Deed book 111, page 170, Wilson County Register of Deeds Office, Wilson.
On 14 April 1917, Frank Hodges and his wife Harriet Hodges of Wilson township, for $80, sold William Bustion, Willie Wynn, and Mattie Porter of Toisnot township, “Active Trustees of Wynn’s Chapel, United American Freewill Baptist Church,” for a lot abutting the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad.
The 1923 Sanborn map of Elm City shows the small wooden church at 313 South Broad Street, just below J.D. Winstead Cotton Gins.
1923 Sanborn fire insurance map of Elm City, N.C.
Lane Street above is now Morgan Street. This parcel is now owned by the Town of Elm City, and is the southeastern-most section of a town park accessible from Parker Street.
“Wynn Chapel Church was founded in the early 1900’s, between 1908-1909. The members held their original meetings at the Mason Hall of Fellowship in Elm City, North Carolina. The church was named Free Will Baptist Church and the first Pastor was Rev. Jim Brown. After several meetings in the Mason Hall, the members discussed that the building was not suitable to have church services because it had a dance hall that was being routinely used. Early church members, Willie and Jenny Wynn, donated land for the first building and the church was renamed Wynn Chapel Free Will Baptist Church in the early 1920’s. The first Deacons were Willie Burke, Jasper Evans, Talman and Willie Hunter and Pink Wynn. The church mothers were Penny Evans, Lofton Winstead and Jenny Wynn. Irene Evans served as the first secretary.
“In 1940, the little church burned down. Rev. McKinley Love Whitley was the pastor. While plans were being made to rebuild the church, members met at the Presbyterian Church in “Blood Field,” the Church of God, and several other area churches that were gracious enough to allow them to utilize their facilities. After a while, the officials of the church purchased land on Armstrong Street in Elm City. The pastor was Rev. Fred Gardner. The Deacons were Mason Benjamin, Ernest (J.B.) Dew, Marcellas (Doll) Evans, Cecil Hagans, and Matt Washington. There was one trustee, Mr. Masco Norman and two mothers, Penny Evans and Alberta (Babe) Moore. The little church continued to grow and prosper under several different pastors over the next forty years.”
[Where was “Blood Field”??]
