ARCHBOLD CHURCH
CASUALTY OF NEW ROAD
How many of you remember the beautiful church in the photo below? It is of the Archbold Methodist Church at Smithburg in Doddridge County before being torn down to make way for the new interstate highway. (U.S. 50).
This amazingly beautiful church began construction in about 1915 and was dedicated from October 5th to October 8th, 1916.
Surprisingly, the first Archbold Sunday School Class was organized and held in 1836. Can you imagine? It was the Archbold, Henderson, Neely, Shannon, and Chapman families who organized that first Sunday School Class.
Ten years later, the first Archbold Church was built in 1846. T. T. Henderson was appointed to head the committee to build the church. Arrangements were made with Betty Archbold to build on a small plot of land near the junction of Meathouse of Buckeye Forks of the Middle Island Creek, on the North side of the Northwestern Turnpike. This was the first Methodist Church in Doddridge County, according to the book, compiled by the Doddridge County Historical Society in 1979, “History of Doddridge County.”
Then, a second church was built in 1872 and dedicated on June 8, 1873. This church structure was destroyed by fire on April 19, 1915. The cause of the fire was determined to have been the result of a spark from a passing B & O Railroad train, telling us that the tracks were very close to the church site.
Archbold Church, Smithburg, before being torn down.
In 1916, the new church building which is the subject of this article was built at the site where the first Methodist services were held in 1836.
The property was purchased by a membership who believed the ground on which the previous church was burned down was unsuitable to support the heavier, more modern church about to go under construction. I was told that the old site had fallen victim to earth slips in the past, causing it to be deemed undesirable for the new one.
On April 15, 1925, upon a petition of E. C. Jones et al., trustees of the church, were authorized to sell the lot containing 44 square rods of land known as the Parsonage property and to apply the proceeds as provided for by law, and that an order of publication be published of such sale.
In the mid-1900s, a United Brethren in Christ Church was organized, and its first meetings were in the old Smithton Schoolhouse, near B&O Tunnel #5. In April 1900, Tunnel Chapel was built on a piece of land above the old Northwestern Turnpike, and across from Smithton School. Services continued there until 1910, when land was purchased in Smithton (Smithburg), and a one-room church was built by A. McKinney and J.M. Moore. In 1840, three rooms were added to that church.
In 1946, the merger between the Evangelical Church and the United Brethren Church in Christ took place, and the combined church became the Smithburg EUB Church.
United Brethren Church
In 1953, two additional classrooms were built. The Church was not big enough for the merged congregations when the Methodist and the EUB churches went together in 1969. It was at this time that the new church was built. The first service was on May 13, 1973, and was dedicated on November 18, 1973
Smithburg changed considerably due to the relocation of residents and the destruction of other homes and businesses to accommodate the new highway (U.S. 50).
On August 7th, 1969, the Archbold Methodist Church and Parsonage, along with numerous other structures along State Road Commission Project APD-282 (44), Sections II and IV, leading from Smithburg to Sherwood in West Union and Grant Districts, Doddridge County, were sold at public auction to make way for the new highway. According to the notice, all structures had to be removed or demolition must be done in strict accordance with the State Road Commission Specifications. Buyers had 15 days to remove all improvements from the property after notification by the State Road Commission to remove them.
Many of you may have witnessed the demolition of those homes being torn down by residents who had purchased them. The purchasers would then use the material to rebuild or add to their existing homes.
I remember riding horses with my brothers down the unfinished interstate near Greenwood. What a joy that was, though perhaps not if we had been caught. I write with a smile on my face, but I digress, and we must get back to the focus of our story.
Unless you lived in the area or had family there that you visited frequently, you might not realize the disruption in the lives of those who lived there. Many throughout the neighborhood were forced out of the homes that they had lived in all their lives. Many of those families said that the price they paid for progress was too high and that their lives were never the same. They grieved for the homes they were forced from and were now gone.
Sadly, sometimes, by the time we learn the value of community structures and businesses of a long duration, they are irreparably changed, damaged, or gone altogether. Too frequently today, we, as a community, are crushed by the unfeeling, indifferent, unrelenting foot of high-priced progress, or at least we think it is progress. The vote is still out on that. But, let’s get back to our story.
Archbold Methodist Church also had a cemetery, located off U.S. 50 near Smithburg (GPS Location is Latitude: 39.2856323 Longitude: -80.7250995. It was named Archbold Cemetery, for James K. Archbold.
Mr. Archbold is said to have come directly from Ireland to this community. He was a gentleman of wealth, well-educated, and a follower of John Wesley. He not only donated the land for the cemetery but donated the land and helped to build the first Methodist Church in the community as well.
The land donated by Mr. Archbold and the other land donated later, which was included in the cemetery was deeded to the trustees of the Methodist Church and their successors forever. Records of these deeds can be found at the Doddridge County Courthouse at West Union.
The oldest grave I could find was that of James Archbold Sr., who died in 1819 at the age of 52. It is also the final resting place for the Cooper family, who drowned in the infamous 1950 flood. The cemetery is well maintained, except that there are several gravestones lying down and in need of work.
In 1963, funds were collected, and labor contributed to building a new fence. Graves, then sunken, were filled with soil. The cleanup had brought new life into the old Pioneer cemetery. Today, it could again use a little love and care, but overall, in good condition and well-groomed.
The trustees of the Archbold Methodist Church in 1966 were Charles E. Maxwell, Hunter Stansberry, Inez Wilson, Forrest B. Smith, and Naomi Talkington. I feel it is improper to list the trustees today without their consent and will not do so.
The photo below is of the graceful Smithburg United Methodist Church today. It is as beautiful as any in the county. Everyone is welcome to come and worship with them every Sunday morning.
Photo 3 – The new Smithburg United Methodist Church
God Bless
Patricia Richards Harris
Doddridge County Historical Society
