Macedonia Baptist Church

Early settlers in the valleys and mountains in the
Gloucester area of what was to become Transylvania County had to travel ten or
more miles to attend church services at Cathey’s Creek Baptist Church.  On today’s roads it takes half an hour or more
to travel those miles so imagine making the trip in the early 1800s.

By the 1840s there were several families interested in
establishing a church closer to home. 
They petitioned the Cathey’s Creek church to form their own
congregation.  On July 6, 1844 they held
their first service in the Gloucester school and selected the name Macedonia
for their church.

The little congregation grew and soon constructed a church
of split-logs.  Around 1900 the current
Macedonia Baptist Church was built.  It
is a typical white wooden country church with a gable roof, windows down both
sides and a small belfry.

In the early 1900s Joseph Silversteen’s Gloucester Lumber
Company logged thousands of acres in the area west of Rosman and north of Hwy.
64.  In 1923 he gave property to build a
schoolhouse for the children in the area around Macedonia Baptist Church.  The large, three-room school was built by Jim
Anders, Herbert Anders, Bill Anders and Kencie Meece.  It served the community for over 30 years
until being closed in 1956.  The school
and community became known as Silversteen and the name remains today.

Alligator Rock on Hwy. 215, photo courtesy of Bob Cole

Many of the men in the community worked in the Gloucester
Lumber logging camps to help support their families.  Later they became independent truckers
hauling logs to Canton several days a week. 
In her history of the Silversteen Community Rowena McCall Ashe tells
this story, “In the Gloucester community (as it was called back then) all the
truck owners only had one tag for all their trucks.  When they would haul a load to Canton they
always stopped on the way down 215 and got the tag from the top of Alligator
Rock.  When they returned they would stop
and put it back in its hiding place so the next trucker the next day could use
it.  Times were hard and they all stuck
together doing what they could to provide for their families.”

Photographs
and information for this column are provided by the Rowell Bosse North Carolina
Room, Transylvania County Library.  Visit
the NC Room during regular library hours (Monday-Friday) to learn more about
our history and see additional photographs. 
For more information, comments or suggestions contact Marcy at [email protected] or 828-884-3151 X242.