This congregation was established in 1860 and first met in a structure that also served as a schoolhouse. It was replaced in 1880 after a fire but that structure was also lost. The present church building was erected in 1904.
Thanks to Fred Cooper for suggesting that I photograph this church, as well as the two houses that follow. He writes: I spoke to my mother yesterday and my brother about the Church. They did a lot of research years ago but there was not a lot kept as archives. The Church constituted in 1900 and built the sanctuary. Construction was completed in 1901 and the first services were held in the sanctuary. Mr. Surrency who owned a lot of the town at that time donated two lots next to each other for a Baptist and Methodist Church. The Baptists built first and the Methodists sold their lot to Mr. Johnson who built the house next door and the Methodists built their Church across town. The Church was up for the National Historic Register at one time due to the unique tall steeple on a small Church but the congregation was told that they had added too many modern touches and built Sunday school Rooms on back. The Johnson House is on the register.
From the church history via the South Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church: In 1881, Adeline Hall and Graham Davis gave the land for the church and the cemetery. Lemuel Johnson donated the material for the building and also the services of his architect, William Armitage, and his master builders. Armitage, who was English, designed the church using the rural English churches as models. The master builders included C. W. Clarke from Sweden, J. W. Gill from England and John Welch from Scotland. The Graham Methodist Church was organized around 1885 and the first building was constructed in 1885-86. The cemetery is across the road.
Organized by Maggie Overstreet, the Methodist congregation at Surrency dates to 1903. A log cabin was used for services until the present church was constructed.
This African-American church appears to have been abandoned for a few years.