In the late 1800s there were two Methodist churches on Ocracoke. The Methodist Episcopal Church (the "Northern Church") was located on the Back Road; the Methodist Episcopal Church, South (the "Southern Church") was on Howard Street.
The two churches were not far apart "as the crow flies" and, in the summer months when the windows were open, they often competed informally to demonstrate which congregation's hymn singing was more robust.
My father delighted in telling me of the Sunday morning when the southern church had just finished singing "Will There Be Any Stars in My Crown?" The last notes were wafting through the village when the northern church launched into "No, Not One."
Our most recent Ocracoke Newsletter is a compilation of humorous stories told by or about islanders. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092113.htm.
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Hah! Great tale. Thanks (as always). As for the current Methodist church, is that the one "on Howard Street," to which you referred? And is the church on Back Road still there?
ReplyDeleteThe Methodist Episcopal Church (the "northern" church) was located where Zillie's is today. The Methodist Episcopal Church, South was located about midway down Howard Street. In 1937 the two congregations were united. The present church (constructed from parts of both earlier churches) was built between 1941 & 1943.
DeleteHuh. Once again, always something new to learn about O'coke. Thanks, Philip.
ReplyDeleteThere is always something interesting on this site. thank you Philip. You can learn more here than it seems kids learn in school. The below results were taken from an adult survey. Adults who no doubt were never taught the basics of America. If only the schools had teachers like Philip the results would not have been fo pitiful. Below is from AP.
ReplyDeleteIn a few weeks, the U.S. will celebrate Columbus Day, but it’s likely many Americans don’t know that this holiday commemorates Christopher Columbus arriving in North America in 1492.That’s because a series of recent studies have found that when it comes to our own history, Americans don’t always make the grade. A 2010 survey found that more than 25% of Americans didn’t know that we had gained our independence from Britain. China, Japan and France were all given as incorrect answers.And the results were even worse in a study by the U.S. Mint, which found that only 7% percent of Americans could name the first four U.S. Presidents in order: George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison.In 2011, Newsweek magazine gave the official U.S. Citizenship Test to 1,000 Americans and found even more gaps in our collective knowledge. Only 27% of Americans knew which country we fought in the Cold War – the Soviet Union -- and even fewer, 25%, knew the name of the current Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, which is John Roberts.Scholars agree that one reason for the poor results is that America has a complex political system, which can take years to fully understand.And our unique government may never have happened if Columbus hadn’t sailed across the ocean on the Titanic. At least, I think that’s the ship he took. I’m a little rusty on my U.S. History….
Anonymous 5:45, I agree with you that Philip would be a great teacher. I often think of how interesting the kids would find him, including my own. As far as what kids do and do not know today, it all comes down to parenting. We eat dinner together, we ask questions about their day and what they are learning/studying. The conversation goes from there. We discuss history and politics and invite them to express their opinions. It takes time to be a parent and many will tell you they are 'too busy'...We are very far from perfect but this is our job!
ReplyDeleteNJ Reader