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MS/183: Popes Chapel United Methodist Church Collection (Electronic records)

 Digital Collection
Collection number: MS/183

Dates

  • 1955-2020

Scope and Contents

Digitized collection of programs, photographs, and historical documents from Pope's Chapel Methodist Church, Founded in 1786 in Wilkes County, Tignall, Georgia, United States. 1960-2020.

Methodist Churches: Freeman's Chapel United Methodist Church (Elbert County, GA); Hill's Chapel United Methodist Church (Wake County, NC) Independence United Methodist Church (Wilkes County, GA); New Hope-Danburg Methodist Church (Wilkes County, GA); Pope's Chapel United Methodist Church (Wilkes County, GA); Rock United Methodist Church (Oglethorpe County, GA); North Columbia Church (Appling, GA)

Biographical / Historical

The Methodist Society, which was later organized into Pope’s Chapel Church, was first organized in August 1786 by Thomas Humphries at the home of James Marks located in what is now Elbert County about 1 1/2 miles Northeast of Baker’s Ferry on Broad River. When Elbert County was formed in 1790 from Wilkes County it left most of the church members in Wilkes County, so the church was moved south into Wilkes and located about two mile from Broad River on property owned by John Landrum adjoining his birthplace on the east side of Baker’s Ferry Road. It was in this location that it received its name, in honor of Rev. Henry Pope who supplied most of the timber for the building. Bishop Asbury preached the Dedication Sermon there in 1805. In 1852 the church was again moved about 2 miles southeast to its present location. In 1871 Trustees of the church were Benjamin W. Fortson, M. T. Cash, Augustus A. Neal and James W. Boyd. A second building was constructed here in 1897 in which 2 stained glass windows were installed as a memorial to Benjamin Winn Fortson and his wife Hannah Rebecca Ogilvie by their children. The Dedication Sermon was preached by Lundye Harris in 1898. This building, severely damaged by windstorms was replaced in 1957 by the present building.

Extent

14.45 Gigabytes (popes-chapel-collection_bag.zip 4/28/2021 9:26:59 AM ZIP archive .zip 14.45 GB 4/28/2021 MD5: C8B70993C5CD7C15CB10A3AFD49C365E)

Provenance

Donated by Evelyn Bufford Oglesby. Loaned to Valdosta State University Archives and Special Collections for digitization, October 4, 2020. Originals returned. Photographs donated by Kenneth A. Suttles, via email, 2020.

Repository Details

Part of the Valdosta State University Archives and Special Collections Repository

Contact:
Valdosta State University Archives, Odum Library
1500 N. Patterson St.
Valdosta GA 30601 United States
7063728116
229-259-5055 (Fax)