Providence Church and Cemetery

Side A Providence was a gathering spot for pioneers in the Haw River basin. Many families and denominations during the eighteenth century used this cemetery. Many early settlers including members of the Turrentine, Sellars, Holt, Harden, Andrews, Trollinger and Long families are buried here. When the Christian denomination was founded in 1792, Providence became one of its first churches under the influence of founder James O'Kelly.One of the earliest schools in the area, Providence School trained leaders for the young state. One of the earliest public libraries was here. Side B Located on the stagecoach line, Providence hosted the organizational meeting of Alamance County on April 24, 1849. The Orange County Court previously had met in Providence Church and the first meetings of the Alamance Court were in the church. Meeting at Providence in September 1888, the Christian Convention voted to establish a new church school that led to the founding of Elon College. Providence's pastor, Dr. William S. Long, became the first president of the new college.This Providence Church building, erected 1872, was moved 225 feet south to expand the cemetery. Original site in cemetery is denoted by granite markers.