Churches

Bethabra Baptist Church

Clayborn Dalton built an arbor for public Worship across Mulberry River in Jackson County in the early 1800s. It was called “Dalton´s Stand”. In 1813 the church was moved on this side of Mulberry River near the Maynard Cemetery. Rev. Anslem Anthony was the first Pastor, serving from 1813 to 1855. He donated 2 1/2 acres of land for the present church with buildings and improvements on April 15, 1857. Another building was built about 1880, and stood until the present building was erected in 1962.

Text from historical marker at the church

Bush Chapel AME Zion Church

This church was organized in 1862. Land for the church was given by Wiley Harrison Bush. The granite used to build the church was cut from a nearby quarry. This photo was taken on Easter Sunday, 1920.

Photo courtesy of Georgia Archives

Chapel Christian Church

Chapel Christian Church was organized in 1860 and a church building erected on land owned by Green Wagner Smith, Sr. For this reason, it was originally called Smith’s Chapel. The first pastor was Phillip Fletcher Lamar (1826-1878). Charter members of the church were: Elisha Hardigree, Mary Hardigree, James Cosby, Erman Cosby, William Henry Hill, Cammie Jane Smith Hill, Green Wagner Smith, N.V.C. Smith, James Hardigree, John Hardigree, Marcus L. Lay, Emma D. Lay, Ann Pike, Thomas C. Hardigree, Lucy Hardigree, Sarah I. Woozencraft, Eliza Johnson, Dolly E. Jackson, Hillman D. Jackson, Mary S. C. Jackson, Zachariah Jackson, Eliza Jackson, james H. Nowell, Jane Nowell, Martha Nowell, Francis B. Hill, Susan M. C. Hill, and Mary Ann Smith. Early African-American members of the church included Mann Cosby and his wife Emma, “Cateyed” Jim Smith, “Blacksmith” Lewis, and Gus Sellers. The building pictured here was dedicated in 1908.

In 1962, as part of its Centennial Jubilee Celebration, Chapel published a 35 page history of the church. The material above is taken from that book.

First Baptist Church, Winder

Construction of this building began in 1907. It was dedicated May 10, 1914. This building was located facing Broad Street in Winder, and is not the church’s present location.  This photo was taken in 1919, and is provided courtesy of the Georgia Archives.

First Methodist Church, Winder

Originally esatablished in 1836 as Concord Methodist Church, this building was constructed in 1904. It stood at the corner of Candler and Center Streets, and was in use until 1964 when the church moved to North Broad Street.  This picture was taken circa 1905, and is provided courtesy of the Georgia Archives.

Rockwell Universalist Church

Text from the historical marker at the church:

Organized 1839 ~ second oldest Universalist Church in Georgia. Located here near original site of Rockwell School, oldest school in this section, and Rockwell Masonic Lodge. Confederate soldiers enlisted and drilled here 1861-1865.

Church reorganized in 1867 by Dr. L. F. W. Andrews as first Universalist Church of then Jackson County, and called Mulberry Church. Voting precinct and Justice Court, known as House’s District, were located here until 1900. Present building erected 1881, and name changed to Rockwell Church. Paul Hill deeded the land to the church.

Additional information about Rockwell Church and Rockwell Lodge is available here. A beautiful photo series and history, courtesy of Historic Rural Churches of Georgia, can be found here.