1858 Sesquicentennial

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1 1858 Sesquicentennial Acworth Methodist Episcopal Church South Founded 1858 Introduction from the Centennial Booklet of 1958 By Rev. Hunter J. Bassett, Pastor This small pamphlet has been printed to give the reader a sketch of the history of Acworth Methodist Church. It does not contain all that could be said, indeed that would take volumes. The many tears shed at the altar, the sermons preached, the prayers uttered and the joys shared are now recorded. It is our purpose here to pause for a moment and pay tribute to those stalwart Christians before us who have made this Centennial Anniversary possible. As we pay tribute to those who have gone before us, may we at this time earnestly pray that we of today, and those of tomorrow, may be as spiritual, faithful and far-sighted as were our forefathers. To the many yesteryears, to the present, and to the future, this pamphlet is dedicated. Introduction for the Sesquicentennial Booklet of 2008 By Rev. Dr. Michael L Cash, Senior Pastor And here WE are those of tomorrow! Interestingly, Rev. Bassett earnestly prayed that future generations would be as far-sighted at the same time the Church of his day had just purchased property to move the Church building from Main Street to the Hill overlooking the new lake at Acworth. Such a BOLD move! Fifty years later, here we are those who have inherited the ministry of that congregation. So perhaps we need to ask ourselves about Rev. Bassett s challenge: Are we as spiritual, faithful and far-sighted as were our forefathers? Celebrating the past is a dead end activity if it does not lead us to forge a vision for those of our tomorrow. Therefore, we celebrate the past in order to have courage to live out God s preferred future for Acworth United Methodist Church.

2 ACWORTH UNITED METHODIST CHURCH SESQUICENTENNIAL: We will be celebrating the Sesquicentennial anniversary of our church throughout Since 1858, at three different locations, many generations of faithful church members have served ONE God and ONE mission in the Acworth community. With God's help, our church will continue its ministry of spreading the good news of Jesus Christ for another 150 years and more. Our prayer for those who came before, we say thank you and to those yet to come, we say God be with you and bless you always. Amen Chapter One: The First Church Site: Academy Street Acworth Methodist Episcopal Church South was founded in 1858 by a group of settlers from South Carolina. The first house of worship stood at the corner of Dixie Avenue and Academy Street, the present site of McCall Elementary School. The original church was a two story brick building and served a dual purpose for the community. The ground floor housed the church while the upper floor was the home of the local Masonic Lodge. Some of the founders of the church were Jake House, Clark McLain, Mr. Putrell, B.D. Ragsdale and Jacob Westbrook. Logs for the church building were hauled at night from Burnt Hickory Ridge. Mr. Alberry Bruton Smith, (the grandfather of current Acworth UMC member Nancy Maxwell) who was the father of Lemon Smith, Sr., was one of those who helped lay the large rock foundation of the church. Though not a Methodist, he worked with other local men until the completion of the church at the first site. The birth of Acworth Methodist Episcopal Church South was shortly before the beginning of the Civil War. During the war, Acworth, with its strategically important rail line, was on the route of Northern forces attacking from Chattanooga toward Atlanta. On June 3, 1864 the Army of the Cumberland (Federal troops) invaded Acworth. Two days later General William Tecumseh Sherman, Commander-in Chief of the Northern Army, set up his headquarters in the town which had previously been almost totally evacuated by its citizens. Although Sherman left Acworth four days later to move on to Big Shanty and Kennesaw Mountain, the town was of vast importance as a supply route and both Federal and Confederate troops were constantly moving in and out of Acworth. He had to secure the railroad so that supplies from Nashville and Chattanooga would not have to continue to be sent across the Etowah River by pontoons. Acworth and Allatoona were part of his main supply bases.

3 Sherman's headquarters was in the Acworth Post Office, at that time a house located near the intersection of Main Street and Maple Avenue. Federal division commanders had their headquarters in an old school building on the present site of McCall Elementary School. Close by was the Methodist Church, situated on the corner of Dixie Avenue and facing Academy Street. The church was pressed into service as a hospital. Although Acworth experienced no decisive battle, there were skirmishes in the area for weeks prior to the Battle of Atlanta and all during the Battles of Kennesaw Mountain, Cheatham Hill, New Hope Church and Lost Mountain. There were many victims from both northern and southern forces hospitalized in the Methodist Church building. It seems certain that some of the patients either died from battle wounds or from the measles epidemic suffered at that time. When the building was razed in 1936 and excavations made for a new school building, human bones, brass buttons, etc. were turned up. The church building itself suffered battle scars to its brick exterior which stayed with it to its end. A hole large enough for a person to crawl through at the base was never repaired although the building continued in use for almost seven more decades. Sherman was said to have no compunction about setting the torch to all buildings including church buildings in his path. However, he gave orders to spare Acworth Methodist Episcopal Church South - not because it was ministering to the wounded but because the Masonic Lodge Hall was the upper story. The church continued to worship and minister to the Acworth community at this first location for an additional forty-one years after the end of the war. When the location was moved to the second site in 1905 to the corner of Main Street and Morningside Drive, the old church building was sold to the Carrie Dyer Reading Club later to become the Acworth Women's Club. Later the club tried to sell the building to the local school. Failing that, they sold the building to a Mr. Shellnut. Because the school officials did not like his plan to raze the building and put a dwelling on the site, they purchased the old church building from Mr. Shellnut. It then was used by the school for classroom space, for a basketball court, and for other school functions including plays and programs of various types. Mrs. J.E. Good, or "Miss Kate" to all Acworth, remembers teaching the first grade in the old building. Miss Kate's mother, who did not leave during the Civil War as did so many in Acworth, told her about the "Union Sunday School" of pre-war and post-war years in which the Methodists, Presbyterians, and Christians met jointly at the Presbyterian Church for religious education. This was because there were

4 too few members to have separate Sunday Schools. At one time, Thomas A. Murray, a Methodist, and the school principal, was superintendent. For many years there was no Sunday School in the winter. It was at the beginning of the late Dr. E. M. Bailey's term as Superintendent that the Methodists started having winter Sunday School. Dr. Bailey retired from this position in 1912 and was presented a small Bible by the Sunday School. The original 19th century church was torn down in 1936 to make way for a high school (now McCall Elementary School). Most of the bricks and rocks forming the foundation were used to fill in the grounds for the new school. At least one truck load of big stones, however, was moved to the yard of Lemon Smith, Sr., for use in making a rock garden. In the early days of the church, Acworth was on a circuit. At one time or another, the following churches have been associated on a circuit with Acworth: Smyrna, Kennesaw, Stegalls, Ebenezer, Powder Springs, Shiloh, and County Line. During its second fifty years of existence, the church became a full time charge and the name of the church was changed but you will have to wait for the next edition to here the rest of that story... Ministers who faithfully served Acworth Methodist Episcopal Church South during its first fifty years are as follows: b=birth, E=ordination as Elder; d=died Andrew J. Deavors, 1861, b1814, E1843, d1891, grandmother was Indian captive, wife Leah, served 1860 Paulding Mission (Atl); 1861 Powder Springs, 1862 Powder Springs & Dallas, 1863 Paulding Mission, 1864 Sandtown Mission (LaGrange) William J. Scott, 1868, (Atl) (Mar) b1826, E1858, d1899, lawyer, was returned to Acworth in 1881 W.M. Arnold, 1877, (Rome), b1829, E1856, d1894, wife Martha, 7 children, married again after her death D. J. Weems, 1880, b1847 SC, E1873, d1923, he was Emory grad, served CSA, wife Lou, 4 children, after Acworth he went to Arkansas William J. Scott, 1881 (see above) H.M. Quillian, 1882, (Rome)(Mar) b1851, E1879, d1931, wife Alice, second son born Jan 1883 while assigned here later had 2 more boys and 2 more girls, O.C. Simmons, 1883 W.L. Wooten, 1886, b1852, E1873, d1913, wife Elizabeth, 6 children, wrote poems & articles J. M. Owens, 1889, (Rome) (N. Atl.), b1844, E1891, d1893; while in CSA, he lost right foot at Battle of Fredericksburg, VA and was converted when nurse gave him New Testament.

5 W.T. Caldwell, 1892 H.L. Edmondson, 1894, b1864, E1888, d1936, attended Emory, wife Ruth, 2 children, Gen. Conf. Delegate in 1930 M.D. Smith, 1895, E1890, withdrew from ministry in 1896 J. S. Embry, 1896, b1845, E1876, d1914 served CSA, wife Mary, 6 children, and in 1896 was assigned to the Waleska Mission (N. Atlanta) plus President of Reinhardt Normal College and also served the Acworth Circuit from July until Conference E.H. Wood, 1897 W.A. Simmons, 1899, (N. Atl) (Mar) b1853, E1896, d1939, wife Nora W.A. Farris, 1903, b1840, E1872, d1921, married with 6 children O. L. Kelley, 1904, Oscar L Kelly, b1863, E1898, d1933, also high school principal and President of Piedmont Institute "Just as the charter members (of Acworth Methodist Episcopal Church South) denied themselves that they and their successors might have a suitable place to worship, so will the present membership do whatever is necessary to have, and to leave, a proper house of worship. Just as the present building (Main Street) and the first (Academy Street) served as church, club, school, so will the next. But instead of a hospital for the battle-wounded, may it serve in what the present pastor (Rev. Hunter J. Bassett) says is a church's most important role - that of a hospital for the soul. (This excerpt, written by Mrs. O. W. Roton, is from the Centennial Celebration Worship Service of Acworth Methodist Church held on May 3, 1959.) Celebrations to come (mark your calendars): 2. CHAPTER TWO: The Second Church Site: Main Street July 27, HOMECOMING service - Dr. Sam Matthews, Senior Pastor Marietta First UMC 3. CHAPTER THREE: The Third Church Site: "The Hill of the Lord" October 19, SESQUICENTENNIAL service - Dr. Jim Lowery, Senior Pastor, Norcross First UMC

Cobb County Summary of Precinct Changes

Cobb County Summary of Precinct Changes Precinct Changes 2012 INCT NAME Dobbins 01 DI01 The previous voting location Windy Hill Senior Center is no longer available as a polling location. The new location will be International Gospel Outreach