The Steele Creek Historical and Genealogical Society
Of the Old Steele Creek Township
Mecklenburg County, North Carolina

Pleasant Hill Presbyterian Church

Picture of Current Building

Picture of 2nd Church building, 1905 - 1972

PLEASANT HILL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Pleasant Hill Presbyterian church is located on York Rd. (Hwy 49) in Mecklenburg County, Steele Creek township near Lake Wylie. It sets in a grove of trees off of the highway with it's rock walled cemetery behind the church. (cemetery listings are elsewhere on this site.) The present church building is the 3rd at this site.

Pleasant Hill was organized on November 15, 1836. It's mother church was old Steele Creek Presbyterian. In 1836 when Rev. Samuel L. Watson was pastor of Steele Creek Church, the people of the lower section of Steele Creek found it was almost impossible for them to attend services at Steele Creek regularly because of the distance they had to travel. Rev. Watson applied to Concord Presbyterian for a separate church to be known as Pleasant Hill Church.

On November 15, 1836 Rev. Watson organized the church with 42 charter members. On that same day, the following men were elected ruling elders: Robert Knox, David Carothers, Robert C. Neely and Samuel Knox.(later elders are listed at the end)

The land for the site of the church consisted of nine acres which was a gift from Alpheus S. King, who was one of the charter members.

The first church was a modest frame building with a pulpit at one end, four doors, two on either side of the building and a gallery in the opposite end from the pulpit. The house of worship was dedicated on June 4, 1837 and communion was held for the first time on August 13, 1837.

Later, the doors on the sides of the church were closed and one large door was made in the end opposite the pulpit underneath the gallery. This church remained the same until the second church was built in 1905.

Part of the nine acres was reserved for a cemetery which was enclosed by a rock wall. Several additions have been made to the cemetery over the years. It was said that the first person buried in the newly made cemetery was a stranger, who in traveling through the country was taken ill, was cared for at the home of Arthur Randolph Erwin, and when he died, was laid to rest in the newly made cemetery.

Previous to 1858 there had not been any Deacons in Pleasant Hill church, but in June of that year the first two deacons were elected: Matthew Knox and David H. Hart (later deacons are listed at the end.)

Pleasant Hill shared a minister with Steele Creek, it's Mother church from 1836 - 1879. Pleasant Hill had services on each third Sunday of the month. Steele Creek congregation was without a minister that Sunday and some would attend Pleasant Hill. The two churches shared eight pastors while they were grouped together. Steele Creek had grown to the point they needed their own pastor so Pleasant Hill joined with a Fort Mill, SC church and shared a pastor, Rev. F. L. Leeper. This was not a satisfactory arrangement because the two churches were in different Presbyteries. In 1882, Pleasant Hill had to search for another church to share a pastor with and they finally grouped with Pineville and called the Rev. G. S. Robinson. This worked well as Pleasant Hill had a minister one half of the time instead of just one Sunday a month.

In 1905, a new church was built which was also a frame church. The church continued sharing a minister with Pineville until in 1911, when Central Steele Creek ARP changed to Presbyterian and became a member of the Presbytery and the two church then grouped together to share a minister. For several years they shared two ministers and in 1931, Dr. R. A. Young came to the two churches and remained with both until 1956 when Dr. Young retired. At that time, Pleasant Hill and Central Steele Creek broke and each obtained their own ministers.

The Rev. Roy Coker was called to Pleasant Hill in 1969 and several years after plans were underway for a new church. The new contemporary brick church was dedicated in 1973. It was built beside the old church which still stands today. This church continues to grow and after 165 years it has new subdivisions planned as a neighbors and has a wonderful future of serving lower Steele Creek for many years to come.

Below is the list of charter members who formed the church in 1836. (only 40 of the original 42 have been identified).
Robert Knox                 Henry C. Wilson
Margaret Knox             John D. Simril
David Carothers           Margaret Simril
Nancy Carothers          Samuel B. Knox
Robert C. Neely           Ann Knox
Margaret P. Neely        Arthur R. Erwin
Samuel Knox                Mary M. Erwin
Jane Knox                    Thomas B. Price
Hannah S. Knox           Margaret E. Price
Mary Neely                  Nancy Price
Ezekiel C. Neely           Ann S. Price
Eliza Neely                    John Knox
James S. Carothers       Elizabeth Knox
Hannah S. Carothers     Nancy Knox
Henry C. Wilson           Isaac N Knox
Matthew Knox              Jane N. Knox
Nancy Knox                 Alpheus S. Knox
Thomas B. Neely          Margaret Carothers
Ann Neely                    Elizabeth Neely
Jane Neely                    Harriet E. Taylor
Joseph Knox                 Margaret N. Hartt Knox

In addition to the original elders listed above, the following were added at times:
1843 - Thomas B. Price and James B. Knox
1847 - Alpheus S. Knox and Samuel D. Carothers
1856 - Arthur Randolph Erwin, Dr. S. .W. Campbell and Josina M. Choate
1858 - John Hart, son of James Hart and Samuel Knox
1860 - Alexander H. Query
1863 - Joseph Knox
1868 - W. J. Bowen and Thomas M. Knox

In addition to the two first deacons listed above, the following were added at times:
1858 - David H. Hart and Matthew Knox
1859 - F. B. McLean and N. J. N. Bowen
1872 - Richard M. Capps and Robert A. Walker

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Paul D. Buckley, WebMaster.