History of Tuttle’s Grove Methodist Church on the site of the Core Sound Meeting House
Updated May 2023
Quaker Beginnings on Church Site
The history of Tuttle’s Grove Methodist Church begins with the Quakers or Friends coming into Carteret County as early as 1721 and establishing the Core Sound Meeting House on the very site of the present church building. Tuttle’s Grove Methodist Church has the distinction of being located on the oldest church site in Carteret County although it is not the oldest church building. The old Quaker Meeting House, according to a sketch made from a description by Mr. Alex Foreman who “sat meeting in it,” was a little in the front and to the right of the present building, facing toward Beaufort.
How the Quakers traveled here: In the year 1721, a large group of Quakers, primarily from Rhode Island, came into Carteret County to establish their homes and to enjoy perfect freedom to worship according to their belief. History does not relate how the sturdy pioneers arrived in the county, whether by land or boat. If by land, those who trekked their way through uncharted forests over paths little better than Indian trails were endowed with a rugged manhood not to be found in present-day generations. It is believed that the greater number of those sturdy home seekers came by boat, for two of the principal leaders of the band, William Borden and Henry Stanton, were boat builders in Newport, Rhode Island. Borden was also a manufacturer of duck material from flax for the making of sails. According to local history buff Dorothy Jarman Piner, her husband’s family descended from Quakers who followed the whales along the eastern coast and settled along the shoals and outer land areas to kill the large sea creatures for their oil, which was stored in kegs and used for lamp oil and the production of soap.
Roles of Nicolas Briant, Henry Stanton, and William Borden: William Borden and Henry Stanton stand out as being the most prominent leaders in establishing the Quaker community in Carteret County and in building two meeting houses: Core Sound Meeting House where Tuttle’s Grove Methodist Church is now located and Clubfoot Creek Meeting House in the Clubfoot Creek section. The site for the latter has passed from the memory of present generations. Tuttle’s Grove Methodist Church, however, has kept alive the site of the Core Sound Meeting House.
Little is known about Nicolas Briant except that he gave the first plot of land in Cartright Precinct a few miles north of Beaufort on which Core Sound Meeting House was built during the year 1736. The first meeting of Friends in the new structure was held on the third day of January in 1737, which was possibly a Thursday.
Henry Stanton took up his grant of 1900 acres eastward from Core Creek, which must have extended to the boundaries of the Tuttle’s Grove church site, for it is recorded that on September 23, 1737, he deeded two adjacent acres of pasture land adjoining the land given by Nicolas Briant. The land was given to meet the need for a community cemetery. Benjamin Small was assigned to pale or fence in the graveyard. Persons interested in genealogical research of early Quakers will find only one stone standing in this ancient burying ground upon which the inscription can be raised; it is that of Joseph Borden who died January 6, 1825, at the age of 56. Henry Stanton was the great-grandfather of Edwin Stanton, Secretary of War under President Abraham Lincoln. Stanton’s grandson, Edwin’s father, was born on the old plantation that was a short distance from the church site.
William Borden (1689-1748) settled in the Harlowe township, purchasing a large tract of land bordering Newport River where he established a saw mill and shipyard in the section known today as Mill Creek. He took an active interest in the political affairs of the new county and was elected to the Assembly, but was not allowed to serve because he would not take the oath of office as required.
When the Quakers first came to Carteret County, there was of course no building for them to assemble in. The first meeting recorded as being held in this county was at the home of William Borden on August 1, 1733. From this gathering was formed the Core Sound Monthly Meeting, growing in membership to the extent that by 1736 the need arose for the building of a Meeting House. From Friends in Rhode Island came the sum of 60 pounds to apply to the building of the Core Sound Meeting House.
Relating to the Time Period in Which the Meeting House Opened: When the church site was first used for worship in January of 1737, we were under the flag of England. It was 40 years before there was a “Star Spangled Banner,” and Washington was but four years old. It is true that services of the Church of England were read at intervals in the building in Beaufort used as a courthouse, but no church building was there for another 37 years or more, and the second church in the county, Bell’s Chapel, on the sound above Morehead City, was not built for another 20 years.
Subordinate Meetings of the Core Sound Meeting: Growth of the Quaker settlement along the Newport River as well as in adjoining counties brought about the forming of several Monthly Meetings. At the peak of its membership, the Core Sound Meeting had seven subordinate meetings. Three of the meetings, Core Creek, Clubfoot Creek, and Beaufort, were within a few miles of the Meeting House at Core Sound. The other four meetings were more dispersed: Upper Trent and Lower Trent in Craven County, Bath, and Mattamuskeet, north of the Pamlico River. Families who worshipped at Core Sound Meeting House: For little more than a century, families with the following surnames worshipped at the Meeting House: Stanton, Hill, Borden, Pacquinet, Rustull (Russell), Bishop, Horton, Jessop, Mace, Williams, Frasier, Roberson, West, Owens, Hollon (Holland), Davis, Eubanks, Chadwick, Harris, Howard, Physioc, Wade, Lovettt, Foreman, Rumley, Scott, Cartwright, Dickinson, and Ripley. The list does not include the surnames of all the families who worshipped there.
Threats Posed by the Coming of the Methodists and the Issue of Slavery: In 1812 the Quakers were beginning to be concerned over the Methodists who had come in after the Revolution with ideas that were not exactly like theirs. It is recorded that in the fourth month of that year, William Ripley was called up for forsaking Meeting and attending “several meetings among the Methodists and following their modes.” Until about 1850, Methodist was the only other church denomination in the area.
The Quaker stand on the issue of slavery also began to threaten from within. Pressure was
brought to bear on the Friends for owning and employing slaves to work their farmland. In 1799 and again in 1831, many of the Quakers in eastern North Carolina moved west to the free states of Ohio, Illinois, and Indiana in an effort to retreat from slavery and seek out better lands and a more healthful climate. Then, the much smaller group of Quakers left behind more or less coalesced with the Methodists, “marrying out of unity” and thus further diminishing their numbers.
Beside the highway in front of the Tuttle’s Grove Church is an historical marker numbered C-35, created by the Archives and Highway departments in 1959. Titled “Core Sound Meeting,” the inscription continues as follows: “Quaker Center for more than 100 yrs. after 1733. Migration west was one cause of decline. Meeting House was 50 yards W.”
Core Sound Monthly Meeting “Laid Down”: By 1841 the number of Quakers had become so small that the meeting was “laid down” or discontinued. The remaining members were attached to the Contentnea Monthly Meeting near Kinston. Quakers are said to have revisited the meeting house until it perished from decay. One of the families left is also said to have taken up residence in the Meeting House until their own could be erected; and as long as the building stood, this family and several others met regularly for silent worship.
An In-between Period: Between 1841 when the Meeting House was discontinued and October 15, 1898, when it was deeded to Ann Street Methodist in Beaufort, the property was deeded to Charles G. Foreman and Ambers Jones from William H. Davis in 1855 to be held in trust for the Yearly Meeting of Friends at Guilford College for $1.00 and the further consideration of having the privilege of holding worship of Almighty God, shall we ever so desire. The forebears of these individuals worshipped here as Friends and were among those disowned for loving and marrying Methodist boys and girls.
Core Sound Meeting House Property Ceded to Ann Street Methodist Church of Beaufort: A formal deed was recorded October 15, 1898, transferring the property to The Methodist Episcopal Church South in Beaufort, NC (Ann Street Methodist Church). Half a century later, on January 12, 1948, Ann Street Methodist deeded the property to the trustees of the Tuttle’s Grove Methodist Church.
Tuttle’s Grove Methodist Church
Old-Time Revival on Meeting House Site Plants a Seed: In 1898, just before the turn of the century, the Reverend D. H. Tuttle, who at the time was pastor of the Ann Street Church,
conducted an evangelistic service or old-time revival on the Meeting House site. A tent was used for a house of worship, benches for pews, and the packed ground for a floor. Crude as this “house of worship” was, under its canvas roof there was created a spiritual awakening that brought forth the present church which stands as a memorial to Reverend Tuttle.
Formation and Construction of the Tuttle’s Grove Methodist Church: Within the next year or two after the tent revival and the holding of several religious meetings in the homes of the community, a church organization was formed on September 18, 1902, under the leadership of the Reverend J.H.M. Giles, who was on the Carteret Circuit at that time. Church worship was held in the Wire Grass school building. Eight charter members made up the church society: Durant E. Langdale, Isadora Langdale, William D. Hunnings, Martha C. Hunnings, Sarah V. Dudley, Mrs. Edward Chadwick, Mary Arthur, and Sophronia Jennett.
Construction of the present building was started in 1902. Generous donations were made of building material and labor. Financial aid came from various sources, both from individuals and the work of the women in the church. Those constructing the new church reused all the lumber and beams that they could from the Meeting House; they were being frugal and at the same time keeping the history of the Quaker church alive in the second church. For the framework of the building, sawmill owner Tom Norris prepared the lumber cut from trees on the site. The church was a basic structure typical of the time period and would be added to over the coming years.
Life in the Early Church: In 1903 the first wedding was solemnized by the pastor of the young church when Miss Emily Dickinson and West Noe were married. By 1904, the membership was increased by the following persons: George P. Lewis, George H. Lewis, Susan J. Lewis, Lewis J. French, Emma French, John R. Hill, Emma L. Hill, Annie S. Hill, Allie Lewis, Daisy G. Dudley, and Dollie L. Dudley.
Dedication of the Church: On Sunday, April 29, 1906, Rev. Tuttle, then located at Fayetteville, returned to the scene of his evangelistic service from which this church was begun and dedicated the new church. On this occasion, three were baptized: Sterling Lewis, Geraldine Lewis, and Virginia Simpson before a crowd of 1000 to 1200. Rev. W.A. Piland was pastor at the time of the dedication and the trustees and stewards were Durant Langdale, William D. Hunnings, and Mrs. Sarah Dudley. Within the next year, both Mrs. Dudley and Mr. Hunnings passed away; he was the first to be buried in the Methodist cemetery adjoining the church.
From the Depression to the Late 60s: The depression of 1931 found the church in bad condition, both spiritual and financial, to the extent that the conference was considering abolishing the charge. Rev. F.B. Brandenburg was given the credit for placing Tuttle’s Grove on a circuit from 1931 to 1934. He built up the church again, raising funds for general repairs and increasing attendance. By 1945, because of increased leadership and interest, an extensive program of remodeling took place. Generous donations were raised, and the church was repaired and repainted. In the late 40s, Rev. C. Maness Mitchell was sent by the Conference to close the church doors, only to find that the few remaining members, along with a few new ones, were determined to keep the church alive and make it thrive. He spoke of his time at the church years later when he returned to preach the Homecoming service.
Preaching services had never been held more than once or twice a month until 1950, but a weekly Sunday School had been maintained, supported by member families and other families living in close proximity to the church. Some of the superintendents of the Sunday School were Durant Langdale, Mrs. Molly Stanton, Mrs. Effie Sabiston, C.E. Dail, Henry Lewis, Mrs. Dollie Dudley, Mrs. W.B. Norris, Mrs. Marie Campen, and Mr. B.S. Phelps.
Under the leadership of Rev. R.M. Poulk, who was assigned to the charge in 1953, the church enjoyed an increase in membership and attendance. In 1956, the membership reached 45 and in that same year an addition was made to the building which furnished much needed space for the growing Sunday school and young people’s societies. The new addition was dedicated as the Martha Hunnings annex in honor of Mrs. Martha Hunnings, who at that time was the only surviving charter member of the church. Under Rev. C.I. Umstead, church membership grew to 89 in 1967, with a Sunday School enrollment of 90. His son, Walter “Henry” Umstead, is a member today and plays the keyboard for Tuttle’s Grove.
At some unidentified point during the time of the above heading, from the depression to the late 60s, Rev. Tuttle’s granddaughter Ann Davant came to see the church for the first time. Her mother and her son were with her that day. On September 14, 2022, she sent a note to June Merrill, a Tuttle’s Grove member, which includes these words: “I remember the first time I saw the church. My mother and my youngest son, Wescott, were with me and Wescott went through the window and opened the door for Mama and me. We were all so interested and pleased. We signed the guest book.” Known to the Tuttle’s Grove congregation as “Peetie,” she would visit the church when she came to her home on the Neuse River in the Adam’s Creek area until she had to enter a nursing home in Charlotte. She passed away in 2023 at the age of 94.
Additions and Improvements from the 90s to the Present: Under the leadership of Rev. Mike Nelson, who came in 1993, bathrooms were finally added to the back of the church; the outside facility was considered an historical structure and left out back until it was destroyed by Hurricane Florence on September 14, 2018. Rev. C. I. Umstead’s son, Henry Umstead, recalls that, on very cold Sundays, Beulah Merrill, the neighbor across the road from the church, would allow members to use the indoor facility at her home. Her kindness was greatly appreciated at the time. While Rev. Nelson was here, Tuttle’s Grove also contributed generously to the construction of the new parsonage located next to the Core Creek Church. In more recent years, the Graydon and Evelyn Jordan Room was added as a fellowship hall. Stained glass windows were installed and paid for by various members of the congregation. The kitchen was relocated to the north side of the church and a ramp installed on the left side of the church. A new church sign was erected and the parking lot rocked. The congregation hopes to make improvements to the old Quaker cemetery located behind the church, a treasure to be preserved and showcased to others.
Circuit and Charge Assignments: The church seems to have been tossed about somewhat by the conference. First it was on the old Carteret Circuit; in 1919 it was placed on the newly created charge known as the Harlowe Circuit; in 1925, the conference combined the Newport and Harlowe Circuits into one, known as the Newport-Harlowe Circuit; in 1928 the church became a part of the Straits-Harlowe Circuit; in 1949 it was changed over to the Havelock Circuit. In 1948 the Core Creek Church was received into the Methodist conference. The newly received church was combined with the Tuttle’s Grove, Merrimon, and North River churches. In 1950 the churches composed the Beaufort Circuit and continued to be together until 1962, at which time North River was removed from the charge by the conference. The Core Creek, Tuttle’s Grove, and Merrimon churches composed the Core Creek Charge. Today, all 3 churches are their own charge.
Dolly Dudley Circle and Music: The ladies’ auxiliary group, known at Tuttle’s Grove as the Dolly Dudley Circle and later as United Methodist Women, was until recent years one of the most active arms of Tuttle’s Grove since its inception. The first music of the church was furnished by a bellows organ which was purchased new. A piano was purchased in 1931 and used solely until 1961 when a new Baldwin electronic organ was purchased by the church. The piano purchased in 1931 was built in 1906 and is still played on occasion. The first organist of the church was Dolly Foreman Dudley; she was followed by Daisy Dudley Lewis, Lela Merrill Nelson, Ruby Sabiston Felton, Mamie Merrill Nelson, Geraldine Lewis, Rosa Eubanks Merrill, Nettie Taylor Tallman, Daisy Springle, Evelyn Jordan, and Martha Lewis. Today, Henry Umstead plays the keyboard, which was given to the church by Dorothy Jarman Piner in memory of her husband James Piner. Dolly Foreman Dudley was active in the music of the church for a period of fifty years or more.
From Methodist to United Methodist and back to Methodist: Tuttle’s Grove Methodist Church began as a religious society of eight charter members. The church grew in membership and kept its original name until 1968 when it became Tuttle’s Grove United Methodist Church. Its classification at that point became “an unincorporated religious entity with a Board of Trustees.” Rev. C. I. Umstead, who was pastor at the time, did not like the change to “United” and felt that the church began to decline from that point on. His son Henry, though very young in 1968, recalls that he and his parents went to the train station in Beaufort to pick up red hymnals for the Tuttle’s Grove and Merrimon churches and purple ones for the Core Creek Church.
Tuttle’s Grove remained United Methodist until 2022 when the congregation decided to take advantage of a rare opportunity to leave the North Carolina Conference. A controversy had been brewing in the denomination for several decades over allowing gay marriages in the church and allowing homosexuals to hold positions in the church, even the pulpit. Bishop Leonard Fairley allowed churches in the NC Conference to disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church “for reasons of conscience regarding a change in the requirements and provisions of the Book of Discipline related to the practice of homosexuality or the ordination of marriage of self-avowed practicing homosexuals as resolved and adopted by the 2019 General Conference, or the actions or inactions of its annual conference related to these issues.” Tuttle’s Grove members made the unanimous decision to disaffiliate and under the leadership of June Merrill and Lou Umstead, working with the National Center for Life and Liberty (NCLL), successfully became Tuttle’s Grove Methodist Church, Inc. The new church is an incorporated, independent Methodist Church with a Board of Directors seeking to win souls to Christ and serve the surrounding community. It is no longer connected to a conference and as such owns its
church building and the surrounding property with a clear deed. Hopes are high for increasing membership and helping those in need in our community. January 1, 2023, marked the new beginning of TGMC, Inc. May God richly bless the new church which dared to step out in faith and hold true to God’s Holy Word.
Membership: Tuttle’s Grove, as of May 22, 2023, had a membership of 23.
Catalogue of Pastors
During the life of the church, the following pastors have served the Tuttle’s Grove congregation:
J.H.M. Giles, 1902-1904
W.A. Piland, 1905-1906
D.A. Futrell, 1907-1909
J.P. Pate, 1909-1910
C.O. Durant, 1911
F.T. Fulcher, 1912-1913
W.B. Humble, 1914
C.H. Caviness, 1915-1918
Guy Hamilton, 1919
J.M. Carraway, 1920
W.T. Cheek, 1921-1922
J.C. Carter, 1924
H.L. Davis, 1925-1926
E.W. Downum, 1927-1928
E.L. Stack, 1929
J.C. Harmon, 1930
F.B. Brandenburg, 1931-1934
J.L. Joyce, 1935-1937
M.D. McLamb, 1938
M.W. Stevenson, 1939-1943
C.J. Honeycutt, 1943-1946
H.B. Lewis, 1946-1947
W.D. Caviness, 1947-1948
C. Maness Mitchell, 1949
Louie A. Lewis, 11/1949-6/1953
R.M. Poulk, 6/1953-6/1958
James E. Smith, 6/1958-6/1960
Leonard Mayo, 6/1960-6/1963
W.D. Moore, 6/1963-4/1964
G.T. Bridgers, 4/1964-6/1964
C.P. Mason, 6/1964-6/1965
Charles I. Umstead, 6/1965-6/1969
Homer F. Yearick, 6/1965-9/1972
Ronald Cyr, 9/1972-6/1974
Stephen Mann, 6/1974-6/1975
Vance Lewis, 6/1975-6/1977
James E. Speight, 6/1977-6/1978
Vance Lewis, 6/1978-10/1978
Jesse Shaddix, 10/1978-6/1981
Rodger N. Mayes, 8/1/1981-6/30/1989
Riley T. Hamilton, 7/1/1989-6/30/1991
Wade W. Crabtree, 7/1/1991-6/30/1993
Michael Norwood Nelson, 7/1/1993-6/30/1999
Robert Wagner, 7/1/1999-6/30/2002
Diane W. LeBlanc, 7/1/2002-6/30/2006
Charles C. Smith, 7/1/2006-6/30/2012
Henry Paul Harris, 7/1/2012-6/30/2013
James Lynn Stephens, 7/1/2013-6/30/2017
Homer E. Morris, 7/1/2017-Present
The site upon which Tuttle’s Grove Methodist Church stands has served as a landmark for Christians for a little over 280 years. May it long continue to serve as “God’s Acre”.