The History of Woodlawn

A Mayfield Presbyterial Missionary, Rev. Tom Harris, organized Woodlawn Cumberland Presbyterian Church in 1927. With no formal church building, the thirteen charter members met in the old Farley School Building.

Rev. S. P. Tucker, the first pastor called to serve the congregation is largely responsible for the existence of the church, as he preached the "Who-So-Ever-Will" gospel to the people many times before they desired to establish a church.

On 3 January 1929, the congregation bought some lots and a church building was erected and dedicated on 20 December 1931, by the Rev. D. W. Fooks and the Rev. E. R. Ladd preached the dedication sermon.

In addition to a new church building, the congregation was fortunate in securing a church bell, which was in fact, older than the church.

The bell was once used on a tugboat called the GLEAMER that plied the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers when after many years of faithful service for the West Kentucky Coal Company, the boat was scrapped and one of the company officials, Mr. Thacker, donated the bell to Woodlawn.

For many years, each Lord's Day, that bell rang out its appeal for the people of the community to prepare for worship in God's holy place. Today, the same bell sits quietly in the Estelle Belt meditation garden, between the two church buildings.

In the fall 1933, the services of Rev. R. T. Mitchell were contracted for one-half time for twelve months and the payment promised for these services was the Sunday offering.

Then in the spring of 1936, the Rev. S. P. Tucker was promised a free will offering for one-half time.

Record flooding in 1937 covered the Farley area and approximately four feet of water was measured inside the church building. Boards from the church pews were used to build a boat to navigate the waters and all the residents of the area moved to other places for about a month and church services were suspended for a period of time.

Rev. Glenn Moore became pastor in 1941 having preaching one Sunday a month to two Sundays a month until 1943 when Rev. Moore was called to be full time pastor.

In April of 1947, the Rev. Moore accepted a church in Campbellsville, Kentucky, and a chaplain just of military service, the Rev. E. R. Ladd, succeeded him.

A new building was started in April 1954 and six months later, on October 10, 1954, the first service was held in that building.

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