Centennial Christian Church is located just south of the Greene County line in Hancock County. The congregation has served the families of the area for over a century and the church and grounds are beautifully maintained.
The only history I can locate regarding this historic church was written by Sarah Waller McCleskey circa 1951. She did note that since the records of the congregation have been lost or misplaced over time she was unable to authenticate dates. What follows is abridged from her history.
A congregation first met here in a brush arbor and then a church known as Piney Grove Meeting House. Upon construction of the present structure in 1790, it became known as Smyrna Methodist Church. It is believed to be the second oldest Methodist congregation in Georgia. Bishop Francis Asbury reportedly preached here while the church was under construction. [Mrs. McCleskey’s account states that the construction date of 1790 “is attested by the foundation, which is constructed of hewn sills joined with wooden pegs”. Though it is an indicator of an era of construction, it is not a definitive way to accurately date the structure, which I believe to be of 19th century origin.]
While Mrs. McCleskey wrote that some gravesites “show the marks of time to such an extent that that the names on the markers are scarcely legible”, I only saw memorials from the late 19th and the 20th centuries. I wish I’d had time to explore further because it is a delightful spot.
This historic church was built in 1924 in memory of Bishop Lucius Henry Holsey, D. D (3 July 1842-3 August 1920). Bishop Holsey was the son of his enslaver, a white man named James Holsey. During his youth, he taught himself to read, which under the racial laws of the time was a crime. He was baptized in the Methodist Church. After emancipation, he became the Bishop of the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church. An enlightened man who saw education as the best hope for his people, he founded Paine College in Augusta in 1883. At the time of his death in Atlanta in 1920, Holsey was one of the most influential African-Americans in the South.
Reverend W. A. Kelley was pastor at the time. Trustees of the church were: A. D. Latimer; J. W. N. Clay; G. B. Taylor; H. L. Wynn; B. Ford; Thomas Dixon; O. L. Cain; Wilbor Clay; M. Birch; and A. H. Gilbert. R. E. White was the architect. Compass Lodge No. 160, A. F. & A. M. laid the cornerstone on 7 September 1925.
The first Methodist congregation associated with Devereux, Ebenezer, was located about ten miles away. It moved nearby in 1857 and was named Reynolds Chapel for its pastor. The present structure was built in 1910-1911 and dedicated by Bishop W. A. Candler in 1911. The name was changed at that time to Devereux Methodist Church. It remains a small but active congregation.
After Reverends J. R. King and B. E. L. Timmons held a revival in 1890, the Linton Methodist Church was formed soon thereafter and the congregation built this church, still in use, between 1890 and 1891.
Linton Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
This congregation dates to at least 1835, when a meeting house was first built by Methodists on this lot. By 1880 the church had grown to the point of needing a new building and the present structure was erected.
A small cemetery is located beside the church.
This unique church is the center of the Beulah Community.
Originally known as John Turner Memorial Church, this congregation dates to 1881.
Daniel Ashley Jewell, who made a fortune with his prosperous cotton mill on the Ogeechee River beginning in 1857, funded the building of this beautiful church. It was originally known as the Missionary Baptist Church of Christ at Jewell.
Jewell Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
Celebrating its bicentennial this year, Mt. Zion is one of Georgia’s most beloved and most visited historic churches. Organized in 1813, the congregation raised $700 to complete this structure.
Services were held here until 1903 when the membership had dwindled from 130 to less than 10. The trustees of Mt. Zion Methodist Church purchased the property that year and used the structure for services until 1958.
A Georgia Historical Commission Marker placed in 1966 gives insight into the early history of the church and its most famous member: Nathan S.S. Beman at Mt. Zion (Nov. 26, 1785 – Aug. 6, 1871) Nathan Sidney Smith Beman, Presbyterian minister, educator, editor, college president, after graduating from Middlebury College, Vermont, taught and preached in New England until 1812, when he came with his wife to Georgia to regain his health. “A man of intelligence and almost boundless energy,” Nathan Beman found unusual opportunities in Georgia where wealthy planters were banding together to establish centers of religious instruction and education for their children. In late 1812, Beman became teacher and pastor at Mt. Zion, an academy town founded by Hancock County planters in 1811. Some of the State’s leading families supported Mt. Zion Academy which became one of the most celebrated schools in Georgia. The outstanding men Beman attracted to teach contributed much to the state in educational and religious leadership. Offered the presidency of the University of Georgia, Beman accepted reluctantly and temporarily, resigning because of his wife’s illness and death in 1819. He continued to direct the Academy, to preach, and to edit The Missionary, a weekly gospel newspaper. In 1821 he married Mrs. Caroline Bird Yancey, mother of secessionist William Lowndes Yancey. In 1823, Nathan Beman and his wife moved to Troy, N.Y., where he continued his ministerial and clerical career.
Today, it’s a haven for photographers and students of history. It appeals to people of all faiths and no affiliations. It is a place of spirit.
