Concord Methodist (Putnam County, Ga.)

Concord Methodist is the oldest Methodist church west of the Oconee River and, in addition to being the oldest Methodist church in the county, was built on the oldest road in the county, a stagecoach road that ran from Milledgeville to Greensboro and Athens. There have been three structures built on the site, the first being a log cabin built by Thomas Johnston and William Pritchard in the fall of 1810 on one and a quarter acres of land donated by John Robertson. The deed stipulated that members of the church were were granted "free and direct pass way of ten feet wide from the said lot of land to the spring that John Wynne used and free privilege of drinking water forever." It was originally named Victory but was later changed to Concord. This first cabin was a crude one with no glass in the windows, a dirt floor, and a fieldstone fireplace at one end. Pews were split logs with legs inserted for the proper height. This first log church was also used as a school for many years.