Georgia: Elbert County: Elberton First United Methodist Church ==================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store this file permanently for free access. This file was contributed by: Chandler Eavenson http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00030.html#0007294 ================================================================== Church records Elberton First United Methodist Church The following is taken from an article which appeared in the Elberton Star newspaper on 1 Feb 1974. "Although Elbert County had Methodist and Baptist Churches before 1800 there was no church in Elberton until the organization of the First United Methodist Church in 1815 (formerly known as the Methodist Episcopal Church, South- until 1939;then The Methodist Church until 1968.) Therefore, the First church within the city limits of Elberton was the First Methodist Church. "On October the 18th, 1815, Archalus Jarrett, Gabriel Christian, Thomas Oliver, Absalom Stinchcomb and James Banks purchased, as Trustees a parcel of land from Thomas Jones, for the use of the Broad River Circuit of the Methodist Episcopal Church for the consideration of five hundred dollars. This parcel contained three fourths of an acre of land. On the land described (the site of the present Elbert County High School on College Avenue) was built a small white frame building with a bell in it's steeple. "In 1848 Dr. Henry Bourne, an Elberton physician, gave the church 2 1/2 acres of land on the corner of Church and Thomas Streets. Here a larger one room white frame building with a steeple was erected. Soon a church yard developed behind it. This larger building was erected almost on the site of the red brick building which up until recently housed the Harris- Allen Library (shich became the city library now on Heard Street) and also the Masonic Lodge which met upstairs. "The former building on College Avenue (then Elbert St.) became the village school house, taking the place of the ancient one-room building housing the local school. "The church remained in the Elbert Circuit until 1880 and services were held twice a month on Saturdays and Sundays. The Elberton Church was made a station in 1880 with J. H. Baxter, pastor. In 1881 a bell was purchased and on it are molded the names of the Pastor and Board of Stewards. This bell is being used and housed in the belfry of the present structure. "When the Reverend J. W. Roberts, who later was president of Wesleyan College at Macon, was pastor, the seed was sown for a new Sanctuary. This seed sown did not produce fruit until three years later. When the Rev. J. B. Robins was pastor (1888-1889), the present Sanctuary was built, and a pipe organ was installed, but was not used for some time due to the opposition of some of the older members. In 1908 the brick church was covered with stucco." [Submitted by: Chandler Eavenson]