Up until the 1820s, this land had been inhabited by the Creek Indians until the Treaty of Indian Springs forced them to cede their lands. Soon after, white settlers moved into the area and began establishing small communities. One such community emerged here in Dooly County, despite the lack of a river or viable creek nearby. Many of these early families came from the Carolinas and intermarried their families. A decade after the area was opened to settlement, it was time to lay down more permanent roots.
According to the church’s founding history, it was 1832 when neighbors gathered at the home of Mrs. Tilly Crumpler and decided that they wanted to establish proper religious services. A group was selected to canvas the local area looking for a suitable place to build a church house. Because they weren’t near any creek or river, they needed a site with a good water supply since church meetings sometimes lasted for several days. While surveying the woods, they found a spring that had sand as white as snow, and thus, they had the name for their new community and meeting, Snow Spring (also sometimes just called Snow). On this site, they built a brush arbor and plans were set for the first camp meeting in 1833.
Before long, the church decided to erect a more permanent structure for worship, and a local, Mr. Isaac Taylor of Houston County, deeded 8 acres of land where they built a log church and established a cemetery. In April 1843, the congregation became part of the Methodist Episcopal Society, however, they credit the date of their founding to a decade prior when their meeting began under a brush arbor. The first Methodist services here were led by a circuit-riding preacher and sometimes, would last from 2 days to as long as 2 weeks. Back then, people would come from all around by wagon and on foot to attend church services. Thanks to the steady supply of water from the spring, they were able to camp overnight in the area while meetings went on.
In 1900 or 1901, the earlier log church burned down and a newer, more modern church was erected in its place in 1903 that is still in use today. Many of its original features are still intact, including the original stained glass windows, and handmade pews. However, the bell tower was removed in the 1920s in the name of modernization as the church bells were considered “old fashioned” by that time. In the early 1900s, school was also taught here, although it isn’t clear if there was a dedicated building for classes or if the sanctuary served both purposes. A post office was opened at Snow in 1879, although the community became too small to sustain it and it was closed in 1905.
Today, the church still holds regular services, making Snow Methodist the oldest, still-active church in Dooly County. Be sure to click and scroll the gallery photos below for more information on this historic church.
This photo from the 1950s shows there have been very few changes over the years.
Here we have entered the sanctuary which appears much today as it did when it was first opened to congregants in 1903. You can tell that the church places a high importance on keeping the old time feeling here with few modernizations to distract from her historic simplicity.
Here we see the chancel with prayer rail and decorative, hand-turned balusters.
Standing at the pulpit looking back at the entrance, you can see the beautiful light that fills the sanctuary created by the simple hanging lights and tall stained glass windows.
The stained glass windows are original to the 1903 building, and were installed by donations by church members.
In the early 1900s, a small community like this one wouldn't have had enough students for a large school. So as was often the practice, the church also served as a school. Pictured here is a group of students from Snow Spring School in 1910.
The congregation still has the original silver communion set and tithing plate.
Pvt. Durham Jordan Sangster was born in 1834 and died March 3, 1863. He enlisted May 3, 1862 in Company C, 55 th Georgia Infantry, CSA. He died at Cumberland Gap, Tennessee. He and his wife, Martha, had three children.
William Peirce Daniel was born December 19, 1839 and died March 12, 1900. He married Victoria Corbin (1846-1884) on October 16, 1862. He enlisted in Company C, 55 th Georgia Infantry, CSA as a private May 3, 1862. He was discharged and furnished J. G. Rogers as a substitute, August 1, 1862.
Rev. William Parks Jordan was born October 5, 1823 and died February 7, 1882. He married Martha E. Stewart September 4, 1849. The 1880 Dooly County census shows this couple with eight children in the household ranging in age from 12 to 26. His occupation is given as Gospel Preacher.
Edwin Wimberly Thompson was born May 13, 1822 and died July 21, 1901. The 1900 Dooly County census shows him and his wife, Susan, married 61 years. Their son, Portlock Thompson was a private in Company C, 55 th Georgia Regiment, CSA. He died August 10, 1862 and is also buried at Snow United Methodist Church cemetery. In 1880, their grandson, John C. Thompson, was living in the household with them.
Lewis Alsabrook was born August 16, 1844 and died June 16, 1922. He enlisted in Company K, 27 th Georgia Regiment, CSA on September 10, 1861. He surrendered at Greensboro, N. C. April 26, 1865. He married Martha J. Short in 1869. Census records show they had seven children with five still living in 1900. His death certificate shows his father, also named Lewis, was born in Ireland.
Alexander Christmas Borum was born November 27, 1822 and died August 2, 1888. He was married to Mary S. Marshall (1831-1902). They had eleven children. A notice in the Americus Recorder, August 3, 1888 states: Mr. D. M. Borum, traveling salesman, received a telegram yesterday calling him to Snow, Dooly County, as his father had died at 4 o’clock that morning. Mr. Borum left for Snow on the 2:17 train.
ORGANIZED
1833
LOCATED IN
Dooly
DENOMINATION
Methodist
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Beautiful Church – I enjoyed the photos and the history.
Thanks for following along, Debbie!
Now that is an unusual arrangement for the front. Just one door? Not separate fir men and women? I guess that’s more modern. Is the Sandy spring still flowing?? MM Bowen. Decatur ga
Yes, only one door on this church, likely due to it s construction date after 1900. And that’s a good question about whether or not the spring is still flowing. Hopefully someone will go can chime in to let us know.
Yes the spring still flows. The water is crystal clear. It feeds into a pond that is used in the summer for irrigation. Even then the spring continues to flow and keeps the pond at a good level.
The spring was taken over when they put in irrigation all around. The spring was across the road from where church is located now.