The Fire And Brimstone Patriot

In the late eighteenth century there was a new wave of ideals sweeping the British colonies in America. The citizens of these lands thought of themselves more as free Americans than as subjects to the crown, and this idea was only compounded with each new generation born upon these soils. These new idealist felt that they should govern themselves with laws and taxes that they felt fit and that they should have the freedom to practice the religion of their choosing. One of these idealists was a young Pennsylvanian by the name of John Herrington.



John Herrington
His only picture on his 100th Birthday



On January 1, 1759, John Herrington was born in Pennsylvania to John and Martha (Berkley) Herrington. John was born into a developing area still hostile with wild game and frequent Indian Raids. In 1763, during the closing days of the French and Indian War, the Herrington family fled from an Indian attack; however, both of John parents died in this attack leaving the four year old boy orphaned. John was raised by a couple in the community that was devoutly faithful and taught the word of the Lord to the young lad.

When the Revolution broke out John soon enlisted with Captain John Redman’s company attached to the 11^th Pennsylvania Regiment.  While in service John fought under General “Mad” Anthony Wayne in 1777 at the Battle of Brandywine, and again at the Battle of Paoli, where the regiment took heavy casualties.  Herrington spent the fateful winter of 1777-78 encamped at Valley Forge and saw his last engagement of the war at the Battle of Monmouth under Aaron Burr, before being mustered out of service.



 

The Herrington Homestead
Augusta Township, Carroll County, Ohio

After the war, John Herrington moved to Jefferson County, Ohio settling down and began a family. He married Hannah Marshall in 1791, and to this union eleven children were born.  In July of 1816, he purchased land in Augusta Township, Columbiana County (present day Carroll County), from Frederick Woods for $1000. Here John built a large stone house for his family from rock quarried from the farm.  Soon after, for each of his seven boys, John bought and cleared land and built each a house and planted an orchard. He often boasted that he enjoyed the fruits from all seven farms, which filled him with great pride.

Bethel Herrington Church
Augusta Township, Carroll County, Ohio

The Herrington Homestead became a gathering point for the local community as Methodist Prayer and Class Meetings were held here until 1825. At that time Herrington deeded one acre and nine perches of land to the church trustees for the erection of a church and cemetery. At this point the men of the church harvested trees from the site and hand hewn them for constructing the log church.  In 1841, there was a great revival held at this old church where 80 people were converted.  However, John Herrington realized around this time that the old church was starting to show its age and look dilapidated. So according to legend in 1843, John Herrington walked up to the old church feeling it a sin to hold worship in a place such as it looked, took out all of its contents and lit that church on fire. He then walked down and sat on his front porch and watched the church burn.  After the last ember went out, John said “let us have a lasting structure made of stone, of which I have the stone quarry on my farm.” At the age of 84, John Herrington helped quarry the stone from his farm and laid the cornerstone in 1843.  He donated all the stone for the church with the condition that the church doors forever remain open for the people to come and worship.

John Herrington was always a devout Whig and later Republican, and at the age of 100 he walked the three miles to Augusta to cast his vote for the new Republican Party’s candidate, Abraham Lincoln.  Two years after this at the age of 103, John Herrington passed away on May 18, 1862.

The stone Herrington House can still be seen today, located near the intersection of Andora and Arbor Road in Augusta Township, Carroll County, Ohio. Moreover, across the country road atop the hill is Bethel-Herrington Church that John Herrington helped build in 1843. In the old churchyard behind the stone building lies the grave of the fire and brimstone patriot, John Herrington.





John Herrington's Grave
Bethel Herrington Church Cemetery
Augusta Township, Carroll County, Ohio

References:
1.Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), Ancestor #051434
2.DAR, Patriot Index Centennial Edition, Part 2, p.1319
3.Pennsylvania's Online Digital Archives
4.1810 Tax List of Jefferson County, Ohio
5. 1820, 1830, 1840,1850,1860 United States Federal Census Records
6. Woodward, Taylor C., History of Augusta Township, 1966. p 9.