Tag Archives: AME Church

Tate CME or AME Church-Tate, Georgia

Pickens County

I stumbled across an article about Black history in Pickens County. One part of the series covered the churches in Pickens County.

On top of this hill in Tate, Georgia is the Tate CME or AME Church (from the article no one is certain which it was). Located in Smokey Hollow, called that because the smoke would settle over the hollow (or holler) in the winter, this church was built in 1887 at the same time as the Tate Methodist Church with the help of Stephen Tate.

It was in use until the 1950s then it stayed vacant until the 70s when Miracle Friendship Holiness Church reopened it. As of 2015, when the article was written, there were only five members left, and was already in disrepair.

The road up the hill was covered in vines and weeds. I was unwilling to try to drive up the road. I hope to revisit it the winter and see if it seems more driveable.

Rocky Mt. Zion AME Church-Barney, Georgia

Brooks County

I am uncertain of the history of this church. It is located next to the Barney Colored School in Barney, Georgia.

Campbell Chapel AME Church-Americus, Georgia

Designed by Louis H. Persley, the first Georgia-registered Black architect, the Romanesque Revival church was built in 1920. It is still an active congregation for the Americus community.

Whites Chapel AME Church-Tallapoosa, Georgia

Haralson County

Located in Tallapoosa, Georgia, the Whites Chapel AME opened in 1907. Services ceased in the 1980s. Since this photo was taken, the church has fallen in.

Alice Walker Home and Church-Putnam County, Georgia

On a rural road in Putnam County, Georgia, Alice Walker’s childhood home and church can be visited. While the house where she was born no longer stands, her family’s home is still standing.

Ward’s Chapel AME was built in the late 1800s. Thanks to a community effort the church has been restored in the last few years. This was Alice Walker’s church. Many of her ancestors, including her parents, rest in the cemetery across the road.

Emanuel AME Church “Mother Emanuel” Cemetery-Charleston, South Carolina

Ethel W. Lance

I visited Charleston in 2019 to visit the cemeteries there. If you’ve visited Magnolia Cemetery, you will know there are several cemeteries in the area. As I was leaving Magnolia, I was driving down the side roads around the other cemeteries when I noticed Ethel Lance’s marker.

The grounds were being tended to, so I had to wait until the mowers moved away from the marker. Once I got out, I noticed that she was buried near several other members of the Mother Emanuel mass murders.

Cynthia Hurd
Susie Jackson
Tywanza Sanders

The other victims are buried in different cemeteries around Charleston and South Carolina.