crosby’s, Van Pelt’s, and others settle in western Greene County.
1796 Tennessee experiences a population surge and statehood is granted June 1, 1796.
Pilot Knob. A prominent landmark near the Gap Greek Community along the road from
Van Pelt’s to Carter’s Station. Photo by Ron Matthews
The Mouth of Lick Creek and the Bend of Chucky is the area of the Cooper Farm in extreme western Greene
County. This is the same area where in October 1776, John Sevier and his army camped overnight before their
march across the Nolichucky and up Long Creek to its head, then down Dumplin Creek to the French Broad River.
They forded the French Broad near Buckingham Island, went up Boyd’s Creek to it’s head and then down Ellejoy
Creek to the Little River in Blount County. The army passed the present site of Maryville and on to the Cherokee
towns on the Little Tennessee River near present day Vonore.
i
9
The Pioneer Trails
The early Indian and buffalo trails were the corridors for this westward flowing caravan of people. As the migration
continued, the Native Americans were forced to concede their homeland to the seemingly unending flow of
Europeans. Between 1778 and 1783, this flow of settlers continued to increase. East Tennessee became home to
many of these first families, but others stopped for a brief time and continued on their westward journey.
There were two primary routes of travel into Tennessee. The Great Indian Warpath was originally one of the great
trading and warpaths between northern and southern Indian tribes. This route was expanded to handle the settler’s
wagons and became known as The Great Wagon Road. Interstate 81 and Highway 11 flow through the Shenandoah
Valley along this same basic route. This road started in southern Pennsylvania, came down the Shenandoah Valley
to Staunton and Roanoke; where it split into two routes. The Wilmington, Highpoint and Northern Trail entered
North Carolina near the present town of Eden and flowed south-east to the coast at Wilmington, NC. The other
route continued down the Great Wagon Road into East Tennessee. After the Cumberland Gap was discovered
settlers began filing into what would become Kentucky and West Virginia. These trails were one of the few ways
families could move through the territories in the middle of the 18th Century.
The Carolina Road or Occaneechie Path lay on the east side of the Appalachian Mountains. Beginning in Northern
Virginia, Highway 15 follows this old pathway to Occaneechie Island, an Indian trading post on the Roanoke
River. This trail started on the James River, through Ft. Henry (later Petersburg, Virginia), southwest to the Indian
trading town of Occaneechie, where it crossed the Roanoke River. The trail continued southwest to the Haw River
in Chatham County, North Carolina, through present day Charlotte, North Carolina, and continued to Augusta,
Georgia.
Table of Contents
Preface .................................................................................................................................................. i
Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... i
Francis Asbury – Methodist Missionary to America ........................................................................... 1
Bishop Asbury Visits the Earnest Family in Eastern Greene County .................................................. 1
Bishop Asbury Visits the Van Pelt Family in Western Greene County ................................................ 2
The Van Pelt and Crosby Families of Western Greene County ........................................................... 2
Special Appreciation to the Following Individuals
William “Bill” Bradley. Bill is a dear friend from my years as his pastor at Carter’s Station United Methodist Church from
1972–76. Bill is retired from the Magnavox Company and now lives in the Mt. Carmel Community of Greene County,
Tennessee. He is now a member of Mt. Carmel United Methodist Church. Bill helped inspire my love of local history and he
and I have spent many hours “digging up bones” and trying to understand the stories of those who came before us. We have
also learned that we are related by marriage through George Redenour, our common ancestor, who is buried in the Mt. Carmel
Cemetery.
Wayne Conduff. The discovery of Van Pelt’s location is the direct result of Wayne’s work researching old deeds in Greene
County. Wayne is retired from the former Magnavox Company in Greeneville and is now a professional historian and
genealogical researcher. Wayne is a member of the Pine Grove United Methodist Church. I recommend Wayne’s services
to anyone seeking such assistance. Ancestor Homeland Locator: Specializing in Land Grants & Old Deeds, Location of
Old Roads and Trails and Location of Grave Sites. Wayne lives in Mosheim, Tennessee and may be contacted by e-mail at
[email protected] or phone at 423/638-6896.
Camp Meetings in Greene County ....................................................................................................... 4
Early Roads in Greene County ............................................................................................................ 7
Life on the Road with Bishop Asbury ................................................................................................. 7
Epilogue ............................................................................................................................................... 8
Additional Historical Notes ................................................................................................................. 9
Special Appreciation ........................................................................................................................... 10
Geneva Dyer. Geneva is a member of Concord Baptist Church and was generous in giving her time allowing us to visit the
Concord Church and provided a copy of the minutes from 1822, which included a reference to Van Pelt’s meetinghouse.
References ............................................................................................................................................ 10
Jim Snowden. Jim is the son of the late Lloyd Snowden and grew up in this community. His mother, Laura Maude Ailshie
Snowden, and his uncle, James “Spud” Ailshie, remembered the location of the old unmarked cemetery where we believe
Benjamin Van Pelt is buried. Jim and his wife Shirley live in Morristown and are members of Morristown First United
Methodist Church.
About the Author ................................................................................................................................. 11
Millie Meese. Millie is the Graphic Designer for Holston Conference who created the Map of Greene County and prepared this
document for publication.
References:
R.N. Price. Holston Methodism. 5 vols. Nashville; Dallas: Publishing House of the M.E. Church, South. Smith & Lamar, Agents. 1908,
Vol. 1, pages 134-135 & 193f.
The Journal of Francis Asbury.
Greene County Tennessee Deed Book 6, page 438 December 23, 1801. Benjamin Van Pelt to Joseph Van Pelt.
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Map of Greene County circa 1795 ....................................................................................... Back Cover
About the Author
Ronald “Ron” H. Matthews is the son of Elvis D. and Minnie Pettit Matthews. He
grew up in the Mount Hope Community and graduated in 1964 from McDonald High
School. The communities of Mount Hope, Fairview, Thula/Concord, Warrensburg,
Scoot, and McDonald all share the common postal address of Mohawk. Family and
friendship connections in all the churches, schools, and communities has ensured
a tradition of ecumenical fellowship that goes back to the earliest times in western
Greene County. For example, the Matthews family and most of the early settler
families can trace their roots back to the Concord Baptist Church. My Great-Great
Grandparents were once members of Concord church and my father was baptized
and received into membership at Fairview Baptist Church on March 19, 1927. When
my parents married, they lived close to Mount Hope United Methodist Church, where my mother was reared and
thus Mount Hope became the church we attended. Following seven years of work at American Enka, I eventually
completed college and seminary and became a United Methodist pastor. Patsy Hogan Matthews and I have been
married for 43 years and now live in Maryville, Tennessee. We attend Broadway United Methodist Church. In
this attempt to tell Benjamin Van Pelt, Sr.’s story, I am like the Native American who was asked by a Judge if he
promised to tell the court “the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” The translator seemed to struggle,
and at length rendered the man’s reply: “I don’t know what the whole truth is. I only know what I know.” So
if you, dear reader, should discover a new truth about anything herein written, I would greatly appreciate your
sharing that knowledge with me so that I may know more truth.
Ron Matthews
141 Ostenbarker Street
Maryville, Tennessee 37804
865/982-9015
[email protected]
Warrensburg United Methodist Church. Photo by Ron Matthews
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A Friend of Bishop Francis Asbury
and Pioneer Methodist Preacher
In Greene County, Tennessee
1790 - 1817