“One of Rock Hill’s earliest African American institutions and a leader in the civil rights movement.”
446 South Dave Lyle Boulevard
City Directories and History: 1908 – Aleck Massey (Also John T. Wright, Pres. Minister @ 128 Pond)
Prior to the Civil War, many enslaved African-Americans worshiped with their masters in the white churches. After emancipation, the former slaves established their own churches. In 1869, Hermon Presbyterian Church was organized with 41 charter members from the African-American community. It had mission status under the northern Presbyterian denomination until becoming a fully organized congregation in 1912. The first minister was Rev. J. A. Rainey. The group met in a small building on Elm Street, which was later known as trade Street and is now Dave Lyle Boulevard. Land was purchased from the Russell estate in 1895 during the pastorate of Rev. C. M. Young. Groundbreaking services were held on May 14, 1897 for a church building. If there was an architect, the name is not known. The church was built largely through the work of its own membership, which included five brick masons and seven carpenters. Members who led in the work included carpenter George A. Watts and brick mason Howard Agurs. Because the work depended largely on volunteer labor and sporadic fund raising efforts, construction took several years. The building was completed in 1903.
The building is an excellent example of a small church in the Late Gothic Revival style. It represents a high degree of sophistication in design and execution, considering the small size of the congregation, the lack of funding, and the extent of volunteer labor. When it was completed, the editor of the Herald declared the church “The handsomest structure in town, excepting the First Presbyterian Church.” Architectural features include a three-story bell tower with quatrefoil window and castellated parapet; corner buttresses; a central gable topped with a gothic cross; a secondary entrance with portico; and gothic arches and quoins. Central in the façade is a large stained glass window. The window contains the words “Busy Bee Society” which was a group of women of the church who helped raise funds. The interior features a rounded-arch ceiling with exposed beams and a large brass central chandelier, which was a gift to the congregation from First Presbyterian Church. The chandelier was the original fixture in that church and was donated to Hermon in 1914 when First Presbyterian installed electric lighting.
The church played an important role in the education of African-American children. As early as 1876, there were mission schools in Rock Hill operated by northern denominations. Rev. A. J. Rainey, Hermon’s first pastor, was operating a school at the church before 1886. Leaders in education, politics, and the civil rights movement in Rock Hill have come from Hermon Church. Important pastors in the Twentieth Century included Rev. Ivory and Rev. Toatley.
The congregation in recent years moved to a location on Heckle Boulevard, and the building was purchased by Mr. B. S. Plair. Working with support from Historic Rock Hill and the South Carolina Department of Archives and History, Mr. Plair undertook a comprehensive restoration effort on the building. Work included a new roof, brick re-pointing, and restoration and replacement of the stained glass windows. The building is now used as a community center.
[Contributed and written by Paul M.Gettys]
The Rock Hill Herald contained an article written by Rev. Y.J.P. Cohen of Rock Hill dated Jan. 25, 1893 which states – “The article lists four schools being operated for the African American community in Rock Hill. Rev. Cohen arguses that if these four school were organized into one graded school with an adequate building, the needs of the students would be better met. He said the four schools receive limited public funds which add up to less than the salary of one white teacher. The four schools are: Ms. Mary E. Harris from Franklin, Penn., has charge of the school taught in the Burial Aid Hall, a splendid building owned by the colored people. She is assisted by Mrs. T.P.R. Moore and they have about 140 students. The second school is the one in Hermon Pres. Church which is run by Ms. Hughes who is also the organist for the church and a teacher in music. The third school is Ms. Hattie A. Marshall teaches in the Episcopal Chapel. She is considered one of the best teachers in the state. And the forth school is the Baptist who have a high school which receives some public aid. Prof. Hall and Prof. White are in charge of the large number of students.”
The Herald reported on Oct. 20, 1897 – “That the walls of Hermon Church are now above seven feet. It is scheduled to cost $9,000. The Northern Presbyterian Board of Education will pay half the cost, with the other half in money, labor, and materials provided by the congregation.”
The Herald reported on Dec. 13, 1902 – “Hermon Pres. Church, of this city, will be formally open Sunday with appropriate exercises. Rev. D.J. Satterfield, D.D., Pres. of Scotia Seminary in Concord, N.C. will conduct services at eleven, professor W.W. Russell of Biddle Un., of Charlotte at 3 pm, and Rev. P.G. Drayton of Biddle Un., will hold services at 7 p.m.” (Biddle was the forerunner of Johnson C. Smith Un.)
The Rock Hill Herald on Jan. 17, 1916 reported – “The School Board meet and the enrollment at the Presbyterian School was 90 students.”
The following article appeared in the Rock Hill Herald on July 11, 1903:
This is a letter from Rev. C. M. Young, pastor of Hermon Presbyterian Church in Rock Hill.
Note from the Editor of the Herald: The Splendid edifice being erected by the congregation of the Colored Presbyterians in our city – A church that is a credit to the builders and the city as well – The work largely done by the members who are carpenters, masons, etc.
To the Editor, Rock Hill Herald: Some time ago when you visited our church edifice and inspected it, you asked me to give you a statement through your paper of the work done. It is indeed a pleasure to do so.
Eight years ago we began the raising of funds to build this new brick edifice which is to cost at least several thousand dollars. We have raised and paid out to date $5,766.20 toward the erection of the same. The building was actually begun May 14, 1897. We could have borrowed the money and finished the building possibly, but thought it best to build only as fast as we could collect and pay, thus being relieved from the worry which comes from owing debts when there is inability to pay them. Of course we have made some little debts and in fact we owe about $60 now, but have never owed more than $400 at once.
Our people have worked hard and made many sacrifices to put up this building; we really think they have done what they could.
Our own masons, carpenters and painters, for the most part, have done the work; I mean the members of our church. A great deal of labor has been given by those members; really the women have assisted many a day in carrying brick, water and other such things as they could handle. Our boys and girls have given a great deal of labor also.
The following persons paid for windows: Mesdames Margaret Barber and Delilah Johnson, M. P. Watts, L. A. Doster, S. B. Agurs, A. F. Davie, A. C. Rainey, L. W. Smith, and Miss Amelia Johnson; Messrs. J. R. and S. S. Hall, T. J. and Jefferson Robertson, George and James Campbell, C. M. Young. Other windows were put in by Sabbath School classes and various societies of the church. A few churched and schools assisted us also.
The windows put in by the members of the church cost each from $16 to $30. The main auditorium, pastor’s study and side entrance are finished; also all the exterior work except the tower. This means that the lecture room, main entrance and tower are yet complete.
The seats we are now using in the main auditorium will be used in the lecture room when our pews are purchased.
Just now it is our purpose to pay the $60 we owe and finish the tower. This we hope to do soon.
We have asked each man to bring in $5.00 and each woman $3.00 next Sabbath, July 12. In some instances the individual will collect a part of his assessment, and in many others it will all be paid out of scanty earnings. Not all will pay the money, but a great many will. Some will bring more than we asked. It is in this way we have put up the building.
Please allow us to make mention and emphasize the fact that our white friends have been helpful to us in many ways from the very beginning. You have given advice, encouragement, money and your presence when they were sought. We appreciate this recognition of your interest in us.
Just now we have three calls to take very important work elsewhere, and the fact that you have been so interested in us and helpful to us, has had to do with our deciding to stay at Rock Hill.
We have 150 members, but many of them are absent. Our congregation is about 200.
We shall be glad to have our white friends, who are so much interested in us, visit our services when it is convenient. Many have attended already.
We thank you, Mr. Editor, for this favor. M. Young, Rock Hill, S. C., July 10,1903
The Rock Hill Record of April 26, 1909 reported, “The members of Hermon in this city have placed in the tower of this structure a new bell, probably the very best in the city. It is a sweet – toned caller to worship and can be heard all over the city.”
The Rock Hill Herald reported on April 3, 1916 – “A field day will be held for the colored schools in Rock Hill by Supt. Burts on April 7. The day will include a parade, a track met and mental contest for students to be held perhaps at Mt. Zion Church on Elm Avenue. Included will be students from the following school: Clinton, Friendship, Hermon, St. Paul, and the School of Domestic Science.” Later on April 14th – “The field day for colored students was a big success, with 1,000 students present from the five schools. The scholastic competition was held at Hermon Church.”
From the Rock Hill Herald, December 2, 1896: A Report on the Colored Schools
Friendship Institute: This school has 150 pupils. This is a Baptist institution with Rev. W. M. Murray, Rev. M. P. Hull, and Mrs. E. C. Murray in charge. They have a large two-story school house in the rear of the new Baptist Church in the extreme western part of the city.
St. Paul’s: A mission Episcopal school is presided over by J. Parker. This school has about 50 pupils and is situated near the residence of Capt. L. M. Davis.
Clinton Institute: This is a large boarding and home school under Methodist control. The school is about a mile south of town on the Chester road. The furniture and fixtures are of the latest pattern. R. J. Crockett, M. D. Lee, and Mrs. Perry Walker compose the faculty. The enrollment is about 45.
Hermon Presbyterian School: This school is situated in the grove opposite the Globe Mill. Rev. and Mrs. C. M. Young conduct the school. The enrollment is about 95.
Also see the images of domestic helpers at Montreat from 1936 – 1942, under the More Information link, found under the primary image. These show extensive numbers of employees who spent the entire summer with their white employers at the religious retreat in N.C.
THE REV. CECIL A. IVORY AND THE FREEDOM RIDERS
Researched and written by Paul M. Gettys – 2021
The Hermon Presbyterian Church and its pastor, Rev. Cecil A. Ivory, played an important role in the Civil Rights movement in Rock Hill and the Southeast from the mid-1950s until his death in 1961. Hermon Presbyterian began in 1869 with 41 African Americans who had been members of predominantly white Presbyterian churches before the Civil War. The group met for a number of years in rented space. Land was purchased in 1895 on Elm Avenue (now Dave Lyle Boulevard) for a church building. Ground was broken in 1897, and the church was completed in 1903. Construction was largely the work of church members, who represented many building trades. Hermon was a leader in providing educational opportunities for Black children, operating a school as early as 1886. The church was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on June 10, 1992.
When Rev. Cecil A. Ivory became its minister, Hermon continued its tradition of leadership in the African American community by serving as a center for the Civil Rights movement. Ivory led in a bus boycott, worked to admit Black students to Winthrop University, led in the Friend-ship Nine sit-in protests, and helped to host the Freedom Riders.
Hermon Presbyterian Church, founded in 1869, has long been a leader in preserving and promoting African American culture and rights in Rock Hill. In the early years, the church sponsored a school when there were no public schools in the area for Black children. The Late Gothic Revival building was completed in 1903, with much of the work being done by church members. The church was placed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. The congregation has built a new church at another location, and the historic location of Hermon is now owned by Bobby Plair, a local businessman and is used for worship services and community events. There is a parsonage next door to the church, which was not included in the National Register nomination.
Although it has always led in the cultural and educational development of African Americans in Rock Hill, Hermon church became a keystone site for the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s with the arrival of Rev. Cecil A. Ivory as Pastor in 1948. Ivory was born in Arkansas in 1921 and had a difficult childhood. His father died early in his life and as a boy he fell from a tree and suffered a severe spinal injury. Although he eventually taught himself to walk and run and became a high school athlete, the injury would cause health problems later in life. He worked his way through schools in Texas and South Carolina, eventually graduating from Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte. He also earned his seminary degree there, graduating at the top of his class.
After coming to Rock Hill in 1948, Ivory began speaking out about the injustices that African Americans were facing. He became President of the local chapter of the NAACP in 1953 and observed some of the early Civil Rights activities beginning across the South. In July 1957, a 23-year old Rock Hill maid, Addeline Austin (White), boarded a city bus and sat next to a white woman. The bus driver ordered her to the back of the bus. Enraged, she got off the bus and walked three miles to her home. Rev. Ivory took the leadership of the situation and held a mass rally at Hermon Church on July 29. He formed a new Local Committee for Promotion of Human Rights and organized a bus boycott. Within a few days, an independent, Black-supported free bus service was in existence, composed of private cars and church buses. Ivory traveled widely to share this story and help others organize. Although not as widely known as the Montgomery Bus Boycott the previous year, led by Rosa Parks and Rev. Martin Luther King, it nonetheless galvanized the community behind a charismatic leader and his church.
On February 1, 1960, lunch counter sit-ins began in Greensboro, N. C. and largely composed of students from local colleges. When violence was committed against the students, Ivory insisted on a non-violent response. The sit-ins continued for several months, and Ivory organized mass meetings at which around 1,000 citizens attended. On June 7, Ivory was arrested for ordering a meal at the McCrory’s lunch counter. Ivory, although under 40, had become confined to a wheelchair due to his childhood spinal injury. He was wheeled to the city jail, an event which received national news attention. The sit-in movement culminated in Rock Hill on January 31, 1961, with the famous Friendship Nine incident. Nine students from Friendship College engaged in a sit-in at McCrory’s and were arrested. Under Ivory’s leadership, they declared that they would not post bail, but would serve time in the county jail. This “Jail – No Bail” tactic soon spread to other cities and became an effective tool in the movement. Ivory visited the students in jail. The leadership of Cecil Ivory and the stalwart support of Hermon Church were important factors in the effectiveness and non-violent character of the sit-in movement, which continued to spread to towns and cities throughout the South.
Soon, another opportunity presented itself. In early 1961, the Freedom Rider movement began with both Blacks and whites riding buses and attempting to integrate facilities at bus stations throughout the South. Organized by CORE (Congress of Racial Equality), this movement was led by a number of young activists, including John Lewis. On May 9, 1961, the riders arrived at the Greyhound Bus Station in Rock Hill. During the protest, three riders, including John Lewis, were attacked and beaten. Following the incident, Rev. Ivory hosted the Freedom Riders at Friendship College and then provided a meal at the Hermon Parsonage.
Although his health was failing, Ivory began a new effort. He was determined to seek the integration of Winthrop College (now University). Winthrop, which had located in Rock Hill in 1895, was the state school for young women and focused on teacher education. Ivory spoke of the need for African American young women to receive the same quality of education training as whites in order to elevate the level of Black schools. He identified several high school students who would make excellent Winthrop students. Unfortunately, before he could complete this effort, his health deteriorated, and he died on November 10, 1961 at the age of 40. Later, the first African American student at Winthrop was Cynthia Plair Roddey, a graduate student who is a sister to Bobby Plair, current owner of the Hermon Church building.
Through these efforts, Rev. Cecil Ivory and Hermon Presbyterian Church had a profound influence on the Civil Rights movement in Rock Hill and nationally. Through his sermons at Hermon and other public speaking engagements, Ivory eloquently spoke of the need to right the wrongs of a system of segregation and disenfranchisement, and at the same time counseled non-violence and a cooperative attitude. Throughout the turbulent times, he maintained a close communication with the white power structure in Rock Hill, ensuring that both sides understood the importance of open relationships and a non-violent approach. He was also able to serve as a conciliatory force among the various Civil Rights groups, including the NAACP, CORE, and SNCC. These organizations often had different attitudes on the direction and tactics of the movement and leaders with large egos who did not necessarily want to cooperate. Ivory met these leaders on a regional and national basis, convincing them that they could cooperate on common ground for the good of the movement as a whole. He was willing to take action in a decisive manner, to roll his wheelchair into the middle of many difficult situations, and to preach a gospel of love to all.
The congregation of Hermon Presbyterian Church served as a foundation stone for the efforts of Rev. Ivory and other local leaders, hosting numerous meetings and rallies, feeding visiting demonstrators, and living out the message of love and non-violence. Because of this remarkable record of leadership and service, the building which housed Hermon Presbyterian Church richly deserves to be listed in the African American Civil Rights Network.
Also see PDF history this page: GUIDE TO PRESBYTERIAN NAMES AND PLACES IN SC by J.B. Martin, III – 1989
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[…] couldn’t afford the formal “Presbyterian” church of their neighbors in Rock Hill, Hermon, but they did the best with the materials at […]