LOUISA CHAPEL. MARCH 24, 2001

On the southern edge of Clyde is the Louisa Chapel where the oldest Methodist Congregation in Haywood County is located, having had its begginning in the historic Shook House on the west side of Clyde.

The uniqueness of Lousisa Chapel is that it remained a Methodist Episcopal Church after 1844 when most Methodist churches affiliated with the Southern Branch of Methodism. This fracture was caused over the long standing policies of the original Episcopalian Methodist beliefs against slavery.

Tradition holds Samuel Edney founded the church, in 1798 in the Phrophet's Room of the Shook House. He had established Swanino named for the Swannanoa Settlement near Asheville, settled in 1785, and became the first circuit west of the Blue Ridge, in 1793. He moved to today's Henderson County in 1796 where Edneyville was named for him. He was a friend and associate of Bishop Asbury and traveled with him from time to time. Edney died in 1844.

Louisa Chapel was first known as Camp Ground or Shook's Camp Ground. Until after his death in 1839, the society met in the home of Jacob Shook, or at the camp ground. Before his death, "Father Shook" gave the land upon which a log church was built. The church was named named for his unmarried grandaughter Louisa" daughter of David P Shook. The deed for the land on which the church stood was set to require that a church always operate on the premises or it would be returned to the Shook heirs.

W. G. Matton was an "outstanding minister" of the late 19th century recounted his experience of an 1881 camp meeting at "Shook's Campground". .." the people seem to have come for a sort of picnic or general horse trading, and very little desire seemed to be felt for supporting a revival meeting. The people would stay in their tents during the service and talk so loud as to disturb us at the stand, I was ablidged to call to them to stop." .. "It was a sad ending of a camp meeting and the only pleasant feature" .. " was the aged trumpeter Father Shook, who was 95 years of age and had blown the trumpet for 50 consecutive meetings" this was Jacob's son David P Shook, also known, as was Jacob Shook, as Father Shook in later life. "He seemed to enjoy being there very much, and was, I think, a very devoted old man."

Today Louisa has had a hard time remaining a congregation, mainly because of it's refusal over the years to associate with the other newer forms of Methodism. Even when the "new" Methodist Episcopalian Church was reconstituted in the south long after the Civil War, Louisa refused to join, preferring to remain true to its roots. It's "new" church building, built in 1960 is a testamet to the faith of Jacob Shook and his descendants and a monument to his contributions to the Methodism.

LOUISA CHAPEL DEED OF TRUST 1837

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