"Big White Stone"

Most people have seen this large white stone in front of the Groveville Methodist Church, inscribed with M.E. Church, but were unaware as to what its purpose was. The inscription is for Methodist Episcopal Church, this was the former name of most Methodist Churches; now known as The United Methodist Church.

This large white stone has been there, unmoved, for over one hundred years. Before Church Street was lowered and widened to improve the grade of Church Street this stone was at the level of the street.

This stone is known as a Carriage Stepping Stone. People arriving at church by carriage would stop at this stone and it would give them a safe and sturdy place to dismount their carriage or horse. Most carriage steps attached to the carriage are high off the ground to allow for ground clearance, but are inconvenient for those dressed for church.

I learned this the same way I try to pass on little bits of knowledge on to my daughter Kati. One day as I was walking home from church with my father, Ken, he said to me, bet you don’t know what that is, of course I had no idea, and he explained it to me. Doing research and asking questions of others proved he was right, not that I doubted him.

It’s amazing the things we pass every day and take them for granted, to most it’s just a “Big White Stone” that has been there forever and hopefully always will be.

To me as a kid it was a place to sit and eat your penny candy on your way home from Jo Hepburn’s store, cause if you took that candy all the way home your Mom would not let you eat it all.