Rocky Spring Meeting House Burial Ground

First Site of Philadelphia Presbyterian Church

Originally Called Clear Creek Presbyterian

Circa 1770

AKA Rock Springs Cemetery

Mint Hill NC, Mecklenburg County

Cemetery History

The cemetery is located at the original site of Clear Creek Presbyterian Church (now called Philadelphia Presbyterian Church), along Brief Road, Mint Hill, Mecklenburg County, NC. The approximately one acre site was designated as Rocky Spring Meeting House Meeting House Burial Ground in a deed given to the church in 1788. A moat with a rock wall laid against it marks the cemetery. It appears to be filled with graves though only 24 are marked with full headstones with names. An additional three are marked have initials carved on field stones. More than one hundred are simply marked with field stones with no initials or dates. Pine slab markers were likely used for many graves. The oldest marked burial found is on a field stone with the carving M W 1774. The oldest original professionally carved grave marker is that of Elizabeth Robb 1792.

Three signers of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence, Col. Adam Alexander, John Foard, and John Query, are thought to be buried in this cemetery. Of these three signers, Col. Adam Alexander's grave is only marked grave that has been located. John Foard's grave is thought to be with the Morris plot since his daughter Elizabeth married William Morris. Both William and Elizabeth [Foard] Morris markers are in the Morris plot. The grave of the third signer, John Query (d.1797), is thought to be near the Robert Query (d.1827) marker. The cemetery is located approximately 500 feet from Brief Road and located directly across from a mailbox that reads 8730. While the church has a deed to the cemetery, the access driveway leading to it is private.

Philadelphia Presbyterian Church, originally know as Clear Creek Presbyterian Church, was established at this location in 1770 in the Rocky Spring Meeting House. This log meeting house burned in 1780 and the church decided to rebuild about two miles away at the second site along what is now the Matthews-Mint Hill Road (NC-51). The Cemetery at the Second Site of Philadelphia Presbyterian Church marks the location of the second church building site, where the church was located for 46 years until moving to the third and present site at 11501 Bain School Road in 1826. Three cemeteries are at the present and third site of the church and information on these cemeteries is not included with this page.

Grave Markers
Rocky Spring Meeting House Burial Ground

The above information was compiled from the grave markers and church history book: The Presbyterian Gathering on Clear Creek, by the late Rev. Russell M. Kerr, published 2001 by Philadelphia Presbyterian Church. Copies are available from the church for $25.00 at the address below.

Work Plan

Cleanup work began at Rocky Spring in January 2005 and continued to the summer of 2005. During the summer and fall of 2005, work returned to the Second Site with a focus on the repair and resetting of broken markers. Work again returned at Rocky Spring in January 2006 with continued cleanup and monument repairs. The current volunteers working on the two historic cemeteries are Harry Hood, Bill Hawkins, Charlie Burdick, and Scot Treadwell.

Donations

Donations to assist the restoration of both Rocky Spring and the Cemetery at the Second Site may be sent to Philadelphia Presbyterian Church, Historic Cemeteries Fund, 11501 Bain School Road, Mint Hill NC 28227, 704-545-6172, www.philadelphiachurch.org

GAT Rev. 4-22-2006

Cemetery at the Second Site

of

Philadelphia Presbyterian Church

Circa 1780

Originally Called Clear Creek Presbyterian

AKA Rice Cemetery & Hartt Cemetery

Mint Hill NC 28227

Mecklenburg County 

Cemetery History

For 46 years, from 1780 - 1826, the second building of Philadelphia Presbyterian Church was located along the north wall of this cemetery on Matthews-Mint Hill Road until the church moved in 1826 to its third and current site at 11501 Bain School Road, Mint Hill, Mecklenburg County, NC. This cemetery was one of the two original burial sites for the church which was founded in 1770. The first site was Rocky Spring Meeting House Burial Ground is located on Brief Road. Details are provided below on Rocky Spring. It is believed that both cemeteries contain the graves of revolutionary war soldiers.

The Cemetery at the Second Site is enclosed with a wall of stacked stones, with the site of the second church building located outside the north wall. On the outside of the south wall is a burial place for servants of church members. These graves are arranged in neat rows, most unmarked, but some marked with field stones. Originally these graves outside the wall would likely have been marked with pine slabs, however only one remains and is preserved in the church's historical room. Over 200 graves in the servant section are currently marked with field stones and many others are clearly seen as depressions in the periwinkle. Many are marked with temporary white crosses. This Servant Section outside the south wall is believed to be one of the largest remaining the old slave cemeteries in Mecklenburg County. Although it is thought the cemetery dates to 1780 when the church was built, the oldest marked grave found to date is that of Tunis Hood who died in 1797. The cemetery is located at 6400 Matthews-Mint Hill Road at Phyliss Lane in Mecklenburg County, Mint Hill, NC

Marked Graves

Graves currently marked:

Name                           Died                 Year                 Age

A. D. Black                   October 5          1837

Elizabeth Black             June 23             1806                 22

Tunis (Theunis) Hood                              1797                 78

Wife Elizabeth [Hood]

Elizabeth Maxwell

William Maxwell             June 1               1820                 66

*W. M. Maxwell             on fieldstone

James McCombs           October 10        1813                 74

Robert McCombs           January 22        1848                 81

Newton Stinson             April 18             1823                 12

James Young                January 31        1835                 66

Jane Young                   September 5      1830                 54

Robert Young                September 5      1811                 43

J. D. McCall                                          1809

*A. M. McCall                on field stone

Susannah Query            February 19       1814                 52

A. B.                             October 5          1837 (thought to be A. Black)

W. B.                                                    1827

M. H.                                                    1817

M. H.                                                    1820

W. M.                                                   1809

E. S.                                                     1816

D. H.                                                     181_

M. W.                                                   1817

W M S                                                   

*From list preserved in the Carolina Room, Charlotte Mecklenburg Public Library. (These marked with an * have not yet been located.)

Many additional graves sites are marked with foot stones. Over 100 grave markers have been found within the walled section and over 200 have been found outside the wall. Some of these fieldstones have initials and some have dates, however most have neither. Care is exercised in the restoration process to find and preserve these grave markers. If you walk inside the cemetery, please be careful and do not disturb markers or other artifacts including stones from the wall.

Church Building at Second Site

The first location of Philadelphia Presbyterian Church, which was founded in 1770 and originally called Clear Creek Presbyterian Church, was a log structure located 8851Brief Road in Mint Hill, Mecklenburg, NC. After the Rocky Spring Meeting House building burned in 1779 or 1780, the church built the second building two miles away at the Second Site Cemetery on the Matthews-Mint Hill Road with the building located along the north rock wall of the cemetery. The front door or doors opened toward the road (now Matthews-Mint Hill Road, NC-51), and a side door would likely have provided access to the cemetery, with space between the church and road providing ample room to hitch horses and leave wagons and conveyances. It also provided for "dinner on the grounds" between morning and afternoon services. The church house was build of logs and perhaps covered with boards, and had small glass windows, a floor, and benches for seating. Erection of this second church building took place in 1779 or 1780. The church name changed from Clear Creek Presbyterian Church to Philadelphia Presbyterian Church after moving to this second site, likely since it was no longer in the Clear Creek watershed basin. (This building information was gathered from the late Rev. Russell Kerr's 2001 book, The Presbyterian Gathering on Clear Creek).

More history on the cemetery and Philadelphia Presbyterian Church can be found in book The Presbyterian Gathering on Clear Creek, by the late Rev. Russell M. Kerr, published 2001 by Philadelphia Presbyterian Church. The book is available for purchase for $25 from the church office at the address below.

Recent History

It is not known when the Second Site cemetery became neglected, and we were unable to locate a deed for the property. The surrounding property was owned at one time by Mr. Rice and became commonly known as the Rice Cemetery. At some previous time some records show it was also known as Hartt Cemetery. In 1988-89 Dr. Christopher Hood had the cemetery surveyed and registered with Mecklenburg County; however, a deed was not obtained. With the development of the adjoining property in 2002, the developer Mr. Lat Purser agreed to donate the cemetery property to Philadelphia Presbyterian Church, and the cemetery was transferred to the church in 2003. The church is appreciative of Mr. Purser's generosity in assuring the cemetery property was finally returned to the church. In 2002 Philadelphia Presbyterian Church assigned responsibility of this cemetery to the church's Historical Committee, led by Amelia Ford. In 2003 a Historic Cemeteries Subcommittee (of the Historical Committee) was formed and assigned responsibility for both Second Site and Rocky Spring cemeteries. 

A primary goal is the completion of a wrought iron security fence around the servant section of the cemetery, and the repair of additional grave markers. A partial wrought iron fence was installed along the west and south sides of the Servant Section in the fall of 2004 using the funds donated to date. Additional donations are needed to complete the remaining 145 feet along the east side.

Current Work and Plans

The Historic Cemeteries Volunteers are continuing work to restore and maintain the cemetery. During the summer of 2005 five headstones were repaired and reset and an additional three have been repaired. In 2005 work also began on the cleanup of Rocky Spring Meeting House Burial Ground, and this work continues in 2006. 

Volunteers

The current volunteers working weekly since 2003 are Harry Hood, Bill Hawkins, Charlie Burdick, and Scot Treadwell. The continued work and dedication of these volunteers is much appreciated. Additional volunteers are always welcome for the Thursday afternoon workdays. The volunteers alternate workdays between the Second Site and Rocky Spring. 

Information

For more information regarding the cemetery, contact the church office 704-545-6172, cstokesppc@bellsouth.net, or jclintonppc@bellsouth.net.

Donations may be sent to Philadelphia Presbyterian Church, Historic Cemeteries Fund, 11501 Bain School Road, Mint Hill, NC 28227-0272, www.philadelphiachurch.org, 704-545-6172.

Reference Articles:

Hallowed History, by Carol Timblin, Our State Magazine, January 2004.

Cemetery Restoration Uncovers Old Gravestone, by Ellen Poteet, Olde Mecklenburg Genealogy Society Quarterly, Vol. 21, No. 4, 2003.

Elvis Presley: A Hood Descendant, by Rustee Lane, Olde Mecklenburg Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 22, No. 3, 2004.

Broken But Not Forgotten: Saving the Tombstones of Our Ancestors, by N. Scot Treadwell, Olde Mecklenburg Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 23, No. 4.

Restoration Thursdays: Volunteers piece together historic Mint Hill cemeteries, The Mint Hill Times, March 9, 2006.

GAT Rev 4-22-2006