The Georgia Historical Commission marker placed here in 1956 reads: The first Camp Meeting was held on this site in 1828 by a “few scattered Methodists” before any Methodist Church in the area was organized. William Hendry, William Blair and Hamilton W. Sharpe, as a committee, selected the site. Rev. Adam Wyrick was the first visiting preacher. In 1831 Sion and Enoch Hall deeded the land on which the Camp Ground stood to the Methodist Episcopal Church. Housed first in a brush-arbor, the weeklong meetings were held without interruption until 1881. Then the camp meetings ceased and the nearby church was built. Meetings were practically continuous each day from sunrise until after “candle-lighting.”
The sign on the church states that the present building dates to 1856, which is plausible considering the architecture, but according to the two sources I have consulted, the date is 1881.
For those that don’t know the history of this church, many black Americans were brought & buried here after being lynched. I’m sure there are no markers or headstones for them.
I wasn’t aware of that aspect of the history but would like to know more. There should certainly be a commemoration of it. I’m not an apologist for slavery, Jim Crow white behavior, or racism of any form and only wish there was a way to get this information. I’d absolutely share it.
Also, if you know someone who knows more about it, through oral history or written, I’d welcome communication from them.
My grandparents and great grand parents and many other relatives are buried here. I remember as a child visiting every summer my grandmother, we always had to go see the ones who had gone on before us. I don’t know why people think cemeteries are scary…really they are quite peaceful. It is full of family history.
You could contact the Reverend John Harrington, the current pastor. He has several histories of the Campground church, one of which was written by his father (a history professor) before 1940. There are many graves in the cemetery belonging to early settlers of the area.
It’s such a wonderful place. I understand that it was the earliest settlement in the county, even earlier than Morven. The cemetery is amazing!