Brick Church
The actual beginning of the church dates back to the mid 1740's when George Valentine Clapp, and later his brother John Ludwig Clapp, came to the Beaver Creek area of North Carolina from Pennsylvania. The church was a German Reformed Church. The name of the church changed several times. The Church on Beaver Creek was the first name; The Klapp Church (Der Klapp Kirche) was the second name; and The Brick Church was the third name, given to it after construction about 1813.
According to the original record book that was transcribed by Rev. D. I. Offman, typed from a carbon copy of Rev. D. I. Offman’s translation by Calvin Hinshaw, and proof read by Hinshaw and David Holt (1959), "Congregation on Beaver Creek in Orange County [now the eastern part of present-day Guilford County], North Carolina, and is the beginning, at the time, Anno Domini 1772, and Samuel Suther a preacher of the Reformed Church by the Grace of God in Christ Jesus Our Lord. - Til December 16, 1791.”
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Directions to get to Brick Church: Head south from Greensboro, NC on NC 61, past Interstate 85. After the golf course, take a left on Holt's Store Road. A short distance down the road, to the left, is the Brick Church.
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Below Left: A marker posted on Holt's Store Road. Below Right: A marker at the front of the church. This marker reads "OLD BRICK CHURCH Built in 1813 by descendants and neighbors of George Valentine and John Ludwig Clapp. All the brick were hand made on site. The NC classis of the Reformed Church was organized here in 1831. Restored in 1998 through donations made to The Brick Church Preservation Fund. Bruce Clapp, President."
Below: The church and cemetery as viewed from Holt's Store Road.
Facts about Brick Church, as told by Reverend Jon Bailey (j619264@yahoo.com) (3699 Brick Church Road, Burlington, NC, 27215, 336-449-6034) and recorded by Mary Lue Finch on a visit to the Church on April 19, 2006 with Sandra Henson, Susan Snyder, and Helen Leach... all descendents of Ludwig Albright (#221) and Anna Maria Keller (#222), who are buried in the church cemetery.
The bricks were made at the church with clay placed into wooden molds. The glass windows were made somewhere nearby. The panes are different colors according to the ingredients used. There are original panes in the windows and the glass appears to waiver. The church was originally heated by wood stoves, but now by gas. The acoustics are very good because of all the wood.
Originally the women entered one of the front doors and sat on one side of the church. Men entered the other front door and sat on the other side of the church. The slaves entered the back door, climbed an enclosed staircase, and sat in the balcony.
There are square holes cut in some of the pews on the right side of the church. The church had multi purposes. Poles were put in these holes to hold curtains to separate Sunday School classes. The church still has Easter sunrise services, Christmas Eve services, and weddings.
The church is very warm after the stove is on and the church is filled with people.
At the rear of the church is a small museum. Hanging on the wall is a blanket or throw, made to sell to make money for the rebuilding of the church. The history of the people (Germans) who came from PA are depicted on the throw. Church rebuilding, completed in 1998, was mostly supported by Clapp family members.
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Below: The tombstones of Ludwig Albrecht and Anna Maria Keller Albrecht.
Left: The stone reads: "Ludwig Albrecht ist gebohren den 11 Nofember A0 1731 und is gestorban d 16 Nofember A0 1810 ist a w 79 1 5D." Ludwig was age 79 y 5 d when he died.
Church records show that Ludwig is the son of John of Henry.
Left: The stone reads: "Anna Maria Allbrecht in ist gebohren den Nofember Anno 1733 und ist gestorben den 10 iuni anno 1803 und ist alt worder 69 7 Monat weniger 1 Tag" Anna was age 64 y 7 m less 1 day when she died.
Church records say that Anna Maria Keller is w/o Ludwig.
