Hopewell Methodist (Schley County, Ga.)

The surviving history of Hopewell Methodist comes from the SGA Methodist Archives and a local history: According to legend, Hopewell got its name when a traveler passing by on a horse chatted with members working on the first church, and when the traveler was leaving he "hoped them well on their building." After traveler left, the workers suggested the name of Hopewell for the church.  The first church was constructed of logs harvested from the local forests in 1842. A second Hopewell Church was built on the present site but was destroyed by fire. The present church is the third on built on this site, sometime after the Civil War, likely in the 1870s. Mr. Putnam Stevens. a devout Methodist and wealthy planter, took a leading role in building the church. Lights replace kerosene lamps in 1938 and gas heaters replaces the potbellied wood stove in the 1950s, and the pew partition that has separated ladies and gentlemen through the years was removed. 1982 Membership: 159