The only information I’ve been able to locate on the history of Wesley Chapel, in the forgotten community of Beatrice, is that it was established in 1838.
That date comes from the old South Georgia Conference-provided sign at the front of the church. The sign is of a type used by the conference in the 1930s-1940s or thereabouts.
An architectural survey dates the present structure to 1890. The stained glass windows appear to be later additions.
Perhaps as interesting as the church itself is the historic cemetery which lies adjacent to the structure. The earliest burials I noted dated to the early 1840s. The cemetery affords excellent views of the surrounding countryside and is characterized by two large enclosures made of local stone. They are great examples of early vernacular funerary architecture.
The shady respite of the Sims Plot is enclosed by a local stone fence, abundant with Resurrection Fern.
The plot of pioneer Thomas Turner House [18 April 1787-14 June 1851] & Elizabeth Young House [20 Jun 1787-5 December 1863] and family is made of local red stone and is a massive enclosure.
A gate once guarded the plot but is long gone.
The fence was well built and has survived largely intact, though this section has collapsed. It is likely descendants have made repairs over the years.
Update: I drove past this site in early December 2023 and the church has been demolished. There’s just a patch of red clay where it once stood.
Wesley Chapel was a part of the Lumpkin Charge for many years, including 1957-62, when my late father, Rev. J. Earl Duke, Jr., was pastor. At first, services were held one Sunday afternoon a month. Later, during Dad’s pastorate, they switched to two 9:30 (or maybe 9:45) Services a month; on those Sundays Dad would miss Sunday School at Lumpkin and make it back just in time for the 11:00 am Service at Lumpkin.
In 1959 I enrolled at Auburn to study architecture. The membership wanted to partition off a part at the back for a Fellowship Hall and to add a side door, since the entrance on the side where most parked was the door to the left (facing front) of the end. That meant people walked in right beside the Preacher; an inconvenience if running late! My sister and I drove out and measured everything and I drew up a plan for the improvements, which a local contractor carried out. That was one of my two “building plans” ever executed. In 1961 I changed majors, headed for seminary and a career at a Methodist pastor. While the church was still active, I was told they kept my “plans” in the piano bench!
Diminishing population in the area eventually led to Wesley Chapel being discontinued, with the remaining members joining Lumpkin UMC. Good memories there, including the “spread” the ladies would put on tables in the yard at Homecoming and when they hosted the “Charge Conference”, for the four churches on the Charge (Lumpkin, Providence, Sardis, and Wesley Chapel.)
I grew up next door to and attended Wesley Chapel, much information is available about its history, most notably the donation of the schoolhouse to nearby Green Grove AME
Gillian, I’d be grateful if you could email me a contact for this information. wbrianbrown@gmail.com