A few days ago we had the privilege of examining an old record book which is in the possession of John Deaton, of Claypool. This brings an account of the Sunday school at Grove Chapel, beginning in May 1880 and continuing on for several years.

Matters of record include the names of the teachers, memory verses committed, and pennies contributed to the collection. What makes the account more interesting is that the building in which this Sunday school was held is still standing today.

In 1865 a society of the Evangelical association was organized in the area just southeast of the present site of Claypool. For three years this group met in a nearby schoolhouse and at the homes of their members. In 1868 this society erected a frame church building which is the subject of this account today. The 1879 atlas gives the membership of the Grove Chapel church as 52.

This 85-year old frame building is located 1 1/2 miles east and 1 1/2 miles south of Claypool. On the tombstones in a cemetery beside the building are carved the names of many of the adherents of this Evangelical church society--many of the same names that appear in the old Sunday school record mentioned above.

Mr. and Mrs. Deaton attended this church in the period around 1910 and remember the church and Sunday school well. They recall that a pastor by the name of Rev. Buck served the church at that time.

The Evangelicals continued meeting in Grove Chapel until about 1914, when they sold the building to a Grange organization and disbanded.

In more recent years a number of people from Kentucky have moved into the Grove Chapel community. They wished to start a Pentecostal church and purchased the building from Eli Smith of Claypool, who owed the structure at that time. This church group still owns the building and still holds occasional meetings there.

Warsaw Times-Union Wed. July 8, 1953