Harrington Chapel O.F.W.B Church History
It was after the Civil War that in 1866, the Cape Fear Conference of the Free Will Baptists (whites) declared that African Americans could become licensed ministers. One year later, in 1867, the United American Free Will Baptist Church was organized. The history of Harrington Chapel Free Will Baptist Church began twenty-one years later, in 1888, when Edmund Goins purchased two acres of land on March 19th for the price of ten dollars from James Addison Leslie, a Civil War veteran and physician.
The purchased acres by Edmund Goins, were situated in the Little River Township of Cumberland County and joined the lands of the Goins and Walden families. Little River Township was located in the Silver Run area of present day Fort Bragg Reservation.
Five days later on March 24th, Martine Goins and wife Lydia; Eli Walden and wife Rebecca; Edmund Goins and wife Sarah; and, Lucian Goins and wife Mary (Patsie) donated 1¼ acres of the two purchased acreage to School Committee #1 Color of Little River and Quewhiffle Townships for the construction a ‘colored’ school. The remaining ¾ acre was used to construct a church which was named Camp Silver Run Free Will Baptist Church with Eli Walden as its first pastor and founder.
Oral history passed down through the years, suggest that Camp Silver Run Free Will Baptist Church originated from the nightly prayer meetings held in the homes of Eli and Rebecca Walden; Martine and Lydia Goins; Edmund and Sarah Goins; Lucian and Mary (Patsie) Goins; Jasper and Della Mayo; Jesse and Catherine Cordin; S.D. McLeod; and, Charles and Jane Harrington.
One year later on August 5, 1889, Martine and Lydia; Edmund and Sarah; and, Lucian and Patsie deeded to Eli and Rebecca, forty-three acres of land with one being allotted for a graveyard. The cemetery is presently located on the Fort Bragg Reservation and is recognized as the ‘Goins Indian Cemetery’ by the Fort Bragg’s Culture Resource Center. Several members of the early church goers from Camp Silver Run Free Will Baptist Church are buried there.
From the early 1870’s to the late 1890’s, many families lived in the Little River Township. The community’s main employer was a turpentine distillery owned and operated by Eli Walden and his three brothers-in-law, Martine, Edmund and Lucian. From 1870, with the first purchased land of 150 acres to around 1895, the Walden/Goins families purchased over 4,427 acres of land (from present day Vass, North Carolina to Fort Bragg) for their turpentine business. In 1895, the business moved to Rosewood, Florida.
The Founder…
Eli Walden was born around 1842, in the Pocket Creek Community of Moore County, to Mary ‘Polly’ Walden, daughter of Nancy Walden and a Scottish highlander, Duncan Murchison. Duncan served many years in North Carolina Legislative Chambers – the House of Commons and the Senate. He also served in the capacity of Sheriff of Moore County. Eli’s great-grandfather was John Chavis Walden, who in 1829 owned two slaves and left a plantation of over 400 acres to his wife in Chatham County, North Carolina.
Eli, at the age of seventeen, changed his name to Eli Murchison and enlisted on July 8, 1862 as a private in Company G, of the 5th Cavalry Regiment of the Confederate Army. Between his return as a prisoner of war on January 26, 1865 and 1889, when he sold his interest in the turpentine business, Eli became a minister. He purchased his Minister’s Manual on May 18, 1883. Eli died in Rosewood, Florida on November 15, 1900 from typhoid fever while contracting for the Goins Brothers Naval Store (turpentine distillery operation). In 1923, during the Rosewood Massacre members of the Walden and Goins families and extended families were killed or permanently uprooted from the community. Two visible headstones still remain in what was then known as the community cemetery – Eli and his brother-in-law, Martine. A footstone of Martine’s daughter, Queenie was recently discovered in 2012.
Relocation of the Church…
Due to the terrain in the Sandhills, around the turn of the century, thousands acres of land were purchased by the United States for military training. This was the beginning of Camp Bragg which later became Fort Bragg. This move, by the federal government, ended the community of Silver Run and many families were forced to relocate to the surrounding counties of Moore, Harnett and Robeson.
It was during this period, that Camp Silver Run Free Will Baptist Church relocated to Southern Pines, North Carolina.
In 1920, the present church site was purchased from William Junge of New York by members of the former Camp Silver Run Free Will Baptist Church. Prior to the move to Southern Pines, Junge and his partner, C.T. Patch were owners of 100 acres of land in the Silver Run Community. In fact, their acreage was in the same location as those of the Walden and Goins families. William Junge was a realtor, born in Germany, and in 1920 was living on May Street in Southern Pines, North Carolina.
A Warranty Deed recorded on October 27, 1920, indicates for consideration of one hundred and eighty-five dollars ($185.00), lots 3-4 and 16 feet alleyway between lots # 4-5 on Carlisle Street were purchased by the United American Free Will Baptists. Upon completion of the church, Camp Silver Run Free Will Baptist Church was renamed Harrington Chapel Free Will Baptist Church perhaps in dedication to Charlie and Pearlie Harrington who opened their home for all church activities until the church site was completed in 1927. Sadly, Charlie died one year earlier in 1926.
The blocks in the original sanctuary were hand-made by the men of the church under the leadership of its officers – Brothers Jim Murchison, Steven Bates and Walter Silas. Morning services during the early days did not begin until 12:00 noon. A corner stone on the church bears the name of Reverend Eli Walden, Founder, J.I. Murchison, Sexton and Reverend John A. Williams, Pastor. The first Woman Home Mission was organized in 1927 by Larcenia Harrington. Later, the first Young People Christian League was organized by Edith Strickland Ross. Rebecca Williams organized the first choir and her husband, Dan Williams, became the first musician. The first Pastor’s Aide was organized under the leadership of Reverend John D. Ray. Deacon William (Sam) Walden served as the first Ruling Elder.
On November 10, 2010, Harrington Chapel’s pastor and key officers resigned from the United American Free Will Baptist Denomination. Concerned about the future of the church, on November 23, 2010, the Presiding Bishop of Cape Fear Conference B of the United American Free Will Baptist Denomination appointed a new pastor to the church. It was during this transition period that Cape Fear Conference B proclaimed that all churches within the conference shall include the words “United American” in their church name. In December of that year, Harrington Chapel Free Will Baptist Church became Harrington Chapel United American Free Will Baptist Church.
Five years later after rejoining the Conference, a dispute over the ownership of the church property developed. The new Presiding Bishop for Cape Fear Conference B, for no apparent reason claimed all properties belonging to Harrington Chapel as being property of Cape Fear Conference B. With God’s help, and under the spirit of unity, the membership of Harrington Chapel, along with its officers, voted to resign from Cape Fear Conference B and with proper documentation was legally able to retain all properties deeded to Harrington Chapel. Nevertheless, this action removed Harrington Chapel from any type of governances in the conference.
Historically, this action may have allowed Harrington Chapel to go full circle. Shortly after the Cape Fear Conference of the Free Will Baptists declared that African American could become licensed ministers, Camp Silver Run Free Will Baptist Church was formed and may have been under the governance of the Original Cape Fear and Southwestern Free Will Baptist Annual Conference. The first meeting of the Cape Fear Conference was held at Green Chapel Free Will Baptist Church in Harnett County near Lillington, North Carolina – a county that had been a part of Cumberland County.
On August 9, 2017, without governances for several months, the membership of Harrington Chapel voted to become a part of the Original Cape Fear and Southwestern Free Will Baptist Church.
From oral history, as well as, from documented history, the exact month, day and year of the birth of our beloved church is unknown for those who began the prayer meetings have gone home to be with the Lord. However, from a documented deed dated March 19, 1888 to present day, it can be proclaimed that we are…Celebrating 131 Years and (with God’s Guidance) Beyond of Praising our Lord.