I don’t remember how I found out about this church, but it’s been on my list for a while to photograph. I finally got the chance to do so this past weekend.
Located in Cherokee County, South Carolina, the Wesley Chapel Methodist Episcopal Church is right at the crossroads of Wilkinsville, a town of approximately 700 people. Wilkinsville is southeast of Gaffney. For those unfamiliar with Gaffney, it’s the town with the big peach butt in the sky off of I-85.
Often when I am researching the history of a place that isn’t well known, I am uncovering a lot of details through news articles and, for churches and cemeteries, obituaries. I must commend the research of Tom Taylor at Random Connections. He did a remarkable deep dive into the history of the Wesley ME Church. If you want in-depth research, please head to his site.
In a nutshell, the congregation was formed in 1915. The stone structure was built in the 1940s after a storm damaged the previous building. While the cemetery is still active and well-maintained, the church closed by 1970.
Wesley Chapel Methodist Church
Wilkinsville SC Nov 15, 1943
Willie Edward Corry, School Teacher
Architect And Builder
Directors
Levi Garrett, A. C. Corry, James Love,
G. Dewey Harris
Workers
Jossie Love, Ressie Rodgers, Addie Corry
Strossie Mae Harris
Treasure
John Davis, Beatrice Jefferies
Secteary
Vestor Harris, Ninnie Hambright
Geo W. Davis, Emily Davis
Meansville Baptist Church is located in Pike County, Georgia. Built in the 1880s, the church is a classic gabled-roof church in rural Georgia. The congregation built a new church, and this building was converted to a residence at some point. The building was abandoned many years ago.
Built in 1911, this shotgun house has seen some better days, but the folk Victorian porch details, the blue paint color, and the azaleas highlight what a picturesque home this once was.
The Travelers Rest CME Church is just south of Montezuma, Georgia. Once completely overgrown, efforts have been made to clean up the cemetery and the brush around the building. Unfortunately, the building is likely too far gone to be preserved unless someone with very deep pockets comes forward.
The Travelers Rest CME Church was built on land deeded to it by the Travelers Rest Methodist Church in 1884. The church remained active until 1994.
Heading south out of Prattville, Alabama, towards Montgomery is a dome-shaped building in the center of a parking lot. It’s the final vestige of Stuart’s Red Devil Lake, a recreation area built in the 1930s. It was billed as “Montgomery’s Finest and Most Unusual Recreation Center.” One unusual feature is the dome, which served as a fountain in the lake. Patrons could get free admission if they purchased Red Devil Gas, a series of gas stations owned by the lake owner. Unfortunately, a dam broke at Red Devil Lake in 1939, permanently closing the recreation area.
