Liberty Methodist
Jasper County | Organized in 1827
In May 2018, the historic Liberty Methodist Church in Jasper County finally succumbed to the elements. Sadly, many of these rural treasures share the same fate unless local communities step in to preserve them. At Historic Rural Churches of Georgia, our mission is not only to research and document these places while we can, but also to encourage their preservation. We highlight churches that are "Abandoned and Endangered" and bid farewell to those that are "Almost Gone but Not Forgotten." For years, Liberty Methodist had been in the endangered category—until, at last, she was gone.
Read more...Little surviving history exists for Liberty Methodist, but we know it was founded before 1827. According to Methodist archives at Emory University, services were held in homes as early as 1820 until land was deeded for a church in 1827. Another account suggests it was founded that same year by families who migrated from Delaware through the Carolinas to Jasper County.
The original church served for 64 years before being replaced by the sanctuary built around 1891. Its design and construction are consistent with churches of that era. Rev. Adiel Sherwood, a noted educator and author of Sherwood's Gazetteer of Georgia, is said to have played a role in establishing the church and nearby Liberty School, though his Baptist background makes his involvement somewhat uncertain.
The image above shows what happens when a congregation dwindles and no one remains to maintain the building. At some point, Liberty Methodist's tin roof was replaced with composition shingles, which eventually failed. Unlike tin, which has preserved many historic churches for over a century, the newer material allowed water to seep in and destroy the rafters and interior. Though Georgia longleaf heart pine can endure for centuries, no wood can withstand prolonged exposure to water. Despite this, Liberty Methodist was structurally sound for its age and could have been saved with timely repairs. For over 125 years, she stood as a testament to faith and community in rural Jasper County. Her story remains a powerful reminder of both what we stand to lose and what might yet be preserved.
More Content
Get Directions
17 responses to “Liberty Methodist”
-
Many of these rural churches were near the road with no real parking lot, and Liberty had room for only about 10 cars. From reading my grandfather’s journals it was interesting to read that many members would walk up to 2 to 3 miles to get to the church in the early 1900s. As a young child who grew up in this church, I remember having 40-50 people there. That dwindled down to 10-15 when the members voted to close it. Also interesting was the fact that all the men and women wore hats. There was a hat rack in back where men could hang their hats. There were also hand held fans as the church didn’t have air conditioning. Fond memories of the church which is now a pile of rubble. I believe I am the last surviving member as all the other 13 or so have passed on.
-
Thank you for your comment and for sharing your memories, Rick.
-
-
Liberty was the first church I joined. When I got married, I moved from Jasper County and thus my membership. Likely the reason for its falling was due to the United Methodist Church selling it to a private person who did nothing to preserve the roof, and water poured in. When it closed in 1990, there were only 13 members Ieft, and most of those were older. It has been sad to go by there and see the pile of rubble. When I was a child we had 50-60 on Sundays but those numbers dwindled and there were no young people to keep it going.
-
Yes. The cause was water intrusion which began the downward spiral. She would still be standing except for the roof failure. While lack of maintenance played a part, so did the choice of roofing material. If the last roof had been tin, she would still be with us. A tin roof is the reason many of these old structures are still with us.
-
The UMC annual conference took possession of the property due to the trust clause. Their failure to do anything is the cause not the former members of the congregation. The UMC sold the property to a private individual who also did nothing to the roof, and thus the pile of rubble.
-
Sorry it ended up this way. Thanks for your comment, Ricky.
-
-
-
-
My hUsband and I served this church and 5 others in 1981- 1985. I fell down the steep front steps one time when I was pregnant. It did not have a bathroom. Most of the congregation that came on Sundays were people from other areas in Georgia that were friends and family of those who were members. I played the piano and we would sometimes have to fight with or avoid the wasps that inhabited the building. One Sunday my husband preached a sermon about taking care of God’s house and the next time we drove by it we noticed that the building had been painted, or so we thought! It had only received a coat of paint on the front side facing the road! But there were good people there too!
-
Yes, I remember Roger very fondly. I had joined when Rodney Daffron was minister there. There are still 4 churches on the Shady Dale circuit. In fact my father moved his membership to Calvary in Shady Dale, and I was his caregiver and we attended from 2018 until Covid hit in 2020.
-
-
I was pastor there from 1979 until 1981… I recall the strong support of the people and I even had Professor Gordon Thompson of Emory preach a series there.
-
Thank you for the personal connection that seems so recent. This is a sad end for a church that housed a congregation formed well over 200 years ago.
-
-
Breaks my heart to see Liberty Methodist crumble. It has fallen on Holy Ground where many Christian voices have been raised to praise our Lord. Hopefully It will spring up some where near with the knowledge given to them by the Christians of Liberty Methodist. What a blessing that would be. Praise God for sharing .
-
What caused the destruction?
-
Don, the roof of the church had been compromised for quite some time and water caused deterioration to the point that the entire roof collapsed.
-
-
I was fortunate enough to photograph this church not once but twice. I was able to photograph this church last year in October and knowing that it was about to be gone soon I wanted my father to also photograph this church since we both shared a passion for photographing these historical churches in Georgia. My father and I were able to photograph this church again in February 3 days before he became almost gone but not forgotten you my father and I were able to photograph this church again in February 2 days before he became almost gone but not forgotten. It is so sad when you see these beautiful structures succumb to abandonment and nature.
-
Thank you for sharing that with us Karen. It is disheartening when these churches fade from the physical landscape but the memories like those that you have keep them alive. It is special to hear that you and your father were able to bond over photographing Liberty. Great story!
-
-
A post made today (4-23-18) on a Facebook page called “Heart of Dixie Memories” says that this building recently fell in on itself. They posted pictures. Very sad.
-
If so, that is very sad indeed. We are rapidly losing these old treasures and the heritage that goes with it.
-
Leave a Reply