Hickory Grove Church (2)
Dr. Joe Sutton
FIRST LOCAL CHURCH
Historically significant, Hickory Grove is the first local church built in Bucklesberry. A forty-six page book (see https://t.ly/KUxSv), written by church members, affirmed Hickory Grove's original building was initially constructed in 1860 and bricked a century later in 1964:
"When the church was begun [i.e., built] in 1860, there were only three wagons in the community....These three wagons hauled the lumber for the church from Southwest [Creek] Mill near Pink Hill, from early dawn until dark to build this church. The carpenters we do not know by name, but by their work, they were the best at that time....In 1964, the church was bricked with the help of Earl Butts, Jennings Dawson and the men."
This account leaves little doubt that Hickory Grove Church was built in 1860, the year before the start of the Civil War. Three decades later in 1891, Rev. Dr. Esek Arnold Wright preached a series of evangelistic meetings at Hickory Grove. In his 1906 recollection of the two-week revival, Dr. Wright described the church building with remarkable detail that accurately reflected dimensions consistent with the church sanctuary today:
"It was forty feet wide and sixty feet long, painted white with green window blinds, plastered inside and well benched, with a nice pulpit, painted cherry color, and a chancel-rail extending all around the pulpit, with about four feet distance from pulpit to railing."
The church history book further identified "Charter members...Jere Sutton, Benjamin Sutton, Ivey Sutton, Hardy Sutton, Josiah Sutton and Levi Hill." All were residents of Bucklesberry. Interestingly, three of the men were older at the time: Benjamin Sutton, Jr. (1795-1864)–age 65; Hardy Sutton (1803-1861)–age 57; and Josiah Sutton, Sr. (1810-1898)–age 50. The other three were considerably younger: Levi Hill, Sr. (1830-1893)–age 30; Jere(miah) Sutton, Sr. (1836-1900)–age 24; and (Samuel) Ivey Sutton (1834-1904)–age 26.
The charter members were all family-related. Hardy Sutton and Benjamin Sutton, Jr. were brothers, and sons of Benjamin Sutton, Sr. (ca. 1752-1837) and Sarah Hardy Sutton (1759-1846). Samuel Ivey (S. I.) Sutton was the presumed son of Thomas Sutton (ca. 1782-1853), who was also a son of Benjamin, Sr. and Sarah, which made Thomas a brother of Hardy and Benjamin, Jr., and S. I. their nephew.
Jeremiah Sutton, Sr. and Josiah Sutton, Sr. were sons of John Sutton (ca. 1779-ca. 1850) and Elizabeth Aldridge Sutton (ca. 1790-aft. 1860). John was also a son of Benjamin, Sr. and Sarah and, thus, a brother of Thomas, Hardy, and Benjamin, Jr. Therefore, John's sons, Jeremiah and Josiah, were also nephews of Thomas, Hardy, and Benjamin, Jr.
Finally, Levi Hill, Sr.'s second wife, Barbara Casey Sutton (1860-1931), was a great-granddaughter of John Sutton, Jr. (ca. 1758-1820/30) and Ferebee Isler Sutton (ca. 1765-aft. 1830). John, Jr. was a brother of Benjamin, Sr. Both were second generation sons of John Sutton, Sr. (ca. 1720/30-bef. 1773), the first of the Sutton paternal line to migrate from Bertie County, N.C. to Bucklesberry in 1745-1750.
Next month's article will discuss early worship in Bucklesberry. With cotton picking season in full swing, interested readers may enjoy a previously published, three-part Bucklesberry article titled "Cotton Comeback" available at https://t.ly/3_IfH, https://t.ly/kvJoD, and https://t.ly/Yq3k1.
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