Beth-Salem Presbyterian Church
Lexington, Oglethorpe County, Georgia
Marker Inscription
Beth-Salem Presbyterian Church. Beth-Salem Presbyterian Church was organized on December 20, 1785, in the wilderness about three miles West of this site, under the leadership of Mr. John Newton, then a licentiate. It was the first of a chain of Presbyterian churches established in North Georgia in the latter part of the 18th century, by the Presbytery of South Carolina. The Rev. John Newton was the first minister, serving Beth-Salem until his death in 1797. Ezekiel Gilham, James Parks and James Espey were elders. Later, Beth-Salem was moved to the present site, and on December 20, 1827, was chartered by the Legislature. Charter members were: William Campbell, David McLaughlin, William Lesley, Samuel McCauley, John Pharr, John F. Wallace, Joseph Espey, Mrs. Marion Greer, Mrs. Jane Jewell, Mrs. Jane Campbell, Sam McLaughlin, Mrs. Lesley, Mary Espey, Ann Gaulding, Damary Baldwin, Hannah Upson, Sarah Walley, Martha Gilham, Sarah Moore, Mrs. Mary Kennedy, Miss Maria Harrison, The Rev. Thomas Goulding. 109-6 GEORGIA HISTORICAL COMMISSION 1958
Erected by Georgia Historical Commission
The Story
Beth-Salem Presbyterian Church was organized in 1785 in the wilderness west of here under the licentiate John Newton, becoming the first in a chain of Presbyterian churches planted across North Georgia by the Presbytery of South Carolina. Newton served until his death in 1797; the congregation later relocated to this site and was chartered by the legislature in 1827.
Why it matters
As the first of North Georgia's Presbyterian churches, Beth-Salem marks the arrival of organized Protestant faith on the post-Revolutionary frontier, part of the westward spread of settlement and worship into the Georgia backcountry.
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Related people
- · Rev. John Newton
- · Rev. Thomas Goulding
Themes & tags
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