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This page is a work in progress. This history only goes up to 1947 so
if anyone has any information or you know of anyone who may have information dated after 1947, please bring a copy
in to the church or email it to me so I can add it to this page.
Thanks in advance!!
FOUNDING
In 1880, Elder Thomas Jones from near Little
York, Indiana, began preaching in the Poverty Point schoolhouse in Scott County, Indiana.
This schoolhouse was
in the extreme southwest corner of the county, about three miles west of Underwood. It stood on a hill overlooking the broad
fields that surround Leota, and faced west toward where the knobs rise up as a great sentinel, keeping guard over the smaller
hills and valleys.
This was a fairly prosperous farming community, but had no church when Elder Jones began preaching
there.
Tom Jones, as everyone called him, led an interesting life. He was born and reared in Scott County just
east of Little York. He began teaching school when he was seventeen years old. He enlisted in the Union Army in 1861, when
the Civil War broke out. He attained the rank of Lieutenant. He spent four years in the army, and engaged in more that fifty
battles, being wounded in the last engagement. He returned home and continued his teaching for twenty-two years in all.
He was ordained to the Christian Ministry in 1871, and preached until his death in 1907. Many souls were won to Christ
and much good crown his efforts. He was a fiery preacher and a good promoter.
Jones preached at Poverty Point from
1880 until 1883. During the summer and fall, Jones would move the meeting place about a mile east of the schoolhouse to a
large grove just south of where the present church now stands. The people in the community would clear away some trees, set
up a platform, constuct some rude seats under the trees, hang lanterns in the trees at night, and listen to the Gospel as
poured forth from the lips fo this earnest preacher. A few people in the Fairview community can still remember these meetings,
and all testify that these meetings were grand times of great singing, preaching and fellowship.
On November 3,
1882, Joseph Collings and Sarah S. Collings, his wife, deeded to the trustees of the Fairview Christian Church a tract of
land comprizing about one-half an acre more or less. This land lay just across the road north of where the meetings were held
in the grove and about one mile east of the Poverty Point schoolhouse.
That fall the work began on the church
building, which stands about one hundred yards north of the above mentioned grove. It faces toward the east overlooking Pigeon
Roost Valley. It is a beautiful location for a church, one that should inspire worship of God. John J. Tobias was the carpenter
foreman, and most of the work was donated, as was much of the material. That winter the work progressed slowly, people working
when they could and when the weather permitted. By 1883, the church was ready for use and Tom Jones dedicated it either that
summer or fall.
Jones organized the church either in 1882 or 1883. The original church record has been lost, and
none of the charter members are living. The oldest living members think that the number of charter members was about twenty.
History 1883 - 1921
The history of
this period is very meager. Diligent research yielded very little definite information. The Fairview church since its inception
has had to fight for its very existence. During this period the church had its worst struggle, and little was done that was
outstanding enough for men to record. However a brief history can be pieced together from the fragments that were found.
Tom Jones continued to preach for them off and on for the next twenty years. During this same period, F.E. Andrews,
a schoolteacher from Jeffersonville, Indiana, preached occasionally for them. Elder Wesley Hartley, of Scottsburg, also preached
at Fairview in the 1880's and 1890's. They seldom had a regular pastor. Roads were bad and preachers scarce, so they
had preaching whenever one came along-which was not too often.
The church met for Bible School most of the time
up until 1903. From the information found, they did not practice weekly communion. It was observed on the days that they had
preaching, usually not over once a month. The reason for this was a lack of leadership and real interest on the part of the
people themselves.
The reports sent in to the County Meetings will help us t a better understanding of the
prevailing conditions at Fairview around 1900. The Churches of Christ in Scott County have had an annual meeting of the churches
since 1853, for preaching and fellowship. They have kept a record of these meetings since 1894.
In the minutes
of the Meeting for 1895, the secretary records the following: "These reports indicate a prosperous condition existing
in all the churches except Austin and Fairview. These two churches were reported on the decline."
Again in
1897, Lamar Collins, an elder at Fairview, wrote to the County Meeting: "Our church has about fifty members. No new members
during the past year. No regular preaching. We have a few sermons during the year. No deaths. Can you not intercede in some
way to keep us from becoming extict?"
The Fairview church reported to the County Meeting in 1903, that they
were having monthly preaching, but added that they had no Bible School or prayer meeting. The Bible School had been closed
in July of that year. It was not unusual for a church to close its Bible School during the winter months. But when one
was closed during the summer then something serious was behind it. It simply died of a lack of support and interest. There
is no mention of any report coming from Fairview during the years 1903 to 1922. It drops completely out of the picture.
The church however did not close its doors completely. There is a record of an evangelistic meeting being held there
in 1911, by preacher Cross, a traveling evangelist from near Marinsville, Indiana. The meeting however did not revive
the church and it went out entirely in 1913.
The church was closed from 1913 until 1921. The building went to rack
and ruin and so did the souls of men.
The reasons why this condition prevailed are difficult to give with absolute
assurance. A few events did occur though, that might have caused this situation.
A few years prior to 1886, a Methodist
church was built on Pigion Roost Creek about two miles southwest of the Fairview church. It was named "Clark's Chapel."
In 1886, this church was moved to within a quarter of a mile south of Fairview. The reason for this is not clear. Most people
think it was in order to place the church in the center of the membership. Whatever the reason was the result was harmful
to both churches.
There was some enmity between the churches as might be expected. When "New Chapel,"
as it was now called, was dedicated some of the people wanted to invite Uncle Dent Broady to bring his singers and organ from
the Christian Church to furnish music. One of the ladies spoke up and said, "No! We don't want any Campbellites helping
dedicate our church!" Similar statements were probably made by the other group.
This feeling between the two
churches though, did not do as much harm as the fact that the churches were too close together. The Fairview church lost ground
more rapidly than did New Chapel, as it was practically gone by 1905. New Chapel went down with it and by 1922-23 the Methodist
Conference decided to sell the building. The people where it had originally been, asked that it be moved back to that place.
In 1925, their wishes were granted, and today is a fairly strong church.
The other main reason for the decline
of Fairview was the lack of leadership. About 1896, Asa Hamilton, one of the leading men in the church since its beginning,
moved to Scottsburg. Then in 1904-05, the two main elders, moved away. Lamar Collins, and Dent Broady, the two elders, moved
to Hanover and Jeffersonville respectively. When these men moved back to Fairview, a number of years later, the work was too
far gone for them to revive it.
The Restoration
In the fall
of 1921, a movement was started to resurrect the Fairview church. Some members of the Scott County Evangelistic Commitee went
out to survey the situation at Fairview. This was a commitee composed of representatives from all the churches of Christ in
the county for the purpose of evangelism. The people living in the Fairview community, the few Christians that were left,
a few Methodists, and non-church members, began to take interest in restoring the church. Noah Tash took the lead in calling
a community meeting and laying before them this work. Mr. Tash, Zeb Rose and George Tash to serve as a committee to solicit
funds for the remodeling fo the church building. The people responded freely both with money and labor and soon the house
was ready for worship again. The church house had been so run down that it was unsuitable even for funerals. The floors were
rotten, the doors sagged, and half the windows were out.
By January the house was ready and on the 22nd of that
month, O.A. Trinkle, minister of the Scottsburg church began a meeting at Fairview. Brother Trinkle deserves much credit for
the renewal of the work at Fairview. This meeting resulted in 25 confessions and 10 reclaimed. A Bible School was reorganized
and in June, Brother Trinkle ordained elders and deacons for the church and they resumed the work of the Lord again which
they have carried on ever since that day. This new group started with 38 charter members.
The other churches and
ministers continued to assist Fairview a little for the next year or two. this assistance was small though.
In the Spring of 1928, a man and his wife move to Underwood and took membership at Fairview who have been a great help
to them ever since. His name is Gilbert Matthews. He is a rural mail carrier and preaches on Sunday. Brother Matthews has
not had the opportunity of much formal education but his private study and earnest efforts have made him a faithful and valuable
servant of our Lord. He has worked with the Fairview church constantly even when preaching elsewhere. He has given them the
leadership needed to help them over some rough places.
In the fall of 1935, Mr. and Mrs. C.T. Herod, ministers
at Scottsburg, conducted an enthusiastic meeting at Fairview. The church has grown steadily since then. After this the Lord's
Supper was restored to its rightful place in weekly worship instead of on preaching days only. They put a full basement under
the church in 1936-37. In 1944, new pews and pulpit along with other inprovements were made in the auditorium costing $700.
This was soon paid. The church now has one-half time preacher.
It is a real pleasure to close this short history
of the Fairview Christian Church with the statement that the church is in the best condition it has ever known. It was the
author's privilege to be with them in an evangelistic meeting in October 1946. The interest that was manifested in that
meeting was a heartwarming sight. The church has an active membership of about 120 with a possible membership of 250. The
Bible School attendance averages about 60 now. They have some good sound teachers and leaders in the church. From all indications
the church should enjoy a happy growth in the years ahead.
Ministers Since 1922
1922 O.A. Trinkle and
Otho Jackson supplied part time
1923
J.H. Walker - Indianapolis
1924
Howard E. Havron - Edinburg
1925
Lewis Roth
1926
1927-28 Charles W. Akers
- New Albany
1929
1930-31 J.S. Jordan - Tampico
1932 George A. Ross
1933-34
S.E. Wells - Orleans, Indiana
1935
Joseph Burns - Indianapolis
1936 Mrs.
C.T. Herod - Scottsburg
1937-39 L.E. Harris
1940
1941-44 Fred
McCoy - Indianapolis
1945 (6 mo.) Russell Bowers - Louisville
1945-46 Russell
Houston - Indianapolis
1946-47 Gilbert Matthews - Underwood
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