TALBOT COUNTY, GA - CHURCHES - Talbotton United Methodist Church

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TALBOTTON UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

When the town of Talbotton was laid out in 1827 lots
were given to three denominations - Methodist, Baptist
and Presbyterian.

Two missionaries had been sent to the Flint River
Mission from the Methodist Conference meeting in
Columbia, South Carolina, on Jan 20, 1830.  This
included newly organized (1827) Talbot County. One of
these missionaries was H.W. Hilliard and he is believed
to  preached the first sermon by a Methodist in 1830.
Jesse Sinclair was the other missionary.

The Talbotton Methodist Episcopal Church was organized
in 1831 under the Georgia Conference. A deed made in
June 25, 1831 gave Town Lots 22 and 23 in Square C to
the trustees:  Charles Fisher, Henry Mims, Littleton
Hooten, David C. Maund, and Samuel C. Luck.

Very soon after this deed,  a wooden frame building was
erected. [Deed Book B pg 333]  It is believe that
Colonel Henry Mims and Rev. Charles Fisher furnished
most of the money for this first building. Services
continued there over 25 years, until the brick church
was built in 1857.

The present church has retained much of the original
design, including the "slave gallery" at the rear of
the sanctuary. "Slaves accompanied the master and his
family to services. They rode behind the smart
Rockaways, phaetons or other types of carriages and
buggies, dressed in their best clothes and seated on
chairs in wagons or ox carts.

These "Sunday go to meeting" processions were often
headed by one or more riders on horses or mules as they
came into Talbotton from the plantations and farms."
pg 73 Vol I Rockaway in Talbot.

Miranda Fort, a master brickmason and plasterer, built
most of the town's early brick structures, including
this Methodist Church from bricks made by slaves. It is
thought to be the oldest brick church in the South
Georgia Conference. He was a member of the church for
more than 50 years and at the time of his death January
5, 1885, he was the oldest male member of the church.

The church had two front doors (males and females used
separate doors) and the pews were divided down the
center for the same reason.


Resources: Jordan, Robert H., There Was a Land (1971)
pg 119 (available for purchase from Talbotton Chamber
of Commerce; and Davidson, William H, A Rockaway in
Talbot, Vol I pgs 71-75;