Methodism began in the Truxno-Oakland
area in the 1800s. Rev. Williamson Bird of Georgia founded the first
church, known as the Tennessee Methodist Church. It was torn down
and the materials sold in 1886. Around the turn of the century the
Greenville Methodist Church was built. That church also served as
a school. Soon after 1910, that building was also turn down.
Materials from that building are still in some of the homes of the area.
It took several years for the
community to raise the money to build a new church. The congregation
bought the wood from Bob Edward’s mill. The flooring was donated
by the Union Saw Mill. On December 21, 1921, another church building
was completed. The unpainted church was named Bird’s Chapel in honor
of Rev. Bird. Rev. Bird is buried in the old Tennessee Cemetery.
When the oak pillars became
decayed around 1935, the Farmerville Methodist Church donated some bricks
and new pillars were built.
A new church was built in 1946.
Carpenter Clinton Allen led the group of volunteer laborers. This
time the church was set on concrete pillars. In later years, the
church was remodeled. Classrooms were also added and bricked.
Source: A Brief History of Bird’s Chapel United Methodist
Church, Sadie Herring |
