King's Creek Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church was founded in 1772 by the Rev. John Renwick, a Scots-Irish Seceder from County Antrim, Ireland.  The nucleus of the first congregation was composed of Renwick's parishioners in the old country, most of whom came to South Carolina in 1767, 1770, and 1772.  Other early settlers of Newberry county, regardless of their denomination, worshiped with the Seceders in the congregations of King's Creek and Cannon Creek.  Rev. Renwick administered the first communion service for both groups at Patrick Carmichael's barn near Boyd's Crossing (the intersection of US 76 and S-36-67).  Tradition has it that "This Rev. John Renwick is believed to have been a descendant of the family of Rev. James Renwick, the last martyr of Scotland, who suffered February 18, 1688 (Annals of Newberry p. 674). After their pastor's death, August 20, 1775, (buried at Cannons Creek Cemetery), both churches remained without the services of a regular minister until after the end of the American Revolution.  About the year 1790, the Rev. David Bothwell and probationer James Rogers emigrated from Scotland to South Carolina.  The two men were present at the organization of the Presbytery of the Carolinas and Georgia at Cedar Springs Church (Abbeville County) on February 24, 1790.  On February 23, 1791, Rogers was ordained and installed as pastor of Little River (Fairfield County), Indian Creek, Cannons Creek, and King's Creek congregations.  The ordination of Rogers after the year of missionating among the churches was the first such service conducted by the newly created presbyter. Rev. Rogers served until about 1814, when the Newberry churches called the Rev. Charles Strong.  During Strong's pastorate, the Synod of the Carolinas met at King's Creek to act on an earlier motion to form a separate southern synod.  On April 1, 1821, the members of the Synod formed the Associate Reformed Synod of the South, a body independent of, but friendly with, the northern General Synod. The Rev. Samuel P. Pressly came to King's Creek about 1826 and remained until March 23, 1834, when he resigned to become a professor at Franklin University in Athens, Georgia.  In 1836, the Rev. Jonathan Galloway came to the pastorate and ministered until 1848, when the Rev. J. O. Lindsay assumed his duties.  Lindsay was soon followed by the Rev. D. F. Haddon (1849) and the Rev. A. Ranson (1850-51).  The Rev. H. L. Murphy was called in 1853 to served King's Creek and Thompson Street churches (presently Newberry A.R.P.).  This relation continued until 1865, when he moved to Tennessee. E. P. McClintock A Civil War veteran, the Rev. W. M. Grier, served the churches from 1865-1870, leaving the pulpit to become president of Erskine College.  He was succeeded in 1871 by the Rev. E. P. McClintock, who ministered to both churches until 1883.  Rev. McClintock then resigned from King's Creek in order to give full-time service to Thompson Street in the town of Newberry. A son of the congregation, the Rev. William W. McMorries was installed in September, 1884, and pastored King's Creek until 1895.  The Rev. J. B. Hood was pastor from 1898 to 1902, followed by the Rev. C. M. Boyd (1902-1905) and the Rev. I. S. Caldwell (1906-1911).  The long and fruitful ministry of J. W. Carson Dr. J. W. Carson began in 1912 and continued until October 1, 1947.  During his absence from July 1, 1925 to October 1, 1927, to serve as executive secretary of the A.R.P. Synod, King's Creek was supplied by the Rev. A. J. Ranson and others.  Following Dr. Carson's resignation, the Rev. W. A. Kennedy Jr. supplied the church until the Rev. Paul L. Sherrill's arrival in 1948. Dr. Paul L. Grier, the last pastor to serve King's Creek, began his ministry in May, 1952, after Rev. Sherrill's resignation in 1951.  Paul L. Sherrill Dr. Grier was present on November 8, 1964, when the church held its last services.  After dissolving the church congregation on October 20, 1964, the Second Presbytery declared the Sunday as a day of special commemoration for the many years of service to the denomination by the small and historic church of King's Creek. In addition to her many fine pastors, King's Creek was blessed with elders, deacons, and other laymen who loved their Lord and loved His church.  Among the families who supported the church were Abrams, Armstrong, Beard, Blair, Brown, Caldwell, Calmes, Carlisle, Carmichael, Chalmers, Chapman, Crenshaw, Crosson, Davis, Douglass, Dugan, Enlow, Epps, Fair, Finch, Fleming, Gilliam, Glasgow, Glenn, Hargrove, Henderson, Hopper, Hunter, Johnstone, Mars, Martin, Mathis, Maybin, McConnell, McCrackin, McMorris, Neel, Neely, Parham, Peaster, Ray, Reid, Renwick, Rogers, Sims, Sloan, Spencer, Thompson, Toland, Wilson, and Young. Some of the elders during the history of King's Creek were Johnnie Beggs, A. Thompson, a Mr. Barlow, John Dugan, Capt. James Spence, James Wilson, Patrick Martin, John S. Renwick, H. s. N. Crosson, Joseph Caldwell, David A. Crosson, J. C. Sims Brown, J. Edward Caldwell, John Franklin, John C. Brown, Marcellus A. Renwick, J. G. Price, T. Bernard Carlisle, Wilson C. Brown, Joseph M. Brown, James S. Renwick, John C. Baker, George S. Ruff, Claude C. Price, Charles T. Renwick, Colie B. Cromer, William M. Rikard, Leland E. Rikard, and Richard C. Carlisle. A partial listing of deacons who served the church during the years were Marcellus A. Renwick, Albert J. Gibson, Calvin Caldwell, Joseph Caldwell Jr., Wilson C. Brown, Joseph M. Brown, George S. Ruff, Hubert T. Carlisle, John C. Baker, Richard C. Carlisle, Claude C. Price, Leland E. Rikard, W. D. Cromer, Morris Brooks, Robert Epting, Charles Price, Richard Caldwell, and George Lominick. King's Creek still holds the distinction of having hosted Synod (seven times) more than any other church.  Not only did King's Creek have an impact on area religious activity through its own ministry, but also through the work of other churches which it fostered.  Head Springs (1824-ca 1900), Newberry (Thompson Street, 1850) and Unity (1901-49) churches of the A.R.P. denomination had their origins in King's Creek.  King's Creek Church maintained close relations with Presbyterian churches in the area, among them Mount Bethel, Gilders Creek, Indian Creek, and Grassy Springs (Maybinton section).  Some of the carter members of Aveleigh Presbyterian Church were prominent former members of King's Creek Church. King's Creek Church occupied three buildings on three different sites during its years of existence.  The first church building (known as Old Irish Church) was of log structure located in the northeast corner of the cemetery where two of its pillars flank the historical marker.  The second building was a wood frame structure located near Chandlers Old Spring on land purchased from John McMorris June 3, 1839, about one mile northwest of the first building.  About 1910 another wood frame structure was erected on tope of the hill above the spring.  It was dedicated June 21, 1914.  Services were continued here until the church was dissolved by Second Presbytery at the request of the congregation on October 20, 1964.  During the ministry of Rev. Sherrill, several improvements were made to the building, and two Sunday school rooms were added under Dr. Grier's leadership.  The building was destroyed by fire July 9, 1974. Today only the cemetery remains as a memorial to the devoted service rendered to God Almighty by the people of King's Creek Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. Active membership list between July 1959 - December 1963 supplied by Rev. E. L. Bland, Newberry, S.C. An asterisk indicates they were a Church officer. Mrs. Kate C. Baker J. Leroy Baker Mrs. J. Leroy Baker Everette Baker Mrs. Everett Baker *Morris Brooks Mrs. Morris Brooks Ernest Brooks *Richard Caldwell *Hubert T. Carlisle Mrs. Hubert T. Carlisle Mrs. Frances F. Counts Donna Counts Florence Counts J. B. Counts Mrs. Estelle Cromer *William D. Cromer Mrs. W. D. Cromer Charles Cromer *Colie B. Cromer Mrs. c. B. Cromer Mary Jo Cromer Leland R. Cromer Mrs. L. R. Cromer Mrs. Helen C. Clary *Robert Epting Mrs. Joe Franklin W. G. Freeman Mrs. w. G. Freeman Frances Martha Freeman William H. Freeman Mrs. Helen R. Halfacre Mrs. Hannah Leitzsey *George R. Lominick Mrs. George R. lominick Jeanette Lominick Helen Sue Lominick Mary Lou Lominick Mrs. S. C. McCarley Mrs. Hattie McEver Mrs. Shirley C. Maybin Robert C. Price *Claude C. Price Mrs. Claude C. Price Rion C. Price Mrs. Rion C. Price *Sim D. Price Mrs. Sim D. Price Caroline Price Rebecca Price *Charles W. Price Mrs. Charles W. Price Wingard Price Thomas Price *Charles T. Renwick Mrs. Charles T. Renwick Curtis A. Rikard Mrs. C. A. Rikard *William M. Rikard Mrs. William M. Rikard Terry Rikard *Leland E. Rikard Mrs. Leland E. Rikard Mrs. George S. Ruff Luther Robertson The Church disbanded in 1964.  Most of the membership moved to the Newberry Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, Main Street, Newberry, S.C. King's Creek Cemetery Association In order to maintain the cemetery and other church property, the King's Creek Cemetery Association was organized on July 12, 1964, as an eleemosynary society chartered by the State of South Carolina.  The certificate of incorporation was dated February 10, 1965, and is recorded in the Secretary of State's office in Columbia, S.C. The formation of the Association and the transferral of church property was approved by the General Synod of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church and its Second Presbytery.  The balance of the church treasury was granted to the Association with the provision that the funds be used for the upkeep of the cemetery. (See minutes of Synod June 1964, p. 156, para. 6) Subscribing members are any former members of the church and persons interested in the preservation of the cemetery.  Trustees elected at the time of organization and the year their terms expired were:  James a. Brown (1974), Charles H. Carlisle (1972), Charles T. Renwick (1970), Robert M. Renwick (1968), and Claude C. Price (1966).  Officers from 1964 until the present are James a. Brown, chairman and Robert M. Renwick, secretary-treasurer. The trustees arranged for periodic mowing of the cemetery and weed control as necessary.  In addition, they have carried out major repairs on monuments after several attacks by vandals.  Through the years many markers have been replaced, straightened, or set in concrete.  This type of upkeep is costly but necessary in order to maintain the cemetery as a proper resting place for the departed.