James Duke, Jr., notes that the church was organized in 1852. A memorial to the Reverend James Bradford Smith, placed in the churchyard in 1853, indicates that the congregation worshiped on this same property from its formation.
Oglethorpe Methodist Church, 1892
See HIstory of the South Ga. Conference, United Methodist Church, 1866-1984 for a sketch of Oglethorpe M.E.Ch.,S. p.159. The Arthur J. Moore Methodist Museum at Epworth-by-the-Sea, St.Simons Island houses the Conference Archives and may have some more information. Organization date is given as 1852; present building 1892. Church bell was slated to be turned over to Confederate Govt. for war use in 1865, but war ended and bell returned to tower.
Thanks, James. Many of the church histories are now online at the South Georgia Conference website, but Oglethorpe’s has apparently not been added yet. This is very helpful.
I attended a couple of MYF subdistrict meetings at that church in the mid-1960’s. I am glad to see it still looking good.