The Rev. Harold Thomas’ 14 years as rector of St. John’s were characterized by an energetic ministry to the wider Florence community and tremendous growth in the membership of the parish. The years that followed, fondly referred to by many as the “Poynor Era,” seem to have been a less frenzied time. The effects of two world wars and the Great Depression certainly contributed to the more sedate mood of these years; however, stories of parish life suggest that the primary factor was the gentle spirit of the new rector: Wilmer Smith Poynor.
Author Nick Zeigler introduces the chapter on Mr. Poynor in Refugees and Remnants thusly:
“Perhaps we do not produce such exciting saints as the Roman Catholic tradition – ours are of a more workaday kind. But, if diligence, humility, humor, and a transcendent holiness are the marks of sainthood, most Anglicans will feel that they have been privileged to know scores of people who, if they had happened to be Roman Catholic, would be suitable for canonization.” 1 The next rector of Saint John’s was one of those people.
Rev. Poynor (1877-1962) became rector of St. John’s on March 1, 1918 and served until July 1, 1946. He was born in Eutaw, Alabama, attended a private school run by his father, and graduated from the University of the South (where he played football) with a Bachelor of Arts degree (1903) and a Divinity degree (1907). Mr. Poynor was ordained a priest in 1908, after which he served as City Missionary in Columbia. He was named rector of St. Andrew’s (Birmingham, AL) in 1915, where he served until answering the call to Florence.
In 1914, after the death of his first wife, Poynor married Mamie Grace Squire (1885-1962). She taught English and history at Florence High School from 1929-1946. At the time of Poynor’s retirement, the Florence School Board voted to name the junior high school on Dargan Street “Poynor School” in honor of both Rev. and Mrs. Poynor.
All sources indicate that Mr. Poynor was exceptionally dear to parishioners. It seems only fitting that stories of his legacy be told by those who knew and remember him. If you have memories that you would like to share, please contact Tammy at the parish office (662-5585). These personal remembrances will be printed in the next edition of The Good News Extra. For now, the following outline offers a general overview St. John’s and the Florence community during Mr. Poynor’s tenure. *
11/11/18 World War I ends
- 33 members of St. John’s served in the armed forces; none were killed or seriously wounded.
- During the war, the women of Florence established various services to assist soldiers passing through town. Among these was the Blue Bird Tea Room, organized by St. John’s parishioner Jane Beverly Evans.
1918 The East Florence Mission established by Rev. Harold Thomas was abandoned and the property sold. The altar cross was placed in the chapel at Camp St. Christopher.
1918-19 Flu Epidemic – More SC citizens died in the epidemic than in WWI military service.
1918-20 Debate over whether or not to buy property at corner of Irby and Cheves to build a new church building. Some felt a new parish house was a greater need. The parish house won out and plans for its construction began in earnest in September 1920. The cornerstone was laid on December 16, 1921. The new parish house was dedi- cated as a memorial to Mrs. Frances Church.
1920 The 19th Amendment passes, giving women the right to vote.
1922 A strike by workers at the Atlantic Coast Line Shops resulted in over 100 families leaving Florence and ended St. John’s outreach programs to the railroad workers, a ministry instituted by the Rev. Harold Thomas.
1922 The state was divided into two dioceses. The Rev. Kirkman George Finley was the first Bishop of the Upper Diocese of South Carolina.
1923 Formation of the Young Peoples Service League was approved by the diocese. Its purpose was to promote involvement of youth in church. St. John’s organized immediately. Among other efforts to interest the youth, tennis courts were built on property behind the church.
1923-24 Mr. Poynor joined the newly established Lions Club. Rotary and Kiwanis were also established during this time period.
1924 The Florence Country Club was incorporated. Mr. Poynor and future rectors became members.
9/18/28 Diocesan Convention held at St. John’s - Mr. Poynor was nominated to succeed Bishop Guerry, but the Rev. Albert Sidney Thomas, brother of St. John’s former rector Harold Thomas, was elected. The convention was held in the midst of a hurricane; those delegates bold enough to travel through the storm voted by candlelight. A memorial to Bishop Guerry was given in the church he helped build and where he was ordained. (Readers may recall that Guerry was shot by a visiting clergyman on June 5, 1928 and died four days later.)
1929 The Great Depression – St. John’s saw its income drop from $10,235.74 in May 1929 to $5,750.33 in May 1933. The rector’s salary dropped from $3,000 in May 1929. Neither the rector’s salary nor income returned to the pre-Depression level until 1945.
1930 Parishioners Philip H. Arrowsmith, Sr. and Peter H. McEachin ran against each other for state senator. Author Nick Zeigler writes that meetings between the two families at church gatherings “created tensions somewhat like encounters between the Montagues and Capulets.”2 McEachin was elected; Arrowsmith died in a 1931 auto accident.
1939 This year marked the 50th anniversary of the construction of the church building. To celebrate the occasion, the narthex was added and the eight stained glass windows that surround the nave were commissioned. Recent newsletter articles (including one in this issue) have documented the history behind these windows. They were made by Charles J. Connick of Connick Studios in Boston and dedicated on June 26, 1949.
1939-45 The World War II era saw the opening of an air base in Florence, bringing service men to town.
- The women of the church, encouraged by Mr. Poynor, held social events for those airman who were training at the base.
- A junior vestry was created to help increase participation of the congregation in the work of the church.
- More parishioners served in the military during WWII than in WWI; four members were killed in service. A plaque, located in the narthex, was given in memory of these parishioners.
1/18/44 Diocesan Convention held at St. John’s. As in 1928, the main order of business was to elect a new bishop. The Rev. Thomas Neely Carruthers (1900-1960) became the 10th Bishop of the Diocese of South Carolina. He was the first SC bishop who had never been rector of a church in SC.
7/1/46 Mr. Poynor retired from active ministry. He had wanted to retire earlier, but the vestry persuaded him to stay until the end of the war. An interfaith gathering was held at Central United Methodist Church on June 9, 1946 to honor Mr. Poynor. Nick Zeigler writes that some members of the vestry hoped that the Rev. Moultrie Guerry, son of Bishop Guerry, would be St. John’s new rector, but the congregation supported calling a younger minister who would relate to parish youth. With that, the era of Parson Poynor drew to a close and that of the Rev. Louis Haskell began.
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