Ware County Churches Jamestown Methodist(Corinth) File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Barbara Winge barbarawinge@yahoo.com http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/ware.htm WAYCROSS JOURNAL-HERALD, Waycross, Georgia Monday, April 22, 1974 JAMESTOWN CHURCH ORIGINALLY CORNITH By Rose Sowell Jamestown Methodist Church [originally called Corinth] was organized in 1890. Services were held in the old Jamestown schoolhouse which stood on the land, now owned by E. N. Bazemore. The first pastor to serve the church was the Rev. M. C. Austin. The presiding Elder at that time was the Rev. F. A. Branch. If Tom James were here today, he would be able to give some interesting facts about the early history of Cornith Church. He gave an acre of ground for a community meeting house at the Four-mile Post on the "Air Line Railroad." This took place in the fall of 1890. James could tell of how Lem Johnson cut the timber, sawed the lumber, and loaded it on flat cars at Waltertown. It was loaded at a side track near the church. I am sure he would delight in telling of how those fellows like Charlie West used their teams and carts to haul the lumber to the building site. Of how Eli Geiger would work and superintend the building of the house. Before the meeting house was built, there was a building at Waltertown for school and church. The nearest large church was Kettle Creek. The musical instrument first used was an old pump organ and Aunt Rinnie James would play the organ as the choir sang. In the courthouse of Ware County, one can find Corinth Church's deed, recorded on May 25, 1897. At this time, the church was organized by the Southern Methodist Conference to organize the Church. The first trustees were B. H. Thomas, R. P. Byrd, W. L. Stanton, Dan B. Sweat, and Wesley McQuaig. The first Sunday school was organized by M. J. Carswell, Uncle Dave Sweat took over from him. Nat Bazemore served the Sunday School longer than any other member. He was secretary-treasurer for 42 years and with perfect attendance during all of the time. This first meeting house was used for school, church and Sunday School until 1912. It is interesting to note that the name Corinth has never been officially changed. Common usage alone has madeit Jamestown Church and not Cornith Church. There are so many here that remember that the happenings from that time one. The long list of pastor that labored, the building of the new parsonage in 1922, the addition of Sunday school rooms in 1938, and organization of the Ladies Aides Society in 1924 with Mrs. Frank Murray as the first president . The Sunday School has been continuous in the new church but the time has been changed from afternoon to the morning. In 1956, the new brick church was finished, and in 1974, a new social hall was added to the back wing of the Sunday School rooms. [Contributed by Barbara Walker Winge