Upper Benson Church
Upper Benson Creek • Franklin County, Kentucky
Sources:
- A History of the First Presbyterian Church, Frankfort, Kentucky by W. H. Averill (1901)
- Frankfort 200 Celebration 1786–1986 by Frankfort's 200th Birthday Historical Research Committee
- Capital on the Kentucky by Kramer
Transcribed By: Anne H. Lee
Organizational History & Evolution
In 1795, a small group of Presbyterians under the leadership of Samuel Shannon—a Princeton graduate and Presbyterian minister—formed the Upper Benson Church. Located in the hills of Upper Benson Creek, the congregation constructed an early log meeting house.
The church prospered, and in 1804 Shannon organized the Lower Benson Church near Bridgeport. Shannon served both congregations until his resignation in 1812.
Upper Benson Church was officially dissolved in 1822. Many of its members joined Lower Benson, and together in 1848 they constructed a more modern building on the Louisville Turnpike near Bridgeport (renamed Franklin Church).
Pulpit Supply Note: Pastors of the Frankfort Church (including Rev. Drs. Edgar, Baker, and Bullock) supplied the Upper Benson pulpit during vacancies, preaching regularly on Sabbath afternoons during pleasant weather when both Benson congregations typically worshiped together.
Ministers, Deacons & Ruling Elders
| Name | Role | Tenure / Service Years |
|---|---|---|
| Rannells, Rev. Samuel | Minister | 1799–1800 |
| Campbell, Dr. John B. | Minister | 1800–1802 |
| Cameron, Rev. Archibald | Minister | 1803–1805 |
| Shannon, Rev. Samuel | Minister | 1806–1812 |
| Smith, Rev. Eli | Minister | 1824–1829 |
| Hawthorn, Rev. James | Minister | 1829–1837 |
| Winston, Rev. D. M. | Minister | 1838–1840 |
| Lynn, Rev. E. K. | Minister | 1840–1843 |
| Proctor, Rev. D. C. | Minister | 1845 |
| Mills, Rev. Benjamin | Minister | 1846–1847 |
| Goodwin, Barclay | Deacon | 1841–1846 |
| Paxton, John H. | Deacon | 1841–1846 |
| Paxton, Thomas | Ruling Elder | 1795–1844 |
| Armstrong, Robert | Ruling Elder | 1795–1806 |
| Hamilton, Robert | Ruling Elder | 1800–1830 |
| Boyd, William | Ruling Elder | 1800–1830 |
| Hutton, James | Ruling Elder | 1827–1837 |
| Miller, Henry | Ruling Elder | 1827–1840 |
| Davidson, Matthew | Ruling Elder | 1830–1845 |
| McBrayer, James | Ruling Elder | 1830–1846 |
| Conner, Fielding L. | Ruling Elder | 1835–1846 |
| Kellogg, J. A. | Ruling Elder | 1841–1846 |
Upper Benson Church Members
| Member Name | Member Name | Member Name |
|---|---|---|
| Hugh Alexander | Marguerite Alexander | Ann (a slave) |
| Jane Armstrong | Robert Armstrong | Mrs. Pauline Baker |
| Mrs. Frances Bennett | Miss Ann Black | Miss Jane Black |
| Nancy Boyd | William Boyd | Mrs. Abigail P. Briggs |
| Miss Eliza Brown | Mrs. Elizabeth Brown | I (J.) Bacon Bush |
| Miss Sarah Bush | Mrs. Sarah Bush | Miss Susan Bush |
| Mrs. Daniel Carlin | Charles Carter | Mrs. Charles Carter |
| Jane Chapman | Ellen Clark | Abram Cofer |
| Barbara Cofer | Fielding L. Conner | Mrs. Jane Conner |
| Miss Mary N. Conner | Miss Kitty Ann Corban | Miss Sarah Corban |
| Hamilton Crockett | Elizabeth Davidson | James Davidson |
| Matthew Davidson | William Davidson | Miss Rebecca Davidson |
| Artemesia Ford | Miss Clarissa Ford | James Ford |
| Jerry Ford | Miss Mary Ford | Miss Elizabeth Ford |
| Miss Sarah Ford | Barclay Goodwin | Hannah Goodwin |
| Mary Goodwin | Norman Green | Miss Jane Hamilton |
| Mary Hamilton | Robert Hamilton | Hannah (a slave) |
| Hannah Hutton | James Hutton | John Hutton |
| Sarah Johnson | William Johnson | Mrs. Julia Ann Jett |
| Julia Ann (a slave) | Nancy (a slave) | Mrs. Fidelia Kellogg |
| J. A. Kellogg | Mrs. Elizabeth Lane | Mrs. Margaret Latta |
| Miss Mary Jane Latta | William Long | Mrs. H. B. Lynn |
| Elizabeth McBrayer | Miss Elizabeth McBrayer | Hiram McBrayer |
| James McBrayer | Jane McBrayer | Marcia McBrayer |
| George McCormack | Mrs. Elizabeth McFall | J. A. McGill |
| Mrs. Jane A. McGill | John A. McGill | John McGill |
| Miss Mahala McGill | Mrs. Margerite McGill | Mrs. Mary H. McGill |
| Matthew McGill | Miss Elizabeth McGinnis | Mary McKendrick |
| Mahala (a slave) | Mary (a slave) | Esther Mayhall |
| Miss Jane Mayhall | Timothy Mayhall | Lucy Milam |
| Benoni Nelson | Mrs. Frances Nelson | William Nelson |
| Miss Elizabeth Paxton | James Paxton | Miss Jane Paxton |
| John H. Paxton | Miss Mary T. Paxton | Miss Rebecca G. Paxton |
| Rebecca (Hogsett) Paxton | Miss Sarah E. Paxton | Thomas Paxton |
| George Reading | James Reading | John Reading |
| Eleanor Reed | Hankersoon Reed | James Reed |
| Samuel Reynolds | Charles Rice | William Rice |
| Nancy Richardson | Miss Rebecca Richardson | Mrs. Rebecca Richardson |
| Samuel Richardson | Mary Robinson | Mrs. Margerite Russell |
| Sam (a slave) | Rebecca Satterwhite | Miss Eliza Shannon |
| Henrietta Shannon | Miss Martha Shannon | Mrs. Martha Shannon |
| Mary Shannon | Miss Martha Ann Shannon | Samuel Shannon |
| Mrs. Ann Sharp | Miss Nancy Sharp | Sarah Sharp |
| Abraham Sharpe | Mrs. Ann Sharpe | Elizabeth Sharpe |
| Mrs. Susanna Sutton | Wm. M. Sutton | Martha Theobald |
| Mrs. Ann Tracey | Margerite Tracey | Sebritt Tracey |
| Miss Nancy Twyman | Allen Utley | Henry Utley |
| Miss Mary Utley | Mrs. Nancy Utley | William Utley |
| James Waddell | Mrs. Rachel Woodbury | Mrs. Elizabeth Wash |
| Miss Martha Wash | George Williams | — |