The story of Sardis begins with the land and the Cherokee people who once lived here. The church stands about 13 miles west of Rome on Georgia Highway 20, at the foot of Turnip Mountain. To the west lies its cemetery, and to the east, a spring of fresh water in the woods. Just beyond is a pass between Turnip and Heath Mountains, known for generations as “the Narrows,” once a trail, later a road, and now a four-lane highway. A large Cherokee settlement once thrived in this area.

In 1821, missionaries arrived to establish the Turnip Mountain Mission to the Cherokees, with their residence located just north of the present cemetery wall. Their mission, called Haweis, was about two miles east. Sardis Presbyterian Church was organized in November 1836, with the first building, a log structure covered in planks, standing just north of the current site. The present church was built in 1855.

During the Civil War, many young men from the congregation served, including the Sardis Volunteers, organized on the church grounds in May 1861. They became part of the 6th Georgia Cavalry. Major Alfred Bale, killed near Dandridge, Tennessee, in 1863, and Lt. Col. Charles Bale, killed at Resaca, Georgia, in 1864, are buried side by side in the cemetery. Nineteen Civil War soldiers are known to rest here.

A Sunday School began in 1877, and membership peaked at 173. But after Reverend Crawford’s departure in 1878, numbers declined. By 1892, membership had dropped to 82, and by 1907, to just 34. Many members died in the late 19th century, while others moved to growing towns and cities. Although attendance dwindled, the church remained active until 1979, when it was officially dissolved. For several years, services were still held twice a year. In 1989, concerned citizens formed the Sardis Preservation Society, acquired the property, and ensured its preservation. Their efforts were recognized in 2005 when Sardis Presbyterian Church was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Today, Sardis stands as a testament to the community’s resilience and dedication to preserving its history.

Sardis Church was organized in November, 1836, just months after the controversial removal of the Cherokee Indians who had called this land home for centuries. Given that proximity to the seizure of Cherokee land and the fact that the settlers were occupying the far western, unsettled frontier of northwest Georgia, spare and simple were the bywords concerning the type of church they could erect. The first building was made of logs. This, the present building, was constructed in 1855 and the interior view has changed little. Handmade wooden pews line the aisles and face a raised platform upon which rests an undecorated wooden pulpit. The exterior remains the same as well, a simple, unadorned rectangular building with no steeple.