The Mars Hill Presbyterian Church History

Much of my information regarding this church and my ancestral connections to it are found in A History of Mars Hill Presbyterian Church by Reba Boyer and Budd Duncan published in 1973. On November 2, 1823, Reverend William Eagleton, of Kingston, Tennessee, organized a small group of Presbyterians into Mars Hill Presbyterian Church. Some documentation has been lost, but in the middle 1820's the Tennessee Legislature granted Mars Hill Presbyterian two acres of land on the south side of Athens. Two adjoining acres were granted to the Baptist Church, and are now included in the Cedar Grove Cemetery.

After some years of service, the size of the congregation had increased and it was obvious that a new facility had to be obtained. The congregation met on March 4, 1837, and appointed a building committee consisting of George W. Mayo, Solomon Bogart, William Anderson, Charles Bogart, Samuel Hale, James Gettys, and Alexander Keys, with full authority to purchase a lot, make contracts and procure funds by subscription. In the interim, the congregation met in a small brick building erected in 1833 and intended as a school - the Academy at Athens. The land, lot 19 in the original plat of Athens, contains the present sanctuary and was sold by William Anderson to ruling elders of the church: David Reid, William H. Deaderick, David Willson, Samuel Hale, W. W. Anderson, George W. Mayo and Charles Bogart as a site for the erection of a house of worship. The price was $300.

The brick sanctuary was completed by September 15, 1838 and served not only as a house of worship, but also as a meeting place for the community. The history of this church is extensive and can be found in the above referenced book. David Willson (Wilson) was my 4G-grandfather. According to the church record, he was received before 9/20/1834 and was an Elder at the time. He was dismissed 1/27/1840. His wife, Jane Wilson received and dismissed the same as David Wilson. David Wilson and Jane Wear (Weir) were married October 16, 1796, in Greene County. A note in the record indicates that David and Jane Wilson were members #3 and #4 on the 1832 member list and were most certainly organizing members of the church. In 1840, David and Jane went to Meigs County to live with their son George. Hugh Preston Wilson was my 3G-grandfather and the second son of David and Jane Wilson. He is also recorded as a member of Mars Hill Presbyterian Church. James Culton was another 4G-grandfather. He was received at Mars Hill before 9/20/1832 and dismissed 12/11/1860. He married Peggy (Margaret) Weir 1/20/1801 (Blount County). He died 1/29/1863 at his residence near Charleston. He is buried in Mt Cumberland Cemetery at Athens beside his wife and two daughters. The eldest daughter of James and Margaret was Nancy Culton. Nancy Culton married Hugh Preston Wilson February 24, 1820, in Knox County. Only one of their ten children is listed as a member of Mars Hill Presbyterian. David Alexander Wilson and two of his sons Hugh Harrison Wilson and William Clark Wilson are mentioned in the church record. Other children of David and Jane Wilson cited in the record include Ann B. Wilson and George Wilson.

I visited this church for the first time in October 2009. The current pastor Leslie Rust gifted me with a copy of the church history referenced above. I treasure it dearly. http://www.marshillpres.com/ I will be happy to do look-ups of early members of this church.

Summarized by Larry M. Wilson
Tennessee First Family Member Certificate 111518
East Tennessee Historical Society
1124 Livingston Drive
Hurst, TX 76053
Lwilson181@aol.com


MARS HILL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH PHOTO'S

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