WOOLSEY BAPTIST CHURCH & CEMETERY

WOOLSEY, FAYETTE COUNTY, GA

History provided to me by the historian at Woolsey Baptist Church -

Harmony Grove Missionary Baptist Church was constituted August 26, 1888 at Woolsey, Georgia in a little store house on the east side of the Southern Railroad. This railroad was taken up in 1939 and several years later Highway 92 was constructed along the road bed in front of the stores.

The following brethren of the ministry constituted the Presbytery:

Elder T. S. Allen, Griffin, Ga; Elder W. H. Pritchard, Brooks Station, Ga; Elder Harry Wells, Zebulon, Ga; Elder I. G. Woolsey, Woolsey, GA.

Dr. I. G. Woolsey, medical doctor, farmer and land owner, was the first pastor.  He served this church for eight years.

Brother Harry Wells preached the sermon from First Corinthians 3:11, "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ."  There were twenty three charter members.

Services were held every first Sunday.  Messengers were sent to the association immediately after the church was organized.  This church started contributing to all Baptist programs from its beginning.

A building committee was appointed on October 6, 1888 and one month later reported that a large portion of material was purchased and they had contracted to have the new building constructed.  The new church building which was 36' x 50' was completed and dedicated to God the first Sunday in March, 1889.  It had a steeple with a bell in it.  The steeple was removed years later and bell let down in the loft of the church where it is at present.  The front of the church had two doors and wooden steps all the way across the front of the building.  Inside the church were three rows of pews, a middle row between the two doors and one on each side.  To the right and left of the pulpit was referred to as the "Amen" corner.

Harmony Grove Baptist Church was changed to Woolsey Baptist Church on October 2, 1904. 

The most important events in the history of this church were times when individuals were led to faith in Christ.  Other highlights have been building and improvement programs.

In 1950 a church improvement program was begun.  The front of the church was changed by doing away with the two separate front doors and making double doors in the center of the front with cement steps leading up to them.  The building was underpinned and Sunday School rooms were added to the rear of the building.  Up until this time class rooms were partitioned off by curtains.  This was the first building program since the original auditorium was built.  In 1956 the church was remodeled on the inside and new pews were purchased.  At this time new Sunday School rooms on each side of the pulpit were added and choir loft constructed behind new pulpit.  The fellowship hall and additional Sunday School rooms were constructed in 1963 with additional improvements being made from that time forward, including the addition of the baptistry, vestibule, adjoining Sunday School rooms and steeple in the 1970's, and a remodeled choir loft in 1982.

Photo taken circa 1906 at Woolsey Cemetery Lewis Clinton & Mollie Bridges McLean at the grave of their daughter, Lutie L. McLean	Photo taken circa 1906 at Woolsey Cemetery From left to right Oliver Thomas McLean, Theodore Hampton McLean, Marcella McLean, Marion McLean and Florence McLean
Lizzie Ballard McLean & Esther McLean ca 1906 Woolsey Cemetery	J. F. McLean, Esther McLean, Mollie Bridges & Lewis Clinton McLean Ca 1906 Woolsey Cemetery
Photo taken circa 1906 at Woolsey Cemetery John Morgan McLean, J. F. McLean, Esther McLean, Lewis Clinton & Mollie Bridges McLean	Photo circa 1906 at Woolsey Cemetery Oliver T. McLean, Marion McLean, Theodore H. "Bud" McLean, Florence McLean & Marcella McLean

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Full Transcription of Burials at Woolsey Baptist Church Cemetery

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This page was last updated on -07/06/2014