"At the spring session of the Hiwassee Presbytery, in the year
1843, after prayer and preaching, twenty three people with letters
presented themselves from the Spring Creek Church to unite with
the Pleasant Hill Church. They were Anderson Clark, Isabella Clark,
John Clark, William Scarbrough, Emely Dillon, Emeline Willson,
Pressley Longly, Mary Hambright, Melissa Hambright, Madison Ham-
bright, Deniza Hambright, George McConnell, Lane McConnell,John
Armstrong, Nancy Armstrong, Bryant Manker, Abraham Michaels, Allison
Templeton, John Hampton, John Camp, Mary Camp, James S. Liner and
Nancy Coughman." There are no records known showing how far
back
Pleasant Hill Church goes back at the present. One can rightly
suspect it was a close rival to Hiwassee Baptist Church which has
minutes in 1812. There is no recorded evidence of any school being
held in Pleasant Hill Church but one can suspect there was. The
large
numbers of it's tombstones in the two cemeteries lend evidence to
the fact that this community has been flourishing for many more
years
than is given credit.
The movement for a second building was started in 1851,
being finished in April 1860. The Elders then were: "Anderson Clark,
John Clark, Thomas Bishop, Wade Hampton, William Porter and William
Scarbrough" who sold the two acres for the church for $12.50.
Members of the congregation did most of the work and
furnished most of the materials. It is a one room sactuary with
a pot bellied stove in the center at it's early beginning.
The name was changed to Clear Springs Cumberland Presby-
terian Church possibly because a large spring is at the north end
which still issues crystal clear water.
Clear Springs is known for it's early camp meetings, it's
famous singing schools and the male gospel quartet composed of
Tom Bishop, Fletcher Melton, John McDonald and Allen McDonald.
(A zerox picture of one singing school is available upon request
listing about three dozen students.) One correction to the Heritage
Book is the school was held in a separate building up the hill
from the church and across the road.
Today the church is only used for an occassional funeral
and the annual homecomeing on the second Sundays in June.
The bell from it's belfry no longer tolls as it once did
beconning the faithful to come and worship in this historical church
which lies down an embankment off county road 956 leading in from
750.
Source: McMinn Co. and It's People, pp 71,72.
Edited by: Bill Bigham