Photography by Gail Des Jardin

Glendale Chapel Methodist Church and School

Floyd County | Organized in 1875

In the foothills of northwest Georgia’s Big Texas Valley, Glendale Chapel Methodist Church stands today because a small community refused to let it fade into ruin, as so many rural Georgia churches have. Its restoration is a tribute to the people who shaped Georgia’s agrarian roots and to the central role of faith in rural community life.

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Founded in 1875, Glendale Chapel began with worship under a brush arbor, later moving into a short-lived log structure. In 1889, the present chapel was completed. The building’s survival owes much to chance and determination. In 2014, equestrian therapists Annie Shields and Patricia York discovered the chapel while looking for more land to exercise their horses. Inspired to save it, they located the owners and began restoration efforts, connecting with former congregants, including the Johnson sisters, whose memories brought the church’s history to life.

For African American congregations in the early 20th century, churches like Glendale often doubled as schoolhouses, the only educational option for many rural Black children in Floyd County. The county provided a teacher’s salary, but the community bore the remaining costs. The Johnson sisters remembered learning in the church beside a wood-burning stove, studying academics and African American heritage. When county funding was cut, the community hired a teacher for two years before arranging for children to attend the nearest Black elementary school—over 25 miles away. Jennie Johnson Jones, deeply affected by the loss of formal schooling, went on to earn a master’s degree in education.

Restoration was not without setbacks. Time, weather, and neglect had weakened the structure, and during renovations, the chapel collapsed. Undeterred, the team salvaged as much original white oak as possible, returning the building to its unpainted, board-and-batten style. Today, thanks to dedicated preservationists, Glendale Chapel has been restored to its original beauty, offering a tangible connection to the community’s past. It stands as a testament to perseverance, heritage, and the power of local stewardship. Kudos to Annie Shields and Patricia York for their vision, and to the Johnson family for sharing their history. Glendale Chapel’s story is now preserved for future generations.

 

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16 responses to “Glendale Chapel Methodist Church and School”

  1. Jo Ann Prince

    I can’t seem to find directions to the church

    Reply
    1. HRCGA

      Note the comment from Annie Shields below regarding visitation.

      Reply
  2. KAY Cordle Dixon

    I grew up in Texas Valley & have returned to my roots & settled in Texas Valley again. I remember Annie Johnson’s delicious buttered biscuits with a sprinkle of sugar she shared when Dad would take me to visit. Also, Malt Johnson’s annual cane syrup cooking. Nothing like the taste of hot syrup right off the trough. Hope to visit Glendale Chapel soon. Thanks for preserving this part of our rich heritage!

    Reply
    1. HRCGA

      Kay, thank you for that special memory.

      Reply
  3. Jennie Johnson Jones

    My great grandparents, Green and Rachel Johnson were among the founders of Glendale Chapel. My sisters and I are so grateful that Annie and Pat undertook to honor them with this restoration. I know they look on proudly from the spirit world as do my Grandparents Luke and Jennie Smith Johnson and my parents Mordecai and Annie Hoskin Johnson and all the ancestors who kept the Faith when Faith was all they had.

    Reply
    1. HRCGA

      Hi Jennie. We join you in saluting Annie and Pat and we so pleased that this tribute to your family and their contribution to Georgia history will now be passed on.

      Reply
  4. Judith Creamer

    Thanks so much for these stories of the churches in your emailed messages. I enjoy them so much, and save every one so that I can reread and hopefully visit one day. I would love to go on one of the tours. Someday I hope to buy the book.

    Thanks also to all those who worked on restoring Glendale Chapel.

    Reply
    1. HRCGA

      Thank you for the support Judith.

      Reply
  5. Annie Shields

    For anyone wanting to visit Glendale Chapel, email Annie at stellarsteeds@earthlink.net to make arrangements. You will not be able to find the chapel by riding down the main road.

    Reply
  6. GLENN DAUGHENBAUGH

    My wife and I planned to visit all 5 churches in floyd county this past weekend on the motorcycle but we only got to posseum trot at berry college. But we will get to glendale as soon as possible. We enjoy your book and have been enjoying you emails when they come out. We have rode to all 159 counties and wished we could have visited all of the churches back then.

    Reply
    1. HRCGA

      Sounds like a great road trip.

      Reply
  7. Jeanna Roper

    What a work of love, great job!!!! Thank you for the story and to those who did all the work <3

    Reply
    1. HRCGA

      Thanks for the support Jeanna. Spread the word.

      Reply
  8. Debbie Bell

    What dedication! Thank you.

    Reply
  9. Wilma Smith Holsomback

    Grew up in Texas Vly but never knew about this until in recent yrs. thank you so much to the dedicated people who worked so tirelessly to bring this church back to life.

    Reply
  10. Jerry Robert West

    Thanks for the story. My ancestors first came to Georgia in the 1820s. Some of the names are West, Adams, Spence, Reid, Lee, and Coursey. Many of them were Primative Baptists. I believe they mainly lived in the Social Circle, Temple, Carrollton and Atlanta areas.

    Reply