Organized December 12, 1949

            The church bears the name of Berry Hill taken from the Berry Hill Plantation. There had been a church on the site of the Berry Hill Plantation for at least 150 years prior to the building of this church that we are worshiping in today. The owners of the Berry hill estate in 1814 built the first church as a place of worship for their slaves. Rev. Stephen Taylor was the first minister to preach there in around the year 1814. In 1814, James Coles Bruce purchased Berry Hill Plantation and continued to have a minister preach to his slaves in that church. After the Civil War, however, the African American people remaining on the plantation did not attend the church regularly because there were other black churches being established for them in this area. Therefore, the building fell into disrepair. Sometime in the late 1800s, it was torn down by Alexander Bruce (then the owner of the plantation).

             About 1900, Bruce’s wife (Mary Evelyn Anderson Bruce) had a new church built, the building that we worship in today. Members of the Bruce family gave a marble plaquie (the one that is now on the back wall of the sanctuary). It was given in memory of Mary Evelyn Anderson Bruce, in testimony of her life. 

            Berry Hill Church, also called Bruce’s Chapel, remained the property of the Bruce family until March 17, 1949, when the title was transferred to the Trustees of the First Presbyterian Church of South Boston be Walter Coles Bruce and other members of the family. On December 14, 1949, members of the Berry Hill community petitioned Roanoke Presbytery to organize a church at Berry Hill as soon as the way was clear. According to the Presbytery minutes, a commission was set up to install Reverend John s. Brown as Pastor of the newly organized Berry Hill Church. The installation date was April 30, 1950.

            On September 1, 1950, The First Presbyterian Church gave the church to the Trustees of the newly organized Berry Hill Presbyterian Church. During Rev. John Brown’s pastorate, Sunday School rooms were added to the back of the church (in the early 1950s).

Ministers:

            Dr. Columbus Wirt Mawell                1915 to 1933

            Dr. Robert White Kirkpatrick             1933 to 1945

            Dr. John Brown                                   1946 to 1953 (Berry Hill’s first installed pastor)

            Rev. Hugh B. Carter                           1953 to 1958

            Dr. W. W. Glass                                1959 to 1972

Other pastors who have supported Berry Hill are as follows:

            Rev. John Hungarland

            Rev. Bob Helstrom

            Rev. Frank Riley

            Dr. Edmond Melvin

            Rev. Terry C. Blevins (current)

Special Thanks to the following for their contributions to the church:

            Thomas Lovelace who served as Adult Sunday School Teacher for several years

            Harriett Holt who served as organist for several years

            John Oliver Watkins, Addison Marable and John W. Boozer

Outside ministers who have served as moderators such as: Rev. Erik Myers (Clarksville); Bob Jackson (Oak Level Presbyterian Church); W T Manson (Martinsville) and Rev. Bill Young (Halifax)

Also Rev. George Good, Exec. Assoc. Presbyter who has preached for us and has held two officer training classes for all elders  

History above provided by Lynwood Ladd & Faye Tuck