Pine Grove Church
Pine Grove Church: Roane County, West Virginia Submitted by Carol Osborne Rose. kanawhalady@directv.net
HISTORY OF THE PINE GROVE CHURCH
Pine Grove Church is located approximately 2 miles from Amma, Geary District, Roane County.
The church can be reached via I-79 North from Charleston, exit #25. Turn right at end of exit ramp, turning right again at Pigeon Run Road. Proceed a short distance and then continue straight onto Pine Grove Road about 2 miles.
You will pass Amma Church and Cemetery, cross Big Sandy Creek and several houses. The church is on the left banks of Big Sandy Creek.
The exact date of the organization of the church is unknown. People of the community worshiped in the “old” schoolhouse for several years.
John H. Osborne (my great-grandfather) donated a building site in about the year 1900. A sawmill was brought in and located on Laurel Creek, near the schoolhouse. Timber was cut from the nearby woods, hauled to the mill and sawed into lumber for the soon to be built church.
William A. Smith, a carpenter, gave directions for building of the church. Men donating time and labor for the project were Isaac Smith, Thomas Parris, his sons Jim and John, John H. Osborne and his son Wade Fleshman Osborne (my grand-father).
The building was completed and Samuel F. Smith, grandfather of Hattie Smith Hayes, preached the first sermon. Other early pastors were Conaway, Arnott, Knotts, Scantling, and M. H. Branham.
Early member of the church were: John H. Osborne, his wife Lenora Virginia Geary Osborne; his son Wade Fleshman Osborne and his wife Mary Gertrude Carper Osborne; Elizabeth Ashley Geary (Aunt Sweet); Thomas and Mary Parris, their sons Jim and John Parris; Issac and Etta Smith and children, Laura, Webster W., and Hattie Drusella; Lewis and Orpha Smarr Naylor and children; William A. and Amelia Smith and children; Tom Riggs, Dave and Quill Myers, Sam and Florence Myers.
The first class leader was John Osborne, also a teacher of the boys’ Sunday school class. His wife, Aunt Jenny, was song leader and teacher of the girls’ class. Long, short, and common meter from the old Methodist hymnals, which were written in poetry, classified the songs. All songs written in long meter were sung by the same tune and beat.
The new building was first heated with wood and lighted with kerosene lamps. Rev. Fred I. Peters built the present altar in the early twenties. The altar was just a seat built longer than the others. Sunday school and testimonial meetings were held each Sunday. Prayer on Thursday nights and preaching of sermons were each third Sunday afternoon.
Present day meetings are still held in the Pine Grove Church each Sunday morning. An annual reunion is held in the month of August. Everyone is welcome.
Information from Hattie Smith Hayes and Opal Virginia Lowe Myers.
Submitted by Carol Osborne Rose
03 November 2000
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