You wouldn’t expect to find the remains of the oldest known Triangle Church, which stands on top of a forgotten hill in the woods hidden in a creek bend less than a quarter of a mile from the modern, unsuspecting unit.
In search of this colonial-era congregation known as the Three Streams Church, there are no maps, roads, or cognitive artifacts. In fact, for years historians have believed that this place is probably somewhere in Wake County.
However, a small group of historians and adventurers used ancient descriptions of the church’s location to explore the land in search of secret remains.
It is a difficult journey to find a hidden place – through muddy streams, thorny forests and overgrown with snakes undergrowth – but they believe they have found it: the site of the oldest known church in the Triangle.
Explore Swift Creek for clues
Only a few historical clues have led to the search for the old church, which dates back to the mid-1750s, making it nearly 300 years old.
“Then the first settlers moved into the community,” said Todd Johnson, director of the Heritage Center, a well-known North Carolina historian and writer who led the site’s inspection.
The settlers called the meeting Three Creek Church because the settlers had farms along the three nearby streams: Black Creek, Middle Creek, and Swift Creek.
Johnson’s study in the minutes of the Kehuki Baptist Association meetings in the 1770s describes that the church is near the mouth of the Wood Brunch, where it flows into Swift Creek.
He also found land documents stating that the church was “near the bottom of the spring.”
Johnson shared these tips with a local named David Yergan, who spent a lot of time exploring the land around Swift Creek.
“David found this outstanding hilltop on Woods Brunch with what appear to be old foundation stones scattered around,” Johnson says.
The top of the hill is surprisingly flat, as if graded, large and small stones are scattered around. Johnson says it might make sense to build a church on top of the hill so as not to end up in a floodplain.
“I think we could consider some of the foundation stones of the old church,” Johnson says.
Other remains could be hidden in the forest
Next to the church of the colonial era, records show that other buildings were built in this area.
“Tobacco farmers came from the tidal water regions of North Carolina and Virginia,” Johnson says. “A lot of settlers demolished the land in the 1600s, so the next generation came to this area where the land was open.”
The plot was part of a 640-acre grant that William Wood received from Lord Grenville in 1753.
Records show that Wood had a grain mill with a large pond, and he also ran a tavern in his nearby house.
There was also a bridge over Swift Creek, known as the Brit Bridge, as well as a road with carriages that cut through the area.
If you look for a lost history nearly 300 years old, it can be difficult for historians to understand exactly what they discovered. Archaeological excavations may help to give an idea or confirm the original use of this object, but with something so old, there may be no clues.
“So maybe we see some other colonial object of that era,” Johnson says. “But none of them match as closely as the church.”
Johnson believes the church was probably made of wood, like other NC churches of that era. In Randolph County still stands an old church called Sandy Creek Baptist. He believes the church could understand what the Three Streams Church once looked like.
What happened to the Three Cricks Church?
The last record of the Congregation of the Three Streams Church is in the protocols of the Noise River Baptist Association in the 1790s.
The Congregation, Johnson says, was essentially excommunicated from the church because it believed in the doctrine of “free will.” They did not follow the Calvinist view that was popular at the time and essentially argued that free will did not exist.
The church reportedly operated during the War of Independence against the British. The first pastor of the church was considered to be Thomas Tally, and his relative Hardy Sanders was the sheriff of Wake County and commander of the Wake Militia during the war.
“The War of Independence had a big impact,” Johnson said. “Just a bunch of farmers fighting the British Army. I can imagine people were really scared.”
Records show a revival of baptisms at the time, indicating that Johnson was probably right.
Eventually, after the congregation was separated from the church, several farming families eventually moved west, and the property was divided and sold off. Over time the Three Streams community simply no longer existed.
“People have moved to greener pastures,” Johnson says.
The name Three Streams has disappeared from the collective memory of the district – and the location has been lost.
The public is invited to the opening ceremony of the historical monument
On Saturday, April 30 at 11 a.m., at Church C3 near Clayton, a historic sign for the Three Creeks Church will be unveiled.
To ensure that this important historic church and site will never be forgotten again and take its rightful place in history, a marker will permanently mark the location of the Three Streams Church.
“Church C3 graciously allowed us to put a sign in front of their church on Cleveland Road so that people traveling around the area will know a little more about its history,” Johnson says.
We invite the audience to see the historical moment.
The oldest Triangle church found in the woods of Johnston County :: WRAL.com
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