Tag Archives: Churches of Wilcox County GA

First Baptist Church, 1918, Rochelle

From their website (abridged): The First Baptist Church of Rochelle was organized in 1888 with the Rev. T. B. Fuller and the Rev. J. C. Andrews constituting the Presbytery. There were 14 charter members.

The first place of meeting was in a wooden store house located on the southeastern corner of First Avenue and Gordon Street. Services were later held in a school building on the corner of Lee Street and Sixth Avenue and for some months in the Methodist Church. In 1892, the membership began worshiping in their partially completed building which was located on the corner of Gordon Street and Third Avenue. The same wooden building was being used twenty years later when the membership had increased to 158 and classrooms were needed. Plans were formulated for a new building to be built on the same site where the old building stood. That necessitated moving the old building and making arrangements with Masons for the use of their building as a place for worship. Finally, in April 1917, the new brick building was begun and was completed May, 1918 The total cost of the church without furnishings was $23,047.00 On April 27, 1919, Dr. Walter M. Lee preached the dedication sermon. The building was designed by J. J. Baldwin, Architect of Anderson, South Carolina, who made a specialty of designing church buildings.

This is actually a perspective view of the church, as I was unable to make a photograph of the front, but I think it illustrates the architecture well. J. J. Baldwin and other architects of the era must have really liked this style, as there are scores of similar churches throughout the country.

Pope City Baptist Church, Wilcox County

Pope  City Baptist Church was established in 1903. A larger modern sanctuary  on the same property has replaced this structure.

Holsey Temple C.M.E. Church, Rochelle

This handsome church has recently been restored. I hope to learn more about its history.

Pharmer Chapel A.M.E. Church, Rochelle

There’s no sign at this church and I can’t determine if it’s active or not. It’s a nice form. Thanks to Alice Knipp Garnto, who had previously photographed it, for the identification.

Pine City Church, Wilcox County

This congregation was established in 1892 and was known as Pine City Holiness Baptist Church for most of its history. I’m unsure when it was built.

Seville Methodist Church, 1891, Seville

This congregation began as Seville Methodist Episcopal (M. E.) Church, South, on 22 July 1891. It followed the general evolution of Methodism to serve later as Seville Methodist and finally Seville United Methodist. The last service was held 22 June 1999. As of July 1999, it was incorporated as Historical M. E. Church, South.

Abbeville Methodist Church, 1892

This church originally had a steeple. It’s the oldest church structure in Abbeville, to my knowledge. I recall, quite a few years ago now, when they were re-roofing this church. I was amazed at how anyone could do work on such a steep roof, and I still am.

New Hope Primitive Baptist Church, Wilcox County

Though this building (located behind a more modern church home) has long been in disuse, it represents an important development in Baptist history. It is not the first New Hope Church building, whose congregation is described in the Georgia historic marker text seen below, but it’s part of the story. I am unsure to the date of its construction, but judging the architecture, I’d guess it’s circa 1880-1910.

New Hope Primitive Baptist Church was constituted in July 1830. The presbytery officiating were: Wilson Conner, David Wood and Jordan Baker. Minutes of the church for the first 12 years were lost, and there is no record of charter members, but the church roll of March 5, 1842, lists 53, many of them pioneers of this section. It was at New Hope Church that the division in the Primitive Baptist denomination occurred, when some withdrew and formed a Missionary Baptist Church.* The Rev. Richard M. Tucker was the first recorded pastor, in 1842. George R. Reid was clerk in 1842.

*Liberty Baptist Church in Brooks County is among the earliest Missionary Baptist church buildings still in existence, dating to 1841, and though contemporary to the rift outlined here, was part of a larger fringe movement of Mission work and Sunday schools seen as too “newfangled” by most traditional Baptists of the day.

Update: This church was demolished sometime in 2014.

 

Liberty Hill United Methodist Church, 1918, Wilcox County

Organized by Amos Milton Winslett (1853-1915) and Lucy F. Stanford Winslett (1844-1909) in 1885, Liberty Hill’s first home was a log cabin. A more permanent one-room frame church was built in 1890 and replaced by the present structure in 1918. A tornado did major damage to the church in 1936 but it was restored soon thereafter.