BEAVERDAM PREACHING HOUSE

The following deed describes a society which met in a building on
Beaverdam Creek in what became Elbert County as early as 1788. The only
societies which are known to have been in that area are Thompson's by
1801 and Parks' by 1799.

Carter, Thomas, to Nathaniel Alien, Richard Hunt, John Tollet, John
Harkleford, Robert Brown, William Hanson and Peter Stubbs, Trustees of
the Methodist Episcopal Church of Georgia, for 5 shillings, all that
lately erected house known by the name of Beaverdam Preaching House,
with one acre of land, being part of the tract whereon said Thomas
Carter now lives, with the privilege of the spring, provided they permit
only such persons as are appointed by the conference of the people
called Methodist and no other, for the purpose of preaching and
expounding God's Word, and that the said persons preach no other
doctrine than is contained in Mr. Wesley's notes on the New Testament
and his four volumes of sermons and the minutes of the Conference,
3-17-1788. Reuben Allen, John Cunningham, JP's, Test.

With the restrictions stated in the above deed, conflicts over the use
of the building could have led to its abandonment prior to Asbury's
visits at the turn of the 19th century, however, such a likelihood is
remote. More plausible is the notion of this society being the
forerunner of another which Asbury did visit, though there is no clue
from his writings to link it with any other society or chapel.

Asbury's first Georgia visit was a month after this deed was written. On
that visit, Asbury did not name the places he preached or lodged nor did
he venture far from the forks of the Broad River.

SOURCE: A Brief History of Early Methodist Societies & Meeting Houses in
the Broad River Valley of Georgia, by John Wright Boyd.