The community of White Plains, once known as Old Wall’s Fort and Fort Nell, takes its name from the white, sandy soil in the area. Settlement here predates the town’s incorporation by about thirty years, and White Plains Methodist Church has been active since at least 1817, according to a partial history compiled by Mrs. T.C. Moore in 1963. While the exact date of the church’s founding is unknown, the earliest surviving record is a resolution passed upon the death of Mrs. Sarah Wright in 1817. Partial church records exist from 1838 to the present.

Mrs. Moore noted that membership grew rapidly during the Civil War when the Methodist grounds at Liberty were taken over for military training. The first church building stood at what is now the corner of Main Street and GA-15/77. This same building was later used by the Grant family as a workshop producing wagons and buggies for customers across Greene County.

In a show of cooperation common among early congregations, the Baptist Church used the Methodist building in 1848 while constructing their own. In 1871, the favor was returned when the Methodists held services in the Baptist church while their new sanctuary was built. That 1871 building still stands today. After the Civil War, African Americans continued to worship in the same building, though services became segregated. In 1888, the congregation became one of the first in Georgia to receive permission to form a women’s missionary society.

In 1893, Reverend James J. Ashley, pastor of the Greensboro Circuit, recorded historical details about Methodism in Greene County. He included a letter from former pastor Rev. William J. Cotter, who fondly recalled the generosity of White Plains members during the Civil War, including gifts of chickens, hams, and promises of hundreds of pounds of butter. Cotter’s memories also included stories of the church’s most influential members. Today, the church is privately owned by a White Plains resident who plans to use it for a variety of purposes, including as a wedding chapel. This preservation effort ensures that the historic structure will continue to serve the community in new ways for years to come.