Providence Methodist Church is located just up the old Unicoi Turnpike from Traveler’s Rest, and its history is closely linked to that landmark. Originally, a wood-framed structure was built at the site in 1857 by Devereaux Jarrett, owner of Traveler’s Rest (aka Jarrett Manor). Some accounts note that Black members were present, but I’m not sure if that refers to slaves or post-Civil War laborers. According to Katheryn Trogdon’s The History of Stephens County, Georgia, the church did double duty as a school house in the early 1920s. Due to deterioration of the building, it was torn down in the mid-1940s and replaced by the present structure. The Jarrett descendants still live nearby and act as unofficial custodians of the church. Though no longer affiliated with the Methodists, they’re still a small but active congregation.

Of particular interest to me are some of the early gravestones, which I will detail in the next post.