SC.pisgahchurch.html

Fork Shoals Pisgah Methodist Church
Fountain Inn, South Carolina

The Fork Shoals Pisgah Methodist Church in Fountain Inn, South Carolina was built

This United Methodist Church was originally founded by Rev. Thomas Terry of Guisborough, Yorkshire, England in the 1780's, in what was then the wilds of South Carolina. He built a log cabin church not far from the present location at the urging of his friend and religious missionary Rev. Francis Asbury. The original design of "Terry's Chapel" was 24 x 30 feet with oiled paper for windows he built about 1803. The church celebrated it's "200th Anniversary" in 1991-3 meaning that Thomas establish a congregation as early as 1791-3. Thomas Terry was said to have immigrated about 1785 according to his grandson.

Thomas Terry and his wife are buried in the nearby cemetery along with several of his children. Charles Terry whose stone is below continued the ministry until his death. Several Terry family members still live in the area.

1719 McKelvey Rd
Fountain Inn, South Carolina 29644

Pisgah Methodist Church, near Fountain Inn, S. C.
[photo courtesy of "lost correspondent" ]

Pisgah church
sign

[photos courtesy of "lost correspondent" ]

Thomas Terry marker.
[Adair. - findagrave.com]

1803 - Nov. 3 - Bishop Asbury, one of the founders of Methodism and circuit preacher in the colonies, made annual visits to South Carolina between 1787 and 1814. He seems to have visited South Carolina in the Winter because he thought the weather was better then while extreme cold, snow and ice were common in Pennsylvania and northern New England. He made a number of entries in his diary about events and conditions in South Carolina and on Nov. 2, 1803 he commented:

Friday (Nov. 4) We crossed the branches of Tyger and Enoree rivers, and came long a crippling path to Thomas Terry's, near the Fork-Shoals of Reedy-River. We have a new fram house, thirty by twenty-four feet, built for worship, on Mount Terry: this has been erected in pursuance of my last year's advice, and by one man. To-morrow we shall open our new house. [Asbury journal II, 121] (note EC- This has to be Terry's Chapel. )

The Pisgah Church history gives some description of this building. "He established a small Methodist Church which for many years was known as Terry's Chapel. This church was made of hewn logs. The cracks were filled with mud and the windows were made of oiled paper. Just how many members attended this church is not known, but it is reasonably certain that services continued uninterrupted until it became necessary to construct a larger and more adequate building." [The History of the Pisgah Methodist Church, 200th Homecoming, Fountain Inn, S.C. May 1991]

Source:

Asbury, Rev. Francis. Rev. Francis Asbury's Journal, Vol. 1-3, N. Bangs and T. Mason, New York, 1821 - online babel.hathitrust.org also a digitized version at http://media.sabda.org/alkitab-6/wh3-ref/aj-v2.pdf#page2
Find a Grave.com. -www.finagrave.com
History of Pisgah United Methodist Church, 200th Anniversary,1991 Fountain Inn, SC

______________________________________________________________________________________

All information and photos included within these pages was developed by the help of hundreds of researchers. The information here is for the express purpose of personal genealogical research and is freely offered as long as this site is listed as a source. It may not be included or used for any commercial purpose or included in any commercial site without the express permission of Elroy Christenson. Copyright Elroy Christenson 1998-2019.

web pages created by Elroy Christenson- elroy@next1000.com - last updated 2/10/19