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INTRODUCTORY 
 
 ¥N the Summer of 1913 a Committea of Red House Church was 
 * appointed to receive funds for the erection of a new building, 
 And due to the diligence of tho Committee and the liberality of 
 the people, over $7,000.00 was raised, Mr. H. C. Llnthlcum, of 
 Durham, N. C. submitted plana for the building which we ac- 
 cepted, and Mr. Henry Fields, of Roxboro, N. C. wa3 given the con- 
 tract for building. A few changes were made in the original plan, 
 which added $1,000 to the cost of the building. A number friends 
 gave time and labor to the getting of material and the result — the 
 building which we today Dedicate to God as a place of worship. 
 
 By God's Providance, for over a hundred years the Gospel ©f 
 Jesus Christ has been preached at this Church, and may the 
 effort of God's people in building this edifice result in the con- 
 tinuation of the preaching of the saving Gospel at this place for 
 ftges to come. < 
 
 ^. R. CLAYTOR, Pastor. 
 
 Septembsr 1, 1918. 
 
 V 
 
SERMON;. • - 
 
 Preached jit Re4 House (Church at the Ufiyeiiing of . A 
 _y : - : --^JVlonumjeint-to tht ^^crry of the .'•^^^.^--V' 'a;^^ 
 -S^- : ■ Rey^.-Hugli' McAden^^^: ^".r 
 
 i^'Tbo; 'that )in wUe pbi^U abloa- &3 ihe>rl^htnesa of (be Srmamen^: And 
 tbsl?. tlia^ tura pttaii; io rishtctop»se9«'l &^ the stara fa:* ever and 'pver." — 
 
 *'Tha rifirhteo^i ihaU ^ In eveirlastiBg rem«]nbpaae«i.!*— Pal. 113 ; 6 
 
 It Ufb siiigTiUr co-Uacident ^}»t on this ypry day Oae iiundred 
 and fifty -elKbt years ago, the feev. HuRh McAden preached his 
 firsti sermon, a Pioneer Presby teriaa Missionary in North Caro- 
 lina. That serrsoQ yt%s preacbtdd at the bouse of Soioman Debow 
 oa the Hlco River, not so very far from thla place, Aug. 3, 1755. 
 And today wa are assembled b^re to do honor to the name and 
 taemory of tbab good p,ud faitlif ul Servant of God, who has lonpf 
 since passed'aw^y. On the ?lst'of January, 1781, more tt^an One 
 handred and Si|iirty-two years p^o, there was a funeral or burial ser- 
 vice here: The Rey. Hugh MoAden, having died the previous day, 
 ^a>a buried. There are now nq liyln^ witnesses of the scenes of 
 that dayr it wi^a cold winter a day of sadness and gloom: the 
 people were nol oaly distressed at the fieatb of their faithful Min- 
 \s^v, but tlia country was in tiie throes of the great Revolutionsury 
 War! At tki3 very time this section of the country was overma 
 
 'two conte44ing armies, the army of Gen. Greene vvas retreating 
 ao?oea th^ Dao River, and he y?as closely followed by the army of 
 Lord Cornwallia, and the latter ^aa burning the home* and pjilag- 
 Sng the farma p? the people, J'eaving desolation , in their track. 
 Within two wdeks of this burial day, a dcita<?bmenfi of British sol- 
 diers had jsncamped on the grounds and in the yard of Red Ho^sae 
 Cbatch and while hare'many cruel depredations were committed 
 ia ti^ia n3!jjJ^bi)rhood. They ramaiaed here until Gen. Greene re- 
 croased the Dan Blver, and^ngaged the Brltlsi^ army in the fa- 
 ssoua battle of Guilford Court House, March 14, 1781, It is said 
 that the British had a partlcujar spite qr , animosity - against , the 
 
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few Pre3byfc«r!{Wi l^inlsters in the country, because they 
 wsra • the counselkwa, and the chief leaders-^ of the peo- 
 ple iu the jffreat caaae ; of i American Independence, 
 Therefore, fihC t bpuae ot Mr. > McAdeu was ransack* 
 ed aad j^arned, andj^Ubt his books and papers and property was 
 destroyed, excei)* ja ifew small articles of small yaloa and th« great- 
 er part of bla Jopmal, which ^2v«j»j?i*teain big early life! ' I have 
 Been th^ bouse ef Krf. jam'es-JE^a, of Danville, Va., y?ho Is ^ 
 lineal descendant of the foa?rtb g«aeration from Mr. MaAden, pk 
 aroall t»bla used aa a Oandle Stand, and a mended China Cup which 
 t»ai* ebofc and shattered from ihe hand of a servant on the day of 
 th© destruction, The house of Dr. Galdwell !n Guilford County met 
 the ssame fate. Bat not satisfied with the deatructipn of Mr, Mc- 
 Aden'^ property, tradition says tha* hia new-made grave was pro. 
 f&oely ppened and his body taken up. and mutilated! It la said 
 ^hat ia re-fllliag the ^frav&the y^orlf was not more than half don«, 
 bence the explanation of the sink in ihe ground which has so con- 
 upkj^oasly markeo hia resting place for so many years- If this 
 tradition U true^ It protea concloilrely, the fact of Mr. McAden's 
 patriotism to bis coontry, and of hia great influence among the 
 people. But his &obIe spirit bad fled to God. far beyond the reach 
 oX Si 1 enemies, •^-'-^ -, ; : : ".i-V^'-'^'' 
 
 Allow me to say just here, that under all these circumstances, I 
 do n9t tblnk li at all strange^pr surprisinp that his grave remained 
 aiasoarked, as thej^raybliSd on^iuStil all his immediate "^descen- 
 *c2?»!4» bad passed ^way, But he Was not forgotten, for, the Lord 
 hasii saldr "They that be wise ahall shiae aa the brighfcnsss of the 
 Sfmament, and they that turn mai^y to yif^hteousness as the stars 
 ti» ^TST fknd evevi And the righjeous shall be in everlasting re- 
 tnembrance.'- • ' '-\- - r- 
 
 May we Bot apply theae ScriptTiresJfcgday, in speaking of this 
 grea^ ^nd good rngu^! Behold! after a lapse of aearj^ one buadred 
 and thirty-three yjBara.^ji fe^ o? his descendants, ^ith others, and 
 notably among tb^ffl. Mrs., Frances McAden Supapjey, of Obar- 
 ictti^, ,N.^ C., an4 tb^ ,Tdb.n Mc'Aden Roae. D.O,, of Laurinburg, 
 N. C, have generqasly 'and kiti^jv provided the msana, and nsade 
 poB3ibl& the unveiling of this beautiful monument today. All 
 bon«r and prnise to tbam, ■ - . , \ 
 
 4 
 
Scoiptairf I am nsinj? today gives u» a^ pictnie 
 
 of a tyiae'aatt ao4^ia/SiSward, aa distinct from an unwise man and 
 V bla i^Wi^rdi j|:|>lo|nre ci a piona pan, as disLinct-from a - mefgly 
 religion* maQ(v»^pk}^are of th<> man who seeks to saye othar people 
 ' and not hlmBeji ool;t and lam sure Mr. McAden wa« a Scriptur- 
 t~ allyt jvlse man. :• rribe'iOhorcb of 0od In all ages ^^aa bad Ita sfaiatng 
 '-a«ai^and l?rtUi»iUk^»|i^ but the thins? tihat made,tbem so?7ass?en- - 
 
 - <uiaeCbr!aViaa S»rfJCB^ &no^that|?niJrTvte<iomU "to know God 
 J r^an4 ?lftio8 Ohrtai irhem he bat3^fl«rnt,'';buk to t«ach men ^bat "vyla- 
 
 dbiA |iq4 l^ttd^^^lP is ibe ^raaj^eat wprkonjeartb, A&d 
 
 r those i^bMl^} ^biii shall sbiaa as tba briffhlnesa of t^he ^rmament ' 
 
 - • - an^ 8i^^tb«.Staw Ibreyjpp. Of coofse we know ^hla reward comes 
 l^itbriodgh the iiiaip(^jalio& of the aun of rIgbteoiBsness, the Lord 
 
 V Jesu a ChriaiivJaaij as wo kpow ti»« brilliancy of the heavens is 
 ? pnjdqc«d JtbroajUli |ba iilumipatlon of the natural Sua, by which 
 fffet a claaror vtsion of the heat'isoly host, so under the shining 
 1^^ of Ohrlat the faithful Serrant of God peta a clearer vision than 
 others of love, hopa, joy and pesc«, and even of time itself which 
 rolla oa foye?«p. The reflection of brilliancy of this reward iQ our 
 ^ llv^a la like thai oi th« stars, it ii^ea oa forever and e?er. And 
 
 - the e«rvica thaVbTiofft thia rawardl is anything but selflsbhesa, it 
 I* not beinfr wjjolly abaorbed in qnp's self, but in reachiaj?ont and 
 
 :- a^?ing. ptbers. . There is no jpyppathy, no /love, no wisdom 
 . .and no help in itia tha wisdom of 'the !*hid taient" 
 
 whicli baa alway a curbed the world and hi^ peyer led a single soul 
 tKrOhrtat, :; ^^ Mwier haa'alwayd called fo!?'nj^ not only 
 
 ' Itnow their dtttyr jsafc who do it, aad do i% pa^eltiably, I think Mr. 
 ;^^^M«Adea was febja sort of man, and' did fibis kiad of Service in his 
 ' day; ' ^ . - - /. . \ . 
 
 Moreover, tbia |cind of Servioa baa a relatlva reward in this 
 world.f 'Thera^cartainly is a reward in this world. There certain- 
 ly ia a genuine r«^ard oThappinfesa in trying? to tarp men from 
 
 - . ain to righteoupnaaa, and reward ia not conflned'to' the Service, 
 
 but la the ey«a of those who are ^uraed to righteoasness the help- 
 ar shines as a mpdel man. Thioij of the shining names of the past, 
 of Calvlh, Luther, Knox, Henry, VV^BsIey, Whitfield, Baxter, Pay son, 
 
 - and men like Mo Aden, and scores of others, 6 how they skined in 
 the' eatimatlOTf oftbe thousands tnade^lad by tham! Thikk of 
 
 . Jbs'us, O \ttyif ha shlned in th^'isistlmatlon of Mary and Martha' 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 
 in 2014 
 
 https://archive.org/details/unveilingofmonumOOcrai 
 
and the muUitaes who sat at his feet while on earth, and of the 
 raillions since thent Think of jour own godly parents if you had 
 such, and of the long list of Ministers and Elders who served God 
 in this noble old Red House Church, and O how they shine in your 
 raeraory and estimation today! In the long list of Ministers of 
 R«f<l House Church the name of Hugh McAden stands first: His 
 name also stands first in the long li3t of the ministers of Orange 
 Presbytery, the first and oldest Presbyterian Organization of a 
 Chnrcb Court in North Carolina. Then comes the names of Will- 
 Moore, James H. Kowman, Hugh Shaw; John McLean, A. D. 
 |tt<»tgomery, Georee W. Ferrill. and again A. D. Montgomery, N. 
 fi Harding, John Paisley, 8. A. Stanfield, T. U. Faucette, M. McG. 
 i;#Yi«lds, P C. Morton, Joseph Evans, E. H. Harding, and your 
 r^-r*»ent beloved pastor N. R. Clay^r. 
 ^hy do all these names shine in your raemory and estimation 
 
 tt is because of the relative rewards of service done by them 
 ' Ood and mon. And while the reward is measured in propor- 
 to the service done, yet this is not always apparent in this 
 ■*-^?-!rJ. but "up j'onder" aH-'Of them "shall shine as the 
 . --?j5:htn*»ss of the firmament, and as the stars for ever and ever." 
 
 it ».s to be deplored that we have so little data, and scarcely any 
 sK;*r«rd», touching the life and labors of the Rev. Hugh McAden, 
 There is no living witness, and his Journal, which was written 
 his early life, is about all that remaiiia. We can read, however, 
 *«tween the linos'Of hts Journal and understand much of his life 
 *=!k4 charactor. Ho evidently was the common"" people's man , 
 ^•^Jcjng no attempt at great worldly things, but always faithful in 
 ' •SI Master's work. It is plain that he was a noble and brave 
 ■--^rted man, a spiritually minded man, possessing a wonderful 
 il power, and in the face of great dangers and difficulties, eaer- 
 ^ing an unwavering faith in the Lor4 asthia guiding star. 
 Mr. McAden was born in Pennsylvania about thayear 1715, per- 
 ■ sps a little later. anU was educated at the old Princeton, N. J. 
 ■le was licensed to preach by New Castle Pre.'^bytery in the spring 
 ■ 1754. He was appointed a Mis.«*ionary to the South, to vigifc the 
 acant congregations in North Carolina, and he left Pennsylvania 
 v> fulfill ihi.s jiii.ssioD on June 8, 1755. His mode of travel was 
 )orsoback, nn(\ for two weary months ho wended his way through 
 
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Peons^l^hU and Virginia* enduriny many bardshiDs and dau- 
 Iferav Wor© ha reached North Carolina, -The French and Indian 
 ^r» were now ia loll blaab. and on his way in Virginia ha heard - 
 .of Braddock^s defeat whicb greatly diacourajjed him, and he saw 
 scattered families panio-strickeBi^IlSiag rude fort»Jor pro-: 
 teetkn ^againat the Sa?ft^s,' whose deadlr tomahaWk was bnsy- 
 
 ^9^11 l2ihaman.r murders. - He says ia ifi» Jonmal, • 'Alone in the 
 IsiiAiinMftii Shall I go on, or ahatl I tnra baclc?" He datermiced, 
 
 J^liil* f^flMW of God« to pnsb oh, trnsiin^ in the Lord for portec- 
 and support . He aays^ ''socaetimes a kouse in tea miles, and 
 BOiMt^mes^xwfe that," but he pushed on, for the glory of Grod and 
 
 ^bsmmaod ot men. He reached the borders of this State abont the 
 ®r«fe^«f Aiignst, aad oa Augn^st 3, 17&5 b&preached bis first 
 aiMW is North t'^Caroilna at tbe home of Solomon Pebowon the 
 
 |IN^ McAtfen'Mys be crotMid tbe^ Dan River five miles abore the 
 iMiib of Capt. Moore in Halifax Co., Va. Therefore, if this be 
 yemtitmii. sine* the hooe oEMr. Debow was in N. C, that bouse 
 l|pM^)MK««been'on the northern edge of Person Co., not far from 
 %i(-|Hliat where the Hico River erosaes the State line, and net far 
 ^«HLibe railroad station called Altos, Va. On Aug. 6th. he left the 
 himmnl Mr. Debow, and bo says, "I rode ten miles to the Chapel oa 
 Jw^il Hico, where I preached to asumber of Chu rch people and 
 ^4|aq||Fy«ftbyterians. After the s<^rmo]n.:t<hey seemed exceedingly 
 . ^iMd^ snd returned abundance of thanks t^.)^mj sermon, and 
 vllBPlMWtly entreated me by all means to caU ui>oa them aa I came 
 ^mtit and showed a very great desire j^bat liU ou2 Ministers sho^ii^d 
 Qpon them as thev travel ba»k and forward." 
 
 J*?ow then,' iS-- is a matt«r of great Interest to us to know jnat 
 ^^•re this, "the Chapel on Soutk Hico" was located. The Hico 
 ^Sver, proper, is formed* By the jaactioo of two streams, one ot 
 «?ii»cb is called "Hice Ci^ek," flows in a nortb-e*9terly direction 
 ilarough the eastern side ofCaawall county, and the oiber stream 
 '§smfi in a northern direction tbroush the western aide of Person 
 County, and the two streams form a junction in tba northwestern 
 t>^Tt of Person county making the "Hico Hiver," and this junction 
 M tiie two streams is about four or fve miles directly- east of 
 Semora, N.C.,which is the Po?it085ce ofthQR8d Hoasecburcb- The 
 
"Hico CrseW," from this junction in Person County up to its be- 
 ginnings In Caswell County, was evidently called "South Hico," 
 &n4 filonfc this sirQam, more than a hundred years aKO, there were 
 three Preabytarlan Churchea, The Greer's Church was called 
 ''Upper Hico," tha Red House Church was called "AJiddle Hico," 
 and tha "Barnet^'a Church" was called "IjOwarHico." The latter 
 Church was Iri, Person County and was very large efc one time, 
 find perhaps It ivss not very far from the home of Mr, Debow, but 
 it has long since ceaaed to exist as a Presbyterian Church. The 
 name ^'Middle Hico" was changed to "Red House" about the year 
 
 -18C6, during tha ministry of Rev. Hugh Shaw. I have said these 
 particular thinp^a that we might locate, if possible, "the Chapel" at 
 which Mr. McAden preached one hundred and fifty-eierlit years 
 ftj?o. Let ua now remember that.fct it is nine miles by rail from 
 
 "Alton, Va., te femora, N. C, and one mile from Semora to Red 
 House Church. And if Mr. Debow lived on the south side of tha 
 Hico Kivnr, somowliero about opposite Alton, Va,, then wo know 
 that the distance from that point to tha Red House Churcl^ is just 
 about ten nillei^, the same distance covered by Mr. McAden from 
 Mr. Debow'$ home to theClhapel on South Hico. Therefore, we 
 conclude, and Indeed we are convinced, that "the Chapel" was 
 hone other than the ori{»inal "Middle Hieo" aad present Red 
 House Chofch. This Chapel was perhaps, an organized Church 
 at this very feJme. 
 
 Mr. McA<3eaj,.4Mfcya he went home from preaohing with Mr. 
 Aaron Vanhaolt, five miles, and thenca to Eno, "about twenty 
 miles," and we know It is just about, twenty miles from here to 
 Eno Church In Orange County. 
 
 Mr. McAdea then went to the Hawflelda Church, and havinpr 
 preached at End and Hawfielda, he went across Orange Co. into 
 Granville Conn ty on the Tar River,, tbence to Grassy Creek and 
 Plshlnj? Creek, and tlicnce ha returned to the En^i-,5^nd Hawfielda 
 settlements. He then went to the Buffalo settlement in Guilford 
 County, and thence throupfh Davidson, Rowan and Cabarrus 
 Counties into Mecklenburg County. From here he went into the 
 land of the Catawba Indians in South Carolina, and returned again 
 to Mecklenburg County. He then went to the Scotch settlements 
 on the Cape Fear River, and reraained for some time in Cumber- 
 
land County. He went from here down the Cape Pear River to 
 Wilmington, and thence up through Pender County into Duplin 
 County. In that section of the country there was a region known 
 as the "Welsh Tract," where there were a large number of Pres- 
 byterians and also in Duplin County there was a place or Church, 
 known as **Goshen," or "Goahen Grove," where there were a 
 large number of Presbyterians "pretty well organized." ' Tha 
 people, in connection with the "Welsh Tract" people, earnestly 
 entreated him to remain with them, and they jointly made cut a 
 call for him to become their pastor. Mr. McAden then went 
 across the eastern part of the State, and back again into Gran- 
 ville County, and thence across the country, and no doubt by this 
 place, to Eno and Ilawfields again. From there he returned to 
 Mr. Vanhook'fl house, and on ^fay 2, 1756, he preached at the 
 home of Mr. John McParland on the Hico River, and on May 6, 
 1756 he took hin departure from North Carolina, being accom- 
 panied as far as Dan River by Mr. Solomon Debow. 
 
 Mr. McAden was in North Carolina exactly nine months during 
 this trip, preaching almost daily to numerous scattered people and 
 al numerous places. His compensatioa was exceedingly meagre, 
 and he had to endure all sorts of hardships and dangers, and yet 
 aot a murmur or note of complaint fell from his lips. At this 
 early j>«riod in the history of our country, there were but few 
 r<«Ads, no mode of travel but horseback, no mail facilities, and the 
 *'-*>ontry was infested with hostile tribes of -Indians. Surely it 
 fs^uirf^d a brave heart, filled with the love of God and a passion 
 fsjr the salvation of immortal souls, to do these things. 
 
 Mr. McAden returned to Pennsylvania and soon afterwards ac- 
 cepted, if he had not already done so, the calls to Eastern North 
 Carolina. We do not Know the exact date of his ordination, neither 
 do we know the exact date of 'his return to Duplin Co.,N. C. Mr. 
 Footo in his sketches of N. C, sa^s he was ordained by New Castla 
 Pre.>ibytery in 1757, and dismissed to Hanover Presbytery in 1759. 
 But Dr. Hodge, in his History of the Presbyterian Church, records 
 him as a Member of Hanover Presbytery in 1758. Since he re- 
 turned to Pennsylvania early in May 1758, it would seem moat 
 probable that he was ordained sometime during the summer or 
 fall 17ii8, or early in 1757. It is generally conceded, however, that 
 
hn wa3 at his post as Pastor, in Duplin County in the year 1757, 
 Thus he became the. first pioneer Missionary of the Presbyterian 
 Church who permautly settled in the State of North Carolina. 
 
 It is said that the Rev. James Campbell, who was not in connec- 
 tion with the Northern Synods, came to North Carolina and settled 
 among the Scotch Irish, on the Cape Fear Riv6r, in the year 1757. 
 It is a question, probably never to be settled, which of the two 
 men actually set up housekeeping First in the State? But from 
 all the information I have been able to gather, I am satisfied 
 that McAden was not only the first Presbyterian Missionary, but 
 the tirst Presbyterian Minister to permantly locate in North Caro- 
 lina. 
 
 He remained with his charge in Duplin Covinty about tea y&ars, < 
 until 1767 or 1768. At a meeting of Hanover Presbytery at Buffalo 
 Church in Guilford County, March 2, 1763, he accepted the call 
 from "Hyco — (Red House), Dan River and Conntry Line" Churches 
 and it is almost certain that he had already moved to this neigh- 
 borhood before that date. Mr. McAden lived here faithfully 
 preaching the Word, and ministring to the people for at least 
 thirteen years, and on January 20, 1781 his spirit went home to 
 God, to shine as the brightness of the firmament in his kingdom 
 of glory forever and ever. One of his sons. Dr. John McAden, in 
 a letter written in 1845, says — "My father was a very systematic 
 man. once a year he visited with his Elders all the families of the 
 Church, and had worship with them, once a year he catehiaed the 
 young people, and three days in the week he spent in special 
 study, and if he walked in the fields, he always carried his Bible 
 with him". In his Journal there are many short and tender 
 prayers for the people, and for God's blessing upon his efforts to 
 sive souls, esiDft^l illy when he saw evidences of the Spirit's power_ 
 
 Surely he was a wise man, living for the glory of God, and turn- 
 ing many to righteousness, and surely he shall shine in the king, 
 dom of God's glory as the brightness of the firmament forever 
 and ever, and in the estimation of men as the stars forever and 
 ever. Surely he v/as one "to be in everlasting remembrance" 
 and this monnrnont over his grave, which wo unveil today,' will tell 
 
 10 
 
to succeeding generations somethingatleast, of his great and noble 
 life, and of his faithful and consecrated service for the Master. 
 
 O ye sons and daughters of this historic old Red House Church 
 let us not be satisfied to strive and toil and suffer to reach heaven, 
 only empty-handed; but let us go forth, as "wise men and v7omen 
 bearing precious seed and doubtless we shall come again rejoicing 
 bringing our sheaves wifeh us, and we too "shall be in everlasting 
 remembrance". c ; ^ v 
 
 ' D. I. CRAIG. 
 
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