REV. AUGUSTUS SEEPARD 49 



His next pastorate was the First Baptist 

 Churcli at Charlotte. Dr. Shepard was a great 

 believer in the education of the youth, and one 

 of the first things he did after settling down in 

 Charlotte, was the erection of the Wharton JSTor- 

 mal and Industrial School; which work was 

 carried on by his successor, Dr. C. C. Somer- 

 ville, for some time, and afterward it passed 

 under the auspices of the Eowan Baptist Asso- 

 ciation, and was transferred to Salisbury, 'E. C, 

 under the name of Piedmont Institute. He 

 erected a parsonage, and then he laid the founda- 

 tion for the brick structure which was continued 

 under his successor. Dr. Somerville; but was 

 completed under its present pastor. Dr. P. S. 

 Lewis. This is regarded as the best church 

 structure in :N'orth Carolina. As characterized 

 his pastorate everywhere, great spiritual awak- 

 enings followed in this church. And it may be 

 said of this membership that nowhere in North 

 Carolina, or out of it, can there be found a 

 more loyal, hustling crowd. Dr. Shepard be- 

 lieved in long pastorates only in exceptional 

 cases, and whenever it occurred to him that 

 some one else might do better, or that he might 

 do better elsewhere, over the protests and admo- 

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