Smith Chapel
Carroll County | Organized in 1850
According to The Heritage of Carroll County, Georgia 1826–2001, Smith Chapel Methodist was founded in 1851 by Rev. John Thurman on land he owned near Bowdon in Carroll County. Rev. Thurman, a distinguished early Methodist minister, had preached the first sermon in Marthasville (now Atlanta) shortly after its founding, before moving his family to Carroll County around 1850. His roots ran deep here, and the cemetery beside the church holds 47 Thurmans and their descendants.
Read more...Originally called Mount Pleasant, the first church was a log structure with two doors, a large fireplace, and no nails—floors were pegged with hickory pins, and tallow candles lit the pulpit. In 1875, a more modern building replaced it, serving as both a church and a school. When Rev. Seaborn Smith succeeded Rev. Thurman, the congregation renamed it Smith Chapel in his honor. On September 10, 1892, Rev. Thurman sold the church and cemetery to the trustees for five dollars. The present sanctuary, the third on the site, was completed in 1896 under the direction of Rev. Thurman’s son, James L. Thurman.
The membership once included many local families—Thurmans, Parkers, Gambles, Davenports, Alexanders, Moons, Robinsons, and others. Over time, as members joined other congregations, numbers dwindled, but descendants maintained the property through a memorial association. In 1988, Emory and Wilma Marlow purchased and lovingly restored both the church and cemetery, preserving them as a tribute to the vibrant community that thrived here for over a century.
Sadly, this piece of Georgia’s rural heritage met a tragic end. On January 4, 2021, Carroll County deputies responded to a fire at Smith Chapel. The sanctuary was fully engulfed, and despite efforts by Carroll County Fire Rescue, the structure could not be saved. Investigators determined the fire was intentionally set, and suspects were later arrested, but the loss of the 1896 building can never be undone.
Though the sanctuary is gone, the history of Smith Chapel, its devoted founders, the generations who worshiped here, and the families resting in its cemetery remains an enduring chapter in Carroll County’s story.
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19 responses to “Smith Chapel”
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This was a beautiful church. My pastor grew up in the Methodist church in Cherokee County, and this church was in the North Georgia Methodist conference. It is so sad to see such beautiful edifices like this go up in flames; however, the song oft reminds me “this world is not our home – we’re only passing by.”
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Like many others in my community, I was sad to learn that this lovely historic church was totally destroyed by arsonists. I’m grateful that your beautiful pictures will help to preserve the memory of this chapel .
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My great great grandfather was the Reverend John Thurman. So heartbreaking that the church was destroyed.
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Very Interesting. In my Thurman Family Tree research I found that Rev. John Thurman and his family owned my family and brought them to Bowdon, GA where I was born and raised. I was so sorry to learn of Smith Chapel burning.
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I am so saddened to see this beautiful part of history burnt down today. I like be very close and loved to ride my horses by and around the church to just see part of the past. It breaks my heart!
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I am so sad to say that the church burnt down today 1/4/2021 around noon. So thankful for the pictures shared on here.
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Oh that is terrible. Just a tragedy. Can you possibly send a photo or two of the aftermath to info@hrcga.org. That will be a sad part of the documentation.
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The Carroll County Sheriff’s Office has photos of the aftermath. You probably need to ask their permission to use them. The story is at https://www.facebook.com/CarrollCountySheriffGA/posts/4244585628889952
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Photos sent. Let me know if you didn’t receive them.
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Some of my McCray ancestors are buried there– Great-great-Grandfather Stephen Gardner McCray and his wife, Mary Hawk, along with my great-grandfather William Henry McCray and his wife, Lousianna Gammon. I was very sad to read about the church vandalism. We need to have laws on the books to put people behind bars for 50 years for such crimes. Treating such vandals nicely has not deterred such desecration.
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My husband (Fuller Smith, Jr.) is a direct ancestor (6th generation) from Anderson Smith and we live in Alabama. Much of the family moved to Alabama and we are part of the John Colbert Smith family. I have all the ancestors from Anderson Smith till now. However I am looking for more information on Anderson Smith as I know he came from Pickens, SC area but do not know his father or mother’s name. I do have information on the material Smith/Gosden/Lane family. This includes ancestors all the way back to 1200’s. The Smith/Lane family included Tidence Fuller Lane a prominent Baptist Minister who was instrumental in starting the Baptist church in Tn. If anyone has information on Anderson Smith’s father or mother, we would appreciate this
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I was in Bowdon this weekend seeing my father’s grave at Antioch Baptist Church along with other relatives and decided to ride over to Smith Chapel and visit. The grounds were beautiful along with the Church but I was sad to see that someone had vandalized an exterior window and broke into the rear door. My sister and I were sad to see this. It a beautiful church that brought back great memories of the few McCray Family Reunions I attended there with my father Eldred H. McCray.
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That is indeed sad news. It is hard to understand how some people’s minds work. Great history that should be respected.
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Would like to know if I have any relatives. My Smith family is from Coweta County. My grandmother was a Richards from Carroll and her people are buried at St. Pauls.
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My great grandfather Reverend Seaborn Campbell was the son-in-law of John Thurman and I have family buried at the church. Would like to connect with the Marlow family. Please reply with any information. Thank you.
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Hello! We do own the book and it is wonderful! We are the Smiths and are related to the Smiths of Smithfield Road from several generations back, now in Haralson County. I would like to contact the owners and others who live near there….perhaps Rev. Smith was related? We are also related to Davenports from the Buchanan area. Thanks for your help.
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Another beautiful old House of God. Thanks for sharing it with us.
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Hurry up with that new book, folks. I’m not getting any younger! The first book was so great, I can’t wait for the second.
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