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Size | 4.5 feet of linear shelf space (approximately 2000 items) |
Abstract | Research files documenting African American churches, schools, and communities in Granville County, N.C., compiled by African American oral historian James Eddie McCoy. These files, 1980s-2016, include notes and photocopies of historical church documents related to their founding, membership, and activities, and explain how different churches emerged from other churches, especially during the Fusion Politics time period in North Carolina when African Americans were disenfranchised. Many churches were founded by Reverend Walter Pattillo, a leader of the Black Populism movement. School history files, 1980s-2010s, include copies of nineteenth- and twentieth-century land deeds and other county records; alumni association materials; local school board records dating from the 1880s; biographical information about founders, principals, and teachers; and a few scattered original materials. There are also research materials on lynchings in Granville County. |
Creator | McCoy, James Eddie (James Edward), 1942- |
Curatorial Unit | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection. |
Language | English |
Processed by: Jodi Berkowitz, December 2017
Encoded by: Jodi Berkowitz, December 2017
Revisions by: Staff, July 2018; Nancy Kaiser and Biff Hollingsworth, December 2019
Since August 2017, we have added ethnic and racial identities for individuals and families represented in collections. To determine identity, we rely on self-identification; other information supplied to the repository by collection creators or sources; public records, press accounts, and secondary sources; and contextual information in the collection materials. Omissions of ethnic and racial identities in finding aids created or updated after August 2017 are an indication of insufficient information to make an educated guess or an individual's preference for identity information to be excluded from description. When we have misidentified, please let us know at wilsonlibrary@unc.edu.
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Clicking on a subject heading below will take you into the University Library's online catalog.
James Eddie McCoy (born 1942) is an African American self-taught local historian and resident of Oxford, N.C. He is also a businessman and an activist whose involvement in the civil rights movement spurred a dedication to the pursuit of justice and fairness. McCoy is featured in Timothy B. Tyson's autobiographical historical book, Blood Done Sign My Name.
Back to TopResearch files documenting African American churches, schools, and communities in Granville County (N.C.) compiled by African American oral historian James Eddie McCoy. Church history files, 1980-2016, include notes and photocopies of historical church documents related to their founding, membership, and activities, and explain how different churches emerged from other churches, especially during the Fusion Politics time period in North Carolina when African Americans were disenfranchised. Many churches were founded by Reverend Walter Pattillo, a leader of the Black Populism movement. School history files, 1980s-2010s, include copies of nineteenth- and twentieth-century land deeds and other county records; alumni association materials; local school board records dating from the 1880s; biographical information about founders, principals, and teachers; and a few scattered original materials, including "A History of Mary Potter School" by Owena Hunter Davis. There is also a binder of photocopied research materials on lynchings in Granville County.
Back to TopArrangement: Files representing individual churches are arranged according to each church's origins, e.g., churches thought to descend from a single church are grouped together.
Research files documenting African American churches and communities in Granville County (N.C.) compiled by oral historian James Eddie McCoy. These files, 1980s-2016, include notes and photocopies of historical church documents related to their founding, membership, and activities, and explain how different churches emerged from other churches, especially during the Fusion Politics time period in North Carolina when African Americans were disenfranchised. Many churches were founded by Reverend Walter Pattillo, a leader of the Black Populism movement.
McCoy collated his research and prepared files for each church studied, as well as charts indicating the relationships, or possible relationships, between churches. Information gleaned from those charts follows.
Flat Creek Baptist Church was organized in 1866 in Granville County (N.C.) (later Vance County (N.C.). It emerged from Island Creek Baptist Church, Big Grassy Creek Baptist Church, and Old St. John's Episcopal Church. Timothy Darling Presybterian Church was organized in 1888 and it, along with the Oxford Presbyterian Church, emerged from the Cape Fear Presbytery.
Penn Avenue Baptist Church, New Hope Baptist Church, and St. Luke's Christian Church descended from the First Baptist Church of Oxford, N.C.
Big Zion A.M.E. Zion Church, Salem Methodist Church, and Union Chapel A.M.E. Church possibly constituted the African Methodist Episcopal Church Zion District. Smilarly, the Zoar Chapel United Methodist Church, St. Peter's United Methodist Church, and Harris Grove Methodist Church possibly constituted the United Methodist Church District. The Episcopal Diocese included St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, St. Simeon's Episcopal Church, and St. Cyprian's Episcopal Church. Rock Spring United Church of Christ, Church of Christ of the Apostolic Faith (later Refuge Temple), Bibleway Church of Christ, and Church of God in Christ of Berea (later Holy Temple Church of God in Christ) are believed to be related.
The following churches are related: Morning Star Baptist Church (founded 1913), Huntsville Baptist Church (founded 1878), New Light Baptist Church (founded 1860/1868), Olive Grove Baptist Church (founded 1865), Oak Grove Baptist Church (founded 1865/1879), New Hope Granville Baptist Church (founded 1888), White Rock Colored Church (founded 1919), Mt. Spring Baptist Church (founded 1934), River Zion Holiness Church (founded 1939), Vernon Hill Bpatist Church (founded 1885), Ilong Baptist Church (founded 1867), Pettiford Grove Baptist Church (founded 1924), Oak Level Lodge/Hawkins Chapel (founded 1875), Antioch Missionary Baptist Church (founded 1876?), Belton Creek Baptist Church (founded 1891?), Raleigh Rd. Baptist Church/Odd Fellows Lodge (founded 1898), Rock Spring Baptist Church (founded 1887), Synama Grove Baptist Church (founded 1861), and Greenfield Baptist Church (founded 1887).
The East Cedar Grove Missionary Baptist Association (founded 1895) included Lodge Rock Baptist Church (founded 1863/1891), Union Chapel Baptist Church (founded 1949), First Baptist Church Christian Faith Center (founded 1911), Moore's Grove Baptist Church (founded 1899), Mt. Level Baptist Church (founded 1864/1872), Tally Ho Missionary Baptist Church (founded 1883), Mount Vernon Baptist Church (founded 1872), and Pine Grove Baptist Church (founded 1870, descended from Concord Baptist Church).
The following Baptist churches are connected: Grassy Creek Baptist Church and New Jonathan Creek Baptist Church (founded 1873 (1875)); Bethel Hill Baptist Church and Blue Wing Baptist Church (founded 1867 (1868?)); New Corinth Baptist Church (founded 1876), St. Matthew Baptist Church (founded 1909), Aaron's Creek Baptist Church (founded 1912 (1914)), New Grassy Creek Baptist Church (founded 1908), and Mt. Moriah Primitive Baptist Church (founded 1946).
The following Baptist churches are connected: Michael Creek Baptist Church (founded 1873), Stovall First Baptist Church (founded 1917?), Hardie Grove (Mt. Sinai Colored Church, founded 1919?), Whetstone Baptist Church (founded 1913), Baptist Grove Church (founded 1905), Davis Chapel Baptist Church (founded 1898), and Lewis Chapel United Church of Christ (founded 1894?).
A small amount of material about the following churches is present: Mount Zion Holy Church, Mount Calvary Holy Church, Belltown Sunday School, and Saint Cyprians Episcopal Church (Refuge Temple).
Acquisitions Information: Accession 103740
Arrangement: as received.
The addition consists of folders of photocopied newspaper clippings, church publications, and church records about Black churches in Granville County, North Carolina; a binder of photocopied newspaper clippings and court documents on lynchings in Granville County; and binders of photocopied newspaper articles about Granville County schools, including Belltown School, Toler-Oak Hill Elementary and Mary Potter Middle School, as well as copies of land deeds and other county records, alumni association materials, local school board records dating from the 1880s, and biographical information about founders, principals, and teachers. There are also scattered original materials, including "A History of Mary Potter School" by Owena Hunter Davis.
Box 5 |
East Cedar Grove Missionary Baptist Church |
Ilong Baptist Church |
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Rev. Walter H. Pattillo |
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St. Peter's United Methodist Church |
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Blue Wing Grove Church, Blue Wing Baptist Church |
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Penn Avenue Baptist Church |
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Union Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church |
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New Light Baptist Church |
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Pine Grove Baptist Church |
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Timothy Darling Presbyterian Church |
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Box 6 |
Granville County Schools |
Box 7 |
Lynching |
Belltown school |
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Integration of schools, 1967-1970Includes "The Gradual Integration of Schools in Granville County, North Carolina" by Joy Marie Kinney. |
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"The Traditions and Spirit of Mary Potter High School Lives On" by Raleigh F. Greene |
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G.C. Shaw |
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John Chavis, 1763-1838: A Remarkable Negro Who Conducted a School in North Carolina for White Boys and Girls by G.C. Shaw, 1931 |
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Oversize Paper Folder OPF-05765/1-2
OPF-05765/1OPF-05765/2 |
School board records |