EARLY CHURCHES OF GREENE County

Unless otherwise noted, the source for Early Churches of Greene County was "The Heritage of Greene County" published by Heritage Publishing Consultants, Inc. The year the church was first established is in parentheses next to the church's name. The year the church stopped services is given where available.

Bethsalem Presbyterian Church, Boligee (ca 1835-1917) 

Bethsalem, which means "House of Peace" was the first church in Boligee. It was built on land donated by Colonel George Hays, an early Boligee settler. Bethsalem Cemetery is located next to the church and is still active.

Beulah Baptist Church, Snoddy (February 3, 1833) now in Greene originally Pickens.

Charter members were Elizabeth Brooks, David S. Brooks, Thomas J. Drummond, Nancy Leatherwood, John Leopard, Albert M. Tandy, Matilda Tandy, Ralph Tandy, Luke Thornton, Sarah Thornton, Rev. Matthew Pickett Smith.

The first building was of hewn logs, but today on the same property, are located the red brick sanctuary and educational rooms erected 1948.

Rev. Matthew Pickett served as pastor 1836-1881.

The first Sunday School was organized 1877 with Thomas J. Nix serving as superintendent.

Beulah Baptist Church once served the dual purpose of school and church

Beulah Baptist 499 burials recorded as of Oct. 2007

Boligee Presbyterian Church, Boligee (1930)

The church was built on land donated by Mrs. Julia C. McLemore and still stands today. Mr. J. T. McLemore was elected and ordained the first elder of the church and Dr. W. R. Hatter, first deacon. At the organization of the church there was an enrollment of forty-eight members.

Clinton Baptist Church (1838) 

This church was organized in 1838 as Concord Baptist Church, located nearby in Trussells Creek. The first minister was Rev. William Manning. Charter members were: Mr. and Mrs. Moses Buttler, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Childs, Mr. and Mrs. Marshall Keith, Mr. John Richardson, Miss Elizabeth Tutt, and Mr. and Mrs. W. O. Williams. After seven years the name was changed to Clinton Baptist Church to reflect the location in the community. The church membership grew considerably in the late 1840's and 1850's. This growth along with frequent flooding of Trussells Creek led the congregation to erect a new building. (From Historical Marker located at the Church)

Ebenezer Church, Forkland, 

see Lambuth Memorial Methodist Church.

Ebenezer Presbyterian Church, (1828 - present) 

(pictured at right) This historic Greek Revival style church was organized in 1828 and still has its original pews. The church stood empty for 77 years when the Greene County Historic Society acquired the building in 1994 and then subsequently leased the church to the First Baptist Church of Clinton in 2003.

All records for this church are in the Historical Foundation, Montreat, N.C.

Ebenezer Presbyterian 382 burials recorded as of Oct. 2007

Eutaw Baptist Church (1841) 

The first church was built on Boligee Street on a lot acquired from Asa White in 1843. The original building was destroyed by a cyclone in 1900 and was rebuilt and subsequently destroyed again by fire in 1930. 

The present church was completed in 1953.

Eutaw United Methodist Church (1840) 

A wooden church was erected in 1841 on the northwest corner of Boligee and Wilson Avenue. Richard Henry Herbert was the Pastor and Elisha Calloway was the presiding Elder at the first quarterly conference on 15 August 1840. The original church was replaced and the new brick church was first used on 17 September 1961[³]. 

See also History of Methodism in Greene County.

Eutaw Christian Church         

Eutaw Christian Church, Eutaw (1895) 

The Eutaw Christian Church (pictured at right) was organized in February of 1895 and the building was erected in 1908. Information from a postcard dated ca 1969, pictured at right.

First Presbyterian Church of Eutaw (1851) 

Main Street, Eutaw, Alabama. Erected 1851, David R. Anthony Contractor. Organized by Tuscaloosa Presbytery in 1824 as Mesopotamia Presbyterian Church. John H. Gray first minister 1826-1836. Educational Building Erected 1959. From Historic Marker.

Forkland Church - see Lambuth Memorial Methodist Church.

Friendship Baptist Church, Boligee (1825)

The Friendship Baptist Church was organized at Burton's Hill. The church moved  to its present site in Boligee, and was rebuilt on land given by Mr. A. B. Demoville.

Green's Chapel CME Church

Reverend O. C. Watts, P. C., is written on the side of this church, located at the corner of Highway 69 and county road 64 in West Moundville just south of Havana. A short distance down county road 64 is Tucker Cemetery, which is on the corner of 64 and Tucker Cemetery Road facing 64; if you turn onto Tucker Cemetery Road there is a second cemetery immediately on your left.

           click thumbnails for larger photos

Hebron Presbyterian Church, Mantua (1822-1931)  

Reverend Andrew Brown preached the first sermon in 1822. The church was organized in 1824 when Reverend Thomas Archibald settled in the area and both Hebron and the New Hope Church at Knoxville. In 1856 Hebron had two hundred forty-four members making it the largest Presbyterian church in the area. After the war between the states, the population declined and the building became neglected and finally collapsed in 1918. The church was dissolved by the Tuscaloosa Presbytery in 1931.

Hebron Presbyterian 273 burials recorded as of Oct. 2007

Johnson Hill United Methodist Church (1886) 

Also known as "Grove Valley Church"

Lambuth Memorial Methodist Church (ca 1823)

The Lambuth Memorial Methodist Church was organized about 1823 and was known at that time as Ebenezer Church. The deed to the old Ebenezer lot of four acres was made November 5, 1839 for ten dollars by James Kirkpatrick to the following Trustees of Greene Circuit: William Massie, Charles C. Jordon, John McGee, William Daniel, Basil Crawford, Ferdinand Sealey, Isaac Gregory, Samuel O. Gordon, and George W. Hill. Ebenezer was the original name of Forkland Church, but apparently the name gradually was forgotten and the church was just called Forkland Church. On February 6, 1955 the members of the church voted to change the name to Lambuth Memorial Methodist Church.^[4]

View 1967 program Lambuth Memorial Methodist Church page 1, page 2.

Lloyd Chapel Baptist Church ( ca 1880)

Mesopotamia Presbyterian Church (1824- ca 1851) 

Founded by the Tuscaloosa Presbytery in 1824, the building was constructed in August of 1833 on Finches Ferry Road. The first minister was Rev. John H. Gray who served from 1826 - 1836. The church was disassembled in 1851 and its materials were used to construct the Samuel R. Murphy house. The congregation purchased property in 1847 on the northwest corner of Wilson and Main streets in Eutaw. The cemetery was deeded to the town of Eutaw. The original name of the cemetery was Oak Hill. See the First Presbyterian Church of Eutaw for more information.^[1,3]

Mesopotamia 1338 burials currently recorded online of about 2000 total, in-process Oct. 2007

Mt. Pleasant C.M.E. Church and Cemetery, Knoxville

Mt. Pleasant, 153 burials recorded as of Oct. 2007

New Hope Presbyterian Church, Knoxville (1818) 

The New Hope Presbyterian Church was founded by families who immigrated from South Carolina, including the families of: Major Thomas, White, James Storey, David Morrow, Abner Steele, William Baskins, and Edward Mays. Reverend Andrew Brown was the first minister. In January of 1973 the membership of New Hope combined with the Eutaw Presbyterian Church.[³]

New Hope AKA Knoxville, 206 burials recorded as of Oct. 2007

Pleasant Hill Cumberland Presbyterian Church (1832) 

Pleasant Hill Cumberland Presbyterian Church was established in 1832, and its original address was Clinton, Alabama. The original land upon which the building was erected was given by John Gandy and his wife Harriet. The original building burned and was replaced with the present-day building. The cemetery next to the church is well kept and still active, with burials dating from 1837 to present. The earliest burial was Nancy Cockrell, born in 1757, died 27 Jun 1837. Some of the earliest birth dates include Allen Richardson (1780-1845), Loucinda Richardson (1775-1864) and William Hinton (1779-1864). Not all stones are legible and some are missing.

NOTES from Jim Taylor pertaining to the early members documents linked below:

Original Documents for Pleasant Hill members page 1, page 2.

Pleasant Hill - Black Americans, 204 burials recorded as of Oct. 2007

Pleasant Hill - White Americans, 448 burials recorded as of Oct. 2007; Jefferson J. Powell is supposed to be buried here per Mr. Jim Taylor - to date we have not found Mr. Powell. 

*In this time period the letter "P" denotes double "s" - therefore, "Mapey" then is "Massey" now. cls*

Pleasant Ridge Presbyterian Church (1848) 

By appointment of Tuscaloosa Presbytery, Rev. J. L. Kirkpatrick and Rev. C.A. Stillman met on November 18, 1848 and organized a Presbyterian church at Pleasant Ridge, Alabama.

There were thirteen charter members. Services were held in a home near the site of the present church. The first pastor, Rev J. P. McMullen served from 1855 until he was killed while serving the Confederacy at Resaca, Ga. 1864.

The church building was erected in 1859, and has been a blessing to all who have worshipped here through the years. (From the historic marker at the church)

Pleasant Ridge, 312 burials recorded - there are most likely many more further back in the woods

Salem Methodist Church "attached" to the Eutaw Church in 1956.

Salem Methodist, 140 burials recorded as of Oct. 2007

Sardis Methodist Church (1830) 

Located in West Greene, (pictured at right).

The date the church was first established is from the sign in front of the church. The church has a well-maintained cemetery across the street with many of the forefathers of the West Greene area.

Sardis Methodist, 161 burials recorded as of Oct. 2007

Shiloh Baptist Church (ca 1853)

Springfield Church was 2 miles Northeast of Eutaw and was later absorbed by the Eutaw Church.

St. John's-in-the-Prairie Episcopal Church (1834) 

Organized "in the Prairie" south of Greensboro in 1834 by the Rev. Caleb Ives, pioneer missionary to the old Southwest. Admitted to parish status in 1838 by the Rt. Rev. Jackson Kemper, Provisional Bishop of Alabama. First rector was the Rev. John Avery, D. D. Present building designed by Mr. Richard Upjohn, renowned American architect and founder of the American Institute of Architects. Erected in 1859 and moved across the Warrior River to its present location in 1878. (from the historic marker at the church)

St. John's, 38 burials recorded as of Oct. 2007

Saint Mark's Episcopal Church, Boligee (1852)

Some of the early members of St. Mark's Episcopal Church include John G. Friend, A. Little, P.L. Lightfoot, William P. Gould, and J. J. Thornton. St. Marks was originally located about four miles from Boligee. The building was moved to its present site in Boligee in 1880.

St. Mary's Catholic Church (1948) 

Six Catholic women, Mrs. John Bluneschi, Miss Ruth Neilan, Mrs. Wiles Banks, Jr., Mrs Walter McAlpine, Mrs. Roland Steele and Mrs. William Lee raised the money to build the first Catholic church in Eutaw on land donated by Anna McAlpine, daughter of Mrs. Walter McAlpine[³].

St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Eutaw (1847 - present) 

St. Stephens Church was erected on land purchased from Asa White in 1847 and was dedicated by the Rev. J. H. Tichnor on 25 November 1848. The church burned 14 February 1913 and was rebuilt with some of the original fittings and the original altar. ^[2]

Postcard ca 1966, St. Stephen's Episcopal Church

"Founded in 1845. Present building completed in 1914."

Sources:

1. Clay Lancaster, The Builders and Architecture of an Ante-Bellum Southern Town, (1979: Eutaw, Alabama, The Greene County Historical Society), 48

2. Ibid, 50.

3. Mary Morgan Glass, A Goodly Heritage Memories of Greene County (1977: Eutaw, Alabama, Greene County Historical Society)

4. Lambuth Memorial Methodist Church, A Short History (Brochure), 22 January 1967.