Along the Reedy River in Greenville County, South Carolina, is the mill town of Conestee, founded in the 1830s. The McBee United Methodist Church, designed by John Adams and built in 1841, is located there. Adams utilized the octagonal design to allow for more seating space. At one point, a slave gallery was built above the floor seating. It was removed after the Civil War.

The church was named after Vardy McBee and his son Alexander, who donated money and land for its construction. In 1815, Vardry McBee purchased 11,000 acres in the area now known as Greenville and built a sawmill, brickyard, and ironworks.