Date Congregation Founded:
Date Present Church Building Built:
1856
August
1891
County:
Jackson
Founding Denomination:
United
Brethren
USGS Quad:
Elmwood
Condition of church building/grounds**:
Good (April 2004)
Coordinates:
38.7040ºN
81.7975ºW
Preservation Outlook:
Maintained by:
Unknown
Construction:
Concrete
block
Property owner:
Unknown
Date added to WVCPA register:
April
2004
Data Updated: 07 September 2012
Accessibility:
Easily accessible.
Located west of Rockcastle, WV near the present Mason County line
near the highest point of Cain Ridge (Rockcastle,
and Mount Olive Church and cemetery, were once located in
Mason County).
** Condition of church
building and grounds as observed on the given date - may not be
representative of care at other times of the year Scale:
Excellent - Good - Fair - Poor - Abandoned
Click thumbnail photos below to
enlarge
"The Mount Olive
E.U.B. Church is located near Rockcastle, was organized in 1856, and
was originally named Barnett Chapel . Mrs. Lucretia Barnette
was the first member of the church and the presiding elders were
Moses Michaels and the Rev. W.H. Miles. In later years the
church became part of the Rockcastle Circuit and the church
organization is no longer in existence."¹
"The efforts of the early United Brethren Church found in Jackson County a fertile field for development. In 1856, the United Brethren Church at Rockcastle was constituted. It was first called Barnett's Chapel because of numerous families by that name in the Rockcastle area. These were the charter members: Mr. and Mrs. Laban Hill, Mr. and Mrs. John Stone, Mr. and Mrs. Leroy Morrison, Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Casto, Mrs. Lucretia ( Pink ) Barnett whose life extended well beyond the century mark, and others."
[from
a WVCPA contributor, as taken from a newspaper clipping from the
Jackson Herald - date unknown]
¹Quoted
from a submission
by local historian Lorraine Barnette in"Jackson
County West Virginia Past and Present 1990", page 48, published
by the Jackson County Historical Society - from information in
earlier article in the Jackson Herald
Additional
background
research in progress. Contributions of historical accounts of this
church are welcomed.
Comments:
We would love to add old
photos of this church - particularly from the time before the
present concrete block structure. Does anyone have any more
history of this congregation to share, or any information on its
present status, ownership and use? Contact us at .
