Several English and Scotch-Irish
families moved to the Mt. Mariah area from their homes in other southeastern
states. In 1870, five ladies started having prayer meetings in their
homes. They were Mrs. Mariah Brice, Mrs. Amanda Johnson, Miss Jeannette
Johnson, Mis Mattie Johnson, and Miss Lou Williams. The men soon
built a brush arbor. A revival meeting led by Rev. Upton was held
in the summer. Rev. Upton led the five ladies to organize a church.
A log building was constructed and named after Mrs. Mariah Brice.
A Sunday School was also begun.
In the summer of 1871, the first
appointed pastor (Rev. J.H. Jordan) held a revival and thirty-five young
people joined the congregation.
On January 2, 1901, land was
purchased and a temporary structure set up. A building was constructed
on the site in 1904. In July 1941, the congregation voted to build
a new church. The walls were built from rocks taken from the surrounding
area. The men hauled rocks, sand, and water to the site while the
women and children helped. Local businesses donated materials for
the church. The altar rail and pews were purchased. The pulpit
and pulpit chairs came from the Black Lake Methodist Church (which had
closed down). The cornerstone was laid on September 24, 1942.
Bishop A. Frank Smith gave the sermon at the dedication.
Bishop Aubrey Walton gave the
message at the church’s Centennial celebration on August 2, 1970. |
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