The beautiful sanctuary you see above was built in 1870 and is one of the oldest African American churches in rural Georgia. The Gothic Revival style church is unique in its architecture as well as its history. The church is located in a southeastern part of Floyd County in the historic community of Chubbtown, established by the Chubb family, a free black family that migrated there in the early 1860s. The church sits on one acre of land deeded by Henry Chubb and his brothers on August 8, 1870, to the Trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church for $200. The church is the only surviving structure of the original town and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. The history of Chubb Chapel United Methodist Church and, in fact, Chubbtown itself, should be seen within the context of the Chubb family history, dating back to at least 1775 according to the National Register.
Isaac Chubb, born about 1797 in North Carolina, appeared as a free black in the 1830 Census of Caswell County, North Carolina, and shortly thereafter migrated to north Georgia sometime before 1833 when his first child is recorded as having been born in Georgia. The 1850 census indicates that the Isaac Chubb family was domiciled in Morgan County, Georgia. At some time in the early 1860s, the family migrated to Floyd County before the Civil War. Isaac Chubb and his eight sons and two daughters (William, Henry, Anna, John, Thomas, Jane, Jacob, Isaac, Jr., Nicholas, and George) thus arrived in Floyd County and ultimately established Chubbtown.
The Chubb brothers began purchasing real estate during the war and in the post-reconstruction period. In time, these holdings became a self-sufficient community known as Chubbtown, providing goods and services to white and black residents of the surrounding areas. The community, serviced by its own post office, was composed of a general store, blacksmith shop, grist mill, distillery, syrup mill, saw mill, wagon company, cotton gin, and a casket factory. The Chubb brothers were very industrious and in the 1870 census, the brothers were listed as blacksmiths, wagon makers, house carpenters, sawmill operators, and farmers.
Some Chubb family members still live in the community as well as nearby Cave Spring, Cedartown, and Rome. Others have migrated to places across the United States. Today, Chubb descendants have served in a number of fields including ministry, education, law, medicine, insurance, construction, corporate, and the service industries. Among their most noted members are Nick and Bradley Chubb, who played for the University of Georgia and NC State football teams, respectively, before going on to play in the NFL. The Chubb family is a significant part of Georgia’s history. The church is alive and well and continues strong after almost 150 years. We are all indebted to them for their loving stewardship of one of Georgia’s most historic treasures.
This is an interior view from the back of the church. Though many changes have occurred within, the interior design and decoration remains similar to the original. Yes, many 20th century changes are obvious. New pews replace the original heart pine plain benches. The heart pine floors have given way to the hardwood floor you see above. New lighting fixtures, central heat, air conditioning and interior bathroom facilities are now available. However, the original 14 foot high, board-and-batten, heart pine ceiling mirrors the exterior treatment at Chubb and is still in place. Also intact are the heart pine horizontal wall boards, doors and stout support columns. The original high, glass-paned windows still allow the church to fill with natural light on sunny days. The congregation remains robust, have service every second and fourth Sundays of the month, and continually work to maintain the historic structure.
This view from the pulpit reveals the simplicity of design and decoration within this Gothic revival sanctuary. We see the two traditional entry doors in the rear, one for men the other for women and children, even though that ritual was beginning to fade when this church was built. The traditional chancel, bordered by a balustrade, incorporates the step up into the altar, pulpit and apse area.
This is a detailed view of the entryway into the nave. Since there is no vestibule, one steps directly into the sanctuary upon arrival at Chubb. In this shot we can see and appreciate the original wide, horizontal boards that cover the walls. The doors and frames are simple and the passage leading into the belfry is a ladder.
The Chubbs were descended from Isaac Chubb, a free black man who moved with his family into Floyd County either just before or during the Civil War. They established Chubb Chapel in 1870, which makes it one of the oldest African American sanctuaries in Georgia. The Chubb family is one whose roots have extended far beyond its beginning in Chubbtown but ties to the Chubbtown community remains strong. We are thankful for your stewardship of this historic rural treasure.
Isaac Chubb was the son of Isaac Sr. and was one of the original eight brothers who either moved to Floyd County or were born there. Isaac was born in 1847 and died in 1934. His wife, Amanda was born in 1847 and died in 1923. Note the field stone markers in the background. They are a common feature of the older Georgia rural cemeteries.
Here lie Thomas Chubb and Susan Chubb. Thomas was the son of Isaac and was one of the original eight brothers who came to Floyd County in the early 1860's. According to Findagrave, Thomas died in 1886 at the age of 60. His is the oldest documented grave in the cemetery. Susan, his wife, died in 1923 at the age of 80. Of the 110 documented interments in the cemetery, twenty five of them bear the name Chubb. For a complete documentation of the Chubb Family cemetery click here.
ORGANIZED
1870
LOCATED IN
Floyd
DENOMINATION
Methodist
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I found this info by looking up star running back Nick Chubb of the Cleveland Browns and Bradley Chubb of the Miami Dolphins. Pretty cool now I’m going to look up more of Chubbtown.
Yes, it’s an interesting connection between Chubbtown and the football family. Thanks for your comment, Michael.
Took my brother who was visiting fromTX to see this church today. A beautiful place.