“voted to let a church be
constituted in Gambill’s Hollow, if they were found ready and ripe for it. It was
constituted April 10, 1786. This was the beginning of the Baptist Church of
South Fork of Roaring River. Gambill’s lived on south prong of Roaring River,
as shown by numerous grants to William Gambill.”
Judge Hayes did not indicate in his book
when the last reference to Gambill’s Hollow or South Fork of Roaring River
Church occurred in the minutes of (old) Roaring River Church. He did say that:
“it has not
been possible to determine what became of South Fork of Roaring River Church.
There is some speculation that the present church called Walnut Grove is its
successor but we are unable to verify it. However, the subsequent fellowship
between Walnut Grove and Old Roaring River does indicate Walnut Grove is the successor
to the other.”
So where was Gambill Hollow (South Fork
of Roaring River) Church located? We don’t know.
In the 1790 census, there were three
Gambill households in Wilkes County. One was Martin Gamble, whose deed records
indicate that he lived near the New River in what later became Ashe County.
Another household was headed by Jno. Gambell, whose land was located along the Middle Fork of
Roaring River. The third household was headed by Mary Gambill, widow of William
Gambill, who died before February 1779, and who owned about 900 acres of land,
at least some of which was located on the South Fork of Roaring River. Upon William’s death, his plantation went to
his wife during her lifetime, and then to his son, Jesse Gambill, who sold the
land to his brother-in-law, Robert Johnson (the one born in 1783 – there have
been several Robert Johnsons!) The land
was passed down through the Lewis Johnson family, and a portion of that land is
now owned by a Johnson descendant, and located on what is now called Cabin
Creek Road in Hays.No references have been found in any old deeds concerning a church building or church property. It was common practice for churches to meet in the homes of members, rather than construct a separate church building, so perhaps this occurred with Gambill's Hollow Church.
While Gambill's Hollow Church (or South Fork of Roaring River Church) has disappeared over time, there is a creek called Gambill Creek, so named since the land containing this creek was purchased by William Gambill in February 1817. (2) However, the church at Gambill's Hollow predates the purchase of this particular piece of land by about thirty years. So it makes the location of the church unlikely to have been located on Gambill Creek or along Gambill Creek Road.
Gambill's Hollow (South Fork of Roaring River) Church was likely located on what is now called Cabin Creek Road, where an early Gambill settler, William Gambill, did indeed own land along the South Fork of Roaring River. The church was almost certainly attended by Gambills and others living in the area. While land ownership of William Gambill and his widow, Mary Gambill, can be traced through deeds, there is no record of a separate church property. And apart from references such as (old) Roaring River Baptist Church minutes, there are no surviving minutes from Gambill's Hollow (South Fork of Roaring River) Church to help identify the location of this early church.
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(1) Johnson J.
Hayes, The Land of Wilkes
(Wilkesboro, North Carolina: Wilkes County Historical Society, 1962. Reprint, Wilkes Heritage Museum, 2010)
(2) Wilkes County, NC, Deed Book 24, Page 45, Sheriff's Sale of George Lewis land to William Gambill, February 4, 1817; located at Wilkes County Courthouse, Wilkesboro, NC
(2) Wilkes County, NC, Deed Book 24, Page 45, Sheriff's Sale of George Lewis land to William Gambill, February 4, 1817; located at Wilkes County Courthouse, Wilkesboro, NC
