Conclusions and Remaining Mysteries
Even with all of this information I still have some questions. When was the church established? Was there a structure that predates the 1915 wooden church? Why did so many prominent church families move to New Zion in the 1930s? What brought about the church’s final demise?
I might have an answer to that last question, but I’ll summarize the church’s history here…
- The church was established either in the late 1800s or early 1900s. News records show a history of racial conflict with the surrounding white community.
- In 1911 several members of the church were arrested for the shooting of Robert Davidson. A white man named Hayes was arrested for inciting violence, but was not convicted. Luther and Arthur Corry were convicted and sentenced to hang. The sentence was later commuted to prison time.
- In 1915 a wooden church was built for the existing congregation in Wilkinsville.
- Sometime around 1940 a severe storm damaged the church beyond repair.
- In 1945 Willie Corry began construction of a new concrete block structure for the church, which held its first services in 1946.
- Services continued at Wesley Chapel until the mid to late 1960s.
- By 1971 all activities had ceased at Wesley Chapel and it was identified as an abandoned church by the local paper.
As for the two plaques on the front of the ruins, I believe that the one on the left of the church is from the old structure, salvaged after the storm. It was incorporated into the new building, along with a new plaque to commemorate its construction.
Willie Corry was the driving force behind the church for many years. I suspect that around the time of his death in 1969 the church began to die out. Remaining members began attending Dunton Methodist Church in Gaffney or Mount Tabor Baptist south of Wilkinsville.
This brings up yet another mystery while solving another one. The earliest graves we could find on the site were from 1963, which is fairly late in the history of the church. An obituary for Carl Hoey in 1961 states that he would be buried in the church cemetery. There was one stone tablet which Lowell and I tried to read by doing a rubbing, but it was completely illegible. It might have been Carl Hoey’s or it might have been earlier than 1961, but we just don’t know. So, where were the members of the church buried prior to this time?
In 1955 Willie Corry placed an announcement in the Gaffney Ledger requesting help with cleaning up a Cemetery at Union Grove.
From this announcement, and from earlier obituaries I’ve seen in the paper, it seems that members of Wesley Chapel were buried at Union Grove prior to the 1960s. It wasn’t until after the church was in decline that older members, many of whom were now at Dunton Methodist, started requesting burial at the church of their youth, Wesley Chapel.
While that might explain why there are only later burials at Wesley Chapel, it brings up even more questions. Was Union Grove a church? When did it start and end? I haven’t found any more information on it. Like Wesley Chapel, Union Grove was a common name throughout the state. At least I have an idea of its location. A 2004 cemetery map of Cherokee County shows Union Grove a couple of miles east of Wesley Chapel near the intersection of Wofford and Abingdon Creek Roads. Union Grove is shown as 24B on this map. Wesley Chapel is 23F, but is in the wrong location.
I was able to find an approximate location in Google Earth. Looks like I may have to make another trek out to Cherokee County. In the meantime, I’ll be working to update Wesley Chapel’s Find-a-Grave entry with new information. Lowell and I will continue to pursue ways to preserve this sacred site.
Acknowledgements
Lots of folks contributed to this story. I always try to cite or link back to my sources, but this time there were many individuals who helped out, who responded to my inquiries, and who pointed me in the right direction when I needed it. At the risk of leaving someone’s name out, my sincerest thanks to the following:
- Sharon Kaye Seals, for her initial post on Facebook regarding the church
- The Abandoned, Old, and Interesting Places Facebook group
- The Forgotten South Carolina Facebook group
- Elibia J. Bryant for finding the Find-a-Grave listing for me
- Melinda Cass Brisendine from Old Time Pottery for taking the time to listen to my story and help me find rubbing paper
- Dr. Phillip Stone of the Methodist Archives at Wofford College
- Barbara Green from Claflin University
- Beth Westbury and Gail Varner from the Spartanburg District of the United Methodist Church
- Matt Compton and Jacquelyn Powell Graham from the Cherokee County Museum
- Grant Mishoe from the African American Burial Ground Restoration Project
- Bill Fitzpatrick from Palmetto Preservation
- Lowell Manning, Ava Gardenia “Deani” Dover, and Mattie Harris Manning (It was great meeting you guys!)
- Everyone who made comments and suggestions on my photo posts. If I’ve slighted anyone, please let me know and I’ll gladly add your name to my list.
- And last but not least, to my patient wife, Laura, for putting up with my latest obsession.
If you go back to do a “rubbing” of the plaque, try using tracing paper and charcoal, it is more sensitive, and should reproduce better.
Actually, since then I have gotten charcoal and better paper. I had to use what was available at the time.
Will you email me I have a few questions and interesting information concerning the area thanks mullinax527@gmail.com
Thanks for the article. I enjoyed learning the history of the church and following your path of research.
Shaving cream and a squeegee work well in revealing inscriptions on old stones. First I wet the surface with water from a pump sprayer, second I apply shaving cream to the surface and third I draw the squeegee across the stone to spread the cream and reveal the engraving. After recording and photographing the inscription, I thoroughly rinse the stone with water to remove the cream. Works great!