Rehobeth Methodist Church

In an excerpt from Chappell Love of Mecklenburg County, VA, which lists its source as the South Hill Enterprise from October 2, 1941, we have been given some insight into the early history of Rehoboth Methodist Church near Boydton, VA. Because documentation was not as precise in the early years of the church, many specific facts (such as deeds etc.) were lost.

Records from Rehoboth Church dating back over 150 years were destroyed by fire at some point in the 1960’s – 1970’s and since no copy was made, when the old homestead where the records were kept burned, the records perished as well.

Rehoboth Church is situated approximately 4 miles south of Boydton in Mecklenburg County, VA on the old Haskins Ferry Road. It was first known as Taylor’s Meeting House. In 1811, John Winckler deeded one acre of land to the trustees of Taylor’s Meeting House for the purpose of building a new building. This was the first mention of the church in Mecklenburg County Records.

In 1821, Christopher Haskins, Jr. deeded another acre of land near the Winckler tract. The Haskins property was located at the fork of Taylor’s Ferry Road and Haskins Ferry Road, approximately one-quarter mile from the original location. The church had never been built on the Winckler tract. At the time Haskins deeded the land, there was an attempt to change the name of the meeting house to “Bethlehem”, but it continued to be called “Taylor’s Meeting House”.

From all sources, it is unclear, but doubtful that a building was ever built on the tract of land from Haskins either. Soon after Mr. Haskins deeded the land, the congregation of Taylor’s Meeting House built a church ¼ mile farther north on Haskins Ferry Road. It was on the “David Brame Place” and called “Poplar Spring Church.” David Brame, however never deeded the land to the church.

On November 16, 1859, Poplar Spring Church, by certificate to the Trustees, was given permission to build a new building on the hill west of the spring. The deed was never recorded until 1874. This is the building in the picture on this website and it has since been remodeled. It was dedicated “Rehoboth” and is currently still used as a house of worship. It is located about 5 miles south of the old Randolph-Macon College in Boydton.

During the time the college was in Boydton, the church was pastored mainly by theology students from Randolph Macon. The students preached to both whites and blacks and there was an abundant amount of gallery space provided for slaves.

The church is located in a community where the same founding families from 150 years ago have descendants who still worship there today. The church roll has never been a very large one, but it has always been an active church.

Early worshipers at Poplar Springs Church include the names listed below.

BRAME, BUGG, BURNETT, COLEMAN, FARRAR, HASKINS, LETT, LOVE, MANNING, MEACHAM, NOEL, NORVELL, SMILEY, TOWNES, WATSON, WIMBISH, WINCKLER, YOUNG.

Written and submitted 2004 Feb 12 by Leslie Watson Coleman
Source: Chappell Love of Mecklenburg County, VA, His Ancestors and Descendants 1603 – 1973 by Louise Winckler Boswell

Rehobeth Methodist Church and Cemetery

John Early preached at Taylor's Old meeting house in 1812. Land deeded there by John Winckler in 1811. That church was replaced by Poplar Springs Methodist church which is now Rehobeth.

The church is located on state route 707 one mile northeast of Phillis, a small village in Mecklenburg county. Coming to it from Boydton on the Old Courthouse Rd, go 4 and 1/2 miles.

The above history is taken from Life by the Roaring Roanoke by Susan Bracey and the WPA Inventory by Susie P. Barnes. There is a photo in the WPA Inventory.

The church is in excellent condition. Very little has changed in it's appearance over the years. The small slave balcony remains intact.

The cemetery is well kept and some unmarked graves but many have stones of prominent early Mecklenburg families. I only copied ones I was researching and these were Buggs, Farrars, Watsons, Edmondsons, and Wincklers. The oldest dates on these families were:

Jacob Bugg 1788-1866 and his wife, Martha Rebecca Farrar 1792-no death date but records show she was living in 1880.

Dabney Farrar 1790-1849 and his wife, Nancy Bugg 1792-1815.

Written and submitted by Carolyn Davis