Gwinnett County GaArchives Church Records.....Loveless Chapel Copyright Date 1911 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Ann Anderson alabammygrammy@aol.com July 27, 2004, 3:43 am Loveless Chapel. In the development and progress of our country, and back when the large, unbroken forests, stretched for miles and miles, and when the strenuous bloody war of the sixties was over, the iron clad determination and stability of the remaining few of our men and women were none the less active. It was equally as important in the reconstruction days to call forth all our energies as it was in the days of destruction. All of those whose lives for one reason or another had been spared up until this time were bringing together all the efforts, energies, and influences they could for the sustenance of life. The untold fruits of these efforts, these energies and these influences which are handed down from our high-minded, honored, whole-souled, true christian, fathers and mothers are still being and will continue to be felt from generation to generation. Some of these fruits we see in the erection and maintenance of Loveless Chapel. During the year of 1865 which was one of the most trying and struggling years ever put on record for our Southern people, Mr. John G. Loveless with his small family moved and settled about six miles east of Lawrenceville, and one mile south of the Dr. S. H. Freeman place. There they lived comfortably and happily until December, 1886, when on the 15th day of that month Mrs. Sarah H. Loveless died and passed forever from her loved ones and many friends, all of whom loved her devotedly. Before she died, and. while lying on her sick bed looking out through the window on the hill top, she gave an expression of where she wanted to be buried, and there her body was laid to rest, which place marks the present site- of Loveless Chapel, and this was known as a family burying ground. She was the only person buried before the chapel was built and since this time there has been a family vault erected in which her remains were placed when it was completed. Continually from the time of Mrs. Loveless' death, her husband, Mr. John G. Loveless, felt a pressing need to make permanent the family cemetery in .which his devoted wife had been placed. Realizing all the time and being thoroughly conscious, that as families scatter and die the cemeteries are sometimes not kept up; and should ungodly, money seeking men become in possession of such property, it would be a matter of only a short time until the family burying ground would be destroyed and entirely forgotten. These burning facts and the anxiety for the establishing of something which would not be destroyed and done away with continued, to grow with Mr. Loveless as the years passed. The movement to build a house of worship was not only for the sake of the cemetery and those who might be buried there, but it carried with it a manyfold purpose. It was seen that there was an unsolicited field for doing good in this immediate vicinity, and that many people could be reached and made better, stronger, more influential, more powerful, and more happy by this attention, this advantage, this encouragement, and these surroundings. Many of these people for one reason or another would seldom attend worship at other places, and these were some of that part of this sinful, dying world, who are passing out of existance without having Jesus Christ brought and offered to them. The vacancy of a connecting link for communities was also felt at this place; the need of bringing communities closer together and causing each person to feel more like the other was his neighbor, was another added incentive for a building. With all these and many other things pressing heavily on him, Mr. John G. Loveless gave about one and a half acres of land for the building site of the chapel, and the location of South View cemetery, which is about one half mile south of Dacula. Loveless Chapel was erected in the early part of the year 1904. The funds for its erection were contributed by Mr. J. G. Loveless, his family, and friends who were interested in the .building of a house for public worship which would in part fill the need and the vacancy which was at this place. It was dedicated to the worship of the Lord in August of the same year, the dedication sermon being preached by Rev. H. N. Rainey, Winder, Ga., and at the same service the corner stone was laid by the Free Masons with appropriate and impressive services. The house, unlike many others, was built not for sectarian purposes, but is open to all true christian denominations; and its founder and promoters are glad to have religious services of all natures held there, which have for their object the furtherance of Christ and the upbuilding of christian religion. When you worship at this place you are worshiping in a house that was built for you; and you should be at perfect ease for it is your own home. Many religious services of different natures are frequently held there, including annual Sacred Harp singings, the date of which is the fourth Sunday in June. The first Mother's Day services held in this section were observed at this place the second Sunday in May, 1911, and it is the intention of those interested in the observance of this day to annually commemorate it at the same place. Hoping that the erection of this house may prove blessing to many in the future, and the interest at the place be perpetuated for many years to come, is the ch? desire of those most interested. Additional Comments: From: GWINNETT CHURCHES A COMPLETE HISTORY OF EVERY CHURCH IN GWINNETT COUNTY, GEORGIA, WITH SHORT BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF ITS MINISTERS BY J. C. FLANIGAN 1911 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/gwinnett/churches/gbb120loveless.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/ File size: 6.2 Kb