Brief History: Flint Hill Methodist Church
In the heart of the McWhorter community stands the white, two-story Flint Hill Methodist Church, a symbol of the 19th century that survives in southwestern Douglas County. Located less than a quarter mile south from the Highway 5 / 166 interchange, the towering church has become a famous landmark and gathering place for over 130 years.
The first church was a log cabin constructed from local trees, placed in the western corner of the cemetery. One historical document suggests that the cabin may have been built in 1869 by the Douglas County Board of Education for an academy. As the congregation and community grew, the need for a new church was granted on April 4, 1874.
Plans called for a two-story building that would suit the needs of all the local families. The bottom floor was a sanctuary designated for the Methodists to worship, while the second floor was a community hall reserved for the local Masons, Grangers, Sons of Temperance. The hall was also to be used as a Literary School to teach young children.
In 1874 the church opened its doors and began under the guidance of preacher Mr. Harvey McWhorter, whose last name would later honor the community on many maps. The origin for the Flint Hill name is relatively simple: flint rock was found in the cemetery and the church sat on a hill.
Throughout the late 1950s and 1960s the church’s sanctuary would be renovated, having an addition of Sunday schools room on the backside, picnic tables, a front porch and windows donated by eight families. Later on one of the Sunday school rooms were divided into bathrooms.
There is also a presence of Civil War history on the church’s grounds. Buried are several Confederate soldiers in the cemetery behind the church, including two unknown soldiers who served with the Army of Tennessee and died on October 2-3, 1864. Their tombstone is the first upon entrance, surrounded by gravel and a weathered Confederate flag. Another soldier is Captain Allen C. Watkins - Company A, 21st Regiment for the Georgia Volunteer Infantry, Army of Northern Virginia, who died in 1863.
Thank you for this posting. My ancestors were some of the early worshippers at Flint Hill. When we moved to DC 14 years ago, my father told me the story of how his father lived & farmed in DC for a long time before he was born (pre-WWII).
I remember going to the church as a child for family reunions. Some of the older family members still lived in the county. We’d play among the gravestones while the ladies put out massive spreads of food.
Now they are all gone. I hope DC respects the church for it’s heritage and doesn’t raze it like everything else.
January 23rd, 2007 at 7:53 amThanks for the comment Obi’s Sister. The church is a great piece of history that will hopefully stay around for a long time. It meets some criteria for being included on the National Register of Historical Places, I’ll see what I can find out.
January 23rd, 2007 at 10:00 amI plan on making a 2 hour drive to the church/cemetary this Saturday in order to find an ancestor of mine who was also a Civil War vet. I enjoyed reading the history you offered on the church. Thanks.
February 27th, 2007 at 5:58 pm