Andrews Chapel is one of the rarest surviving African American churches in far north Georgia, founded during the short window of Reconstruction when formerly enslaved people first began building their own places of worship. Established in 1872, just seven years after the Civil War, it offers a powerful glimpse into this transformative moment in Southern history.

The church began in Red Clay, Georgia, under the leadership of Henry Andrews, a formerly enslaved man from nearby Tennessee. Andrews walked seven miles each way from his home in Apison to serve as minister for the fledgling congregation. In 1923, the wooden sanctuary was moved—by mules and logs—to its present site in Cohutta, two miles south of Red Clay. The cornerstone lists the trustees who made the relocation possible: Rev. J.S. Williams, W.M. Prater, J.A. Prater, B.H. Prater, T.E. Prater, W.L. Cregmiles, and E.D. Barrett.

As membership declined over the 20th century, Andrews Chapel alternated services with the Baptist church across the street until neither could sustain full congregations. For a time, the building housed several denominations. In 2016, Billy Prater—descendant of one of the original trustees and the chapel’s last caretaker—arranged for the property to be donated to the Town of Cohutta. To the town’s surprise, the deed also conveyed half-ownership of the one-room black schoolhouse across the street. Cohutta has since acquired full ownership of both sites and is restoring Andrews Chapel as a cultural and performing arts center, while the schoolhouse will serve as a space for classes in art and history.

Thanks to the dedication of the Prater family and the town of Cohutta, Andrews Chapel will not be lost. Instead, it stands as a bridge between the past and present, honoring the endurance of a congregation founded by emancipated people and ensuring its story will continue to be told.