Salem United Methodist Church

The first meetings of the church were held in the Piney Wood School House in 1820. As the congregation began to grow, an interest in building a church developed. They cut their own trees, took them to the saw mill, brought back the lumber and stacked it on the property to dry. Then the lumber was planed by hand. Construction took two years to complete and it was finished in 1822. At this time the name was changed from Piney Wood Church to Salem Methodist Church.

The size of the building remained the same until 1960, when the Sunday School building was added. This building was an old house purchased from Southern Bell for one dollar. This was connected to the sanctuary by a breezeway.

In 1976 a contract was awarded to Griffin & Carter Construction Co. to repair the walls of the sanctuary which were leaning severely. They also added brick to the front of the building and installed a new roof.

The water supply for the church came from a spring located across George McDuffie Rd. until 1988 when a well was installed. Also during 1988 an extensive building program was begun. A multi-pupose pavillion and a fellowship hall was constructed. The majority of the work was done by the men, women, children and friends of the church. The pavillion was completed in time to hold Sunrise Service on Easter of 1989. Christmas dinner was served in the new fellowship hall on December 23, 1990. In 1991 Father Methodius from the Monestary at Conyers, GA. installed stained glass windows picturing Noah and the Flood in the fellowship hall.

A few years ago the Sunday School classrooms were remodeled with new carpet and acoustical ceilings. The bathroom was also made ADA accessible.

In 2004 the door leading from the classrooms into the breazeway was removed and replaced with an ADA accessible opening. The door from the sanctuary to the breezeway was replaced with a wider ADA compliant 6-panel door along with a new handrail for the handicap ramp.

Most recently a new metal roof was installed on all of the buildings replacing the asphalt shingles that were installed improperly several years ago.

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