This Mormon church is one of only two ever founded in rural Georgia. Though it stands empty today, it tells a fascinating chapter of the state’s history. On July 21, 1879, Mormon missionary Joseph Standing was murdered by a mob in Whitfield County. The 24-year-old was traveling to a Latter-day Saints (LDS) conference in northwest Georgia when he was confronted near Varnell. He was shot 20 times, yet no one was ever charged.

Standing’s death shocked the LDS community. He was buried in Salt Lake City beneath a monument that reads: “There is no law for Mormons in Georgia.” Sadly, abuse, harassment, and violence toward Mormons were not uncommon in this era, but missionaries continued to travel through the South, determined to spread their faith.

In June 1899, two LDS elders arrived at the Coffee County farm of Joseph Adams. Adams was visiting with his brother-in-law, Dan Lott, when the elders offered to preach the “restored gospel.” Both men, along with their families, became some of the first converts in the region. The following year brought devastating rains that ruined local crops. Adams and Lott were forced to sell their farms and relocate closer to Douglas, where they purchased adjoining parcels. From that point on, LDS missionaries used the two farms as a base for their work in the area.

The congregation steadily grew, and in early 1907, Joseph Adams deeded two acres to the LDS Church for a cemetery and a meetinghouse. The first service was held there in August 1907, and the church remained active until 1975. After its closure, the building was moved to a nearby farm, but the cemetery at the original site is still maintained—a quiet reminder of the early Mormon presence in rural Georgia and the faith of the families who built it.

Sadly, this church collapsed in 2024 following heavy rains and winds.