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                                   HISTORY OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF WINDER, GEORGIA

 

The Presbytery of Atlanta in a called meeting on September 13, 1895, granted a petition for the organization of the Presbyterian Church in Winder, Georgia and appointed Dr. J.B. Mack, then the evangelist for the Synod of Georgia, the Reverend Samuel Young and elder T.R. Powell to a committee to affect the organization.

 

Pursuant to their appointment this committee organized this church on October 20, 1895; with seven members, three of whom were ruling elders.  The committee reported to the spring meeting of Presbytery held in April1896.

 

Charter Members

 

Professor S.P. Orr                             Ruling Elder

Mr. J.F. Wilhite                                 Ruling Elder

Mr. W.H. Quarterman                       Ruling Elder

Mrs. W.H. (Mary B.) Quarterman

Mr. H.S. Allyn

Miss Callie Wilhite

 

Professor S.P. Orr, then principal of the Winder Public Schools, gave a lot of land which was later exchanged for the lot on which the church now stands (stood) and was in Gwinnett County (now Barrow County.  The House of Worship was erected in1902 thru 1903 and valued at $1500.

 

W.H. Quarterman, a prominent attorney, and Mary Russell were teachers.  Dr. H.S. Allyn was the first regular pastor. He served for several months and later went to Brazil as a missionary.

 

Dr. J.B. Mack was the second pastor and as an evangelist made occasional visits to this church. Reverend J.L. Kin served the church during the years of 1897-1898.

 

Reverend James Wood Pogue was installed and served the church from May 1, 1898, to April 1901.  There was an increase in the membership by letters during his pastorate.  Those received L.C. Russell and J.J. Carr, both in September 1898 and Edwards Kendrick was received in November of 1899.  These three brethren were afterwards elected and installed as deacons of the church.

 

Up until this time there had never been a regular session record book kept, therefore the records are broken and scattered.

 

One record of importance is here transcribed: Winder, GA October 29, 1899:

 

Session of Winder Presbyterian Church met with Reverend James W. Pogue as moderator; Elders S.P. Orr and W. H. Quarterman were present.  Brothers James N Quartermaster (sp) made a statement of his membership in the First Church of Savannah, GA and signified his desire to join this church and was admitted to the membership on profession of his faith and statement.  Certificate of Membership of Brother J.J. Carr dismissing him from First Church of Macon, GA was read and he was received as a member of this church.   

 

Upon motion the clerk was ordered to draw up a letter of dismissal, pursuant to his request for brother Herbert S. Allyn to Central Presbyterian Church of Atlanta, GA.

 

Upon motion it was ordered that there be held on the first Sunday in November in 1899; an election of such elders and deacons as are necessary to fill the offices of the church. Moved and adopted that brothers W.H. Quartermaster (check spelling) and L.C. Russell be appointed to a committee to decide upon a location for the church (the gift of Professor S.P. Orr) with authority in their discretion to sell same and reinvest the proceeds.

 

Upon motion the moderator appointed by members of the session (elders J.J. Carr, J.N. Quarterman and J.F. Wilhite) and brother L.C. Russell, J.J. Carr, J.N. Quarterman and E. Kendrick as a committee on the building and soliciting subscriptions for the church.

 

The Session then took a recess.

 

At Adjourned Session after evening services Mrs. Omay Richardson was received into membership on her profession of faith.

 

Brother W.H. Quarterman was chosen as delegate to the meeting of the Synod soon to be held at Marietta, GA with brother Wilhite as alternate.

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There being no further business the Session adjourned with prayer.

 

W.H. Quarterman-Clerk

 

“Under the authority of the committee named - sold the original lot, and finally invested in the lot now owned by the church on the corner of Athens and Beulah Streets”.

 

Reverend W.L. Harrell succeeded Mr. Pogue as pastor, serving the church during   1902-1903. During this pastorate the church was erected at the cos of $1500.00 in all,

 

Deed:            September 21, 1902

                     November 10, 1902

                     Consideration - $350.00

Recorded Book F.F.  page 216 (Jackson County)

 

Description of Property

All that tract or parcel of lying and being in the County of Gwinnett said state of Georgia and for the city of Winder more particular described as follows: beginning at he corner of Church Street and Athens Street and running S. 74E along said Athens Street 60 feet to rock corner. Thence S-16W. 95 feet to rock corner, thence N 74 W 90 feet to corner on Church Street thence N 16 E 100 feet to highway corner.

 

            Parties’ grantor – L.C. Russell to Trustees Winder Presbyterian Church

                                                                                    W.H. Quartermaster

                                                                                    L.C. Russell

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Reverend Lucien Knight – Supply

Reverend Homer McMillian - Supply Spring and Summer 1904-1905

Reverend J.H. Dixon – Pastor January 1906

Reverend Fritz Rauschenberg – Pastor 1907-1911

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Elders (Session)

S.C.  Potts                           1908-1933

W.H. Quarterman                1895-1934

L.C. Russell                         1909-1925

            O.S. Hays                 1909

           

Deacons

J.E. Prentecost                      1924

J.K. Miller                            1922

J.H. Williams                       1922-1932    

 

Superintendents

F.C. Gaddick                       1922-1929

R.L. Russell                        1929

J.K. Miller                           1930-1937

 

Winder Presbyterian Church

Athens Presbytery

Synod of Georgia

1944-1945

 

Members of the Congregation added:

 

Name                                    Date of Admission                         How

 

Wise, Mrs. P.M.                    8/5/1938                                           Letter

Wise, Monroe                       8/1/1938                                           Confession

Wise, Mrs. Monroe              8/22/1938                                         Restatement

 

The Winder Presbyterian Sunday School

 

The organization of the Sunday School took place a short time prior to the organization of the Church.  The Sunday School has the number of about thirty at that time.   Its growth was slow and gradual for a time and then it picked up and became stronger; then there came fluctuation for a number of years.  There are very few notes or records of the progress of the Sunday School. Consequently, we have no way of knowing much of history except in a general way. But in 1938 there were about 35 in the Sunday School.  During the next year the roll increased to 59. And since then, there has been a steady increase in members of the Sunday school.  Today (1945) there are 68 on roll. In the Summer of 1939, we had a D.V.B.S. [Daily Vacation Bible School] and with much success. And each year there-after we have held a D.V.B.S. for Sabbath School and also for the Negro Sunday School.

 

At present we have five departments in the Sunday School; they are the Graddick Bible Class which was organized several years ago in honor of our late elder Mr. F.C. Graddick who was deeply interested in the Sunday School.  Its present teacher is Mr. Goerge Bolton. The Beginners; taught by Miss Suzanne Merk; the Primary, taught by Mrs. D.S. Draper; the Juniors, taught by Miss Eunice Chapman, and the Intermediate Senior class, taught by Mrs. J. Guy Cuzts!

 

Ther are no records of the activities of the Young People. At one time we do know that there was a Christian Endeavor Society.  In later years, our Young People were organized into a league.  At the present time our Young People our young people few in number are members of a League composed of all the young people of the several churches of Winder.  We might state that our young people have been most active in community service, particularly helping in the Bible Schools for the community and the Negro Bible Schools.

 

Weare proud to relate that our young people under the leadership of Miss Carolyn Russelll revived the Sunday School of the Chapel Christian Church.   Miss Carolyn Russell, the daughter of Mrs. R.B. Russell and the late judge R.B. Russell, has given herself in fulltime Chrisitan Service as the wife of Raymond Nelson, who is now a Chaplin in the navy at present.  

 

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                                                HISTORY OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN GEORGIA

 

On February 12, 1733, James Edward Oglethorpe dropped the anchor of his ship “Anna” seventeen miles up from the mouth of the Savannah River to begin establishing a colony in the new world to be called Georgia. This new land was named after King George III of England.   On the ship were thirty-five families, totaling 125 people; including men, women and children.  They had been promised fifty acres of land, tools, seeds, and clothing for the first year.

 

The early immigrants suffered many hardships during the first few years.  During this time additional immigrants arrived, Germans, Lutherans, Moravians, Scots, and others.

 

Although we know that a Presbyterian minister by the name of Reverend Francis Makemie (1658–1708) arrived in Maryland in 1683. he initially preached in Somerset County, Maryland, and established the Rehobeth Presbyterian Church, the oldest Presbyterian Church in America, however not much is known about the Presbyterian Church in early Georgia.  History records do report that a colony of Scotch Presbyterians settled at Darien (down the coast from savannah near the mouth of the Altamaha River about 1735, just two years after Oglethorpe arrived.  It is also recorded that a Presbyterian Church was organized in Savannah in 1763, thirty-two years after the birth Of the State!

 

The Presbytery of South Carolina embraced the Presbyterian Churches in Georgia from their information in 1784.  From the Presbytery of South Carolina, the Hopewell Presbytery was established in 1796, which embraced the whole colony of Georgia as it existed at that time.

 

From 1733 until 1796, a period of sixty-three years, the people of the young colony had experienced many hardships, trials, and tribulations which included the American Revolution (1775-1781).  This disastrous period divided families, friends, and neighbors.

 

In1796, sixty-three years after Oglethorpe, our sister church of Thyatira was established in present day Jackson County.  It is located between Jefferson and Commerce. Also in 1796; at the location of present-day Winder, Georgia was an Indian village; Snoda with 37 inhabitants.  This village was located on the Okoloco Indian Trail which ran in a northwesterly direction.

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