Monday's Internet Edition, October 06, 2008.
crime down
Deputy tells council
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| Robert Beroth |
“I had to do it twice,” author Robert Beroth said.
More than once, he considered throwing up his hands and walking away, especially when his computer failed.
A technician was able to retrieve some of the information. He still had his notes and photos. So he got back to work.
Now it’s finished. The books were delivered last week.
The book’s 541 pages chronicles the life and times of the church and its people since its beginning in 1900. It is being sold for $25. The money will be used for the church’s building fund.
Beroth is presenting a copy to the Forsyth Library and the Clemmons Historical Society this week.
Honorary copies will also be given to the Village of Clemmons, the Clemmons Library and Olivet Moravian Church. Olivet’s pastor, the Rev. Doug Rights, offered valuable help. He is the son of the late Rev. Burton Rights, longtime pastor of Clemmons Moravian.
Clemmons Moravian was built on “Clemmons Hill,” on land given by Edwin T. Clemmons, grandson of Clemmons founder Peter Clemmons.
The church also opened a boarding school. Boys were taught animal husbandry and related subjects. Girls were taught home economics and more.
“It was the center of activity. When the school was built, it had an auditorium that would seat 200. All community activities would take place in that assembly hall,” Beroth said.
He used a wide variety of resources to accumulate his information — pastor’s logs, diaries, old news letters, bulletins, church archives and more. He and his wife spent weeks copying notes from the Moravian Archives in Winston-Salem.
“This is the first completely compiled history of the Village of Clemmons. It’s the first complete history of any Moravian church in the Southern Province,” Beroth said.
He found out about the first school bus that operated here in 1920. He details the congregations’ three World War I soldiers who died, two in combat. In World War II, the church sent 10 of its boys off to war, and all of them returned.
He wrote this in the book’s summary: “For 100 years Clemmons Moravian Church has witnessed two World Wars and three additional military engagements. The years have brought joy to its members, in knowing God has provided the needed funds for the church doors to remain open to anyone who desired to worship Him freely.
The members can take pride in knowing that the desires of Edwin T. Clemmons have been fulfilled and the Church founded on Clemmons Hill is dedicated to serving its members and the Clemmons Village. Thirteen ministers have graced the pulpit with dedicated leadership and have led the congregation in its mission of service. Some ministers calling was for a short period and some had many doors opened for longer service. The opportunity for service was given to the members and they have met that opportunity by accepting God’s directives.”
Even before there was a village, this area figured into the development of the old wilderness.
When Moravians first mapped out their 100,000-acre Wachovia tract, the surveyors began there work at what is now the Rollinggreen development. They had come up Muddy Creek and began their surveying marks here.