The original Methodist Episcopal
Church, South of Darlington was built by Robert Williams in 1838 on the
site of the Bethel Meeting House. The land for the church was donated
by Walthal and Teresa Burton. The indenture for the land was dated
December 13, 1837. The early church was primarily pastored by circuit
riders. Services were only held once a month, though Sunday school
was conducted weekly by a lay person.
In 1912, the church received
255 acres from the estate of Mrs. Elizabeth Ramsey Wilson. Her father,
W. H. Ramsey, Sr., was once the pastor at Darlington.
The original church was taken
down in 1945 and replaced with a smaller one. Some of the old church's
materials were used for the new church. The first service was held
in the new church on April 12, 1946 by Rev. H. B. Crammer. The church
was remodeled in 1958.
In the early 1970s, the congregation
began making plans to construct additional classroom and meeting space.
Finally in 1974, the decision was made to build a new sanctuary.
Groundbreaking took place in November 1974, and it was completed by June
20, 1975. When the cornerstone was laid on February 27, 1975, it
contained a small metal box with a Bible, a history of the church, a program
of the week, the weekly newspaper, the names of the people involved, and
copies of other church documents.
Source: The First One Hundred Thirty-Eight Years of the
Darlington United Methodist Church, 1837-1975, by Audrey C. Blades, Lanell
C. Heap, Ruth C. Venable, and A. Bray Sibley |
|
