The Atlanta First United Methodist Church has existed for more than 160 years and is one of the oldest churches in Atlanta. The current building was constructed in 1903, and the current name was adopted in 1968. The same bell has been used in three buildings since 1850, and it is the only church bell in Atlanta that is known to have survived the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. It was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 2010.

History

In 1845, Samuel Mitchell donated a plot of land to the Methodists for constructing a school. On alternating Sundays, different denominations would use the small log cabin for church services. In 1847, the Methodists raised $700 to build their own chapel on new land. They were the first denomination to do this in Atlanta. The new building was called Wesley Chapel and was the first to have their current bell, which cost an additional $300. It was the only church mentioned in

Gone With the Wind Gone with the Wind most often refers to: * ''Gone with the Wind'' (novel), a 1936 novel by Margaret Mitchell * ''Gone with the Wind'' (film), the 1939 adaptation of the novel Gone with the Wind may also refer to: Music * ''Gone with the Wind'' ...

. Many daughter churches were formed as Wesley Chapel's congregation grew. They moved to a new Gothic cathedral that was designed by architect

William H. Parkins William Henry Parkins (June 1, 1836 – January 29, 1894) was an American architect best known for his work in Atlanta during the late 1800s. Born in New York in 1836, Parkins moved to South Carolina in the Antebellum era and was a Union sy ...

in 1870. In 1902, the congregation sold the property to

Asa Candler Asa Griggs Candler (December 30, 1851 – March 12, 1929) was an American business tycoon and politician who in 1888 purchased the Coca-Cola recipe for $238.98 from chemist John Stith Pemberton in Atlanta, Georgia. Candler founded The Coca-C ...

, where he founded the

Coca-Cola Company The Coca-Cola Company is an American multinational beverage corporation founded in 1892, best known as the producer of Coca-Cola. The Coca-Cola Company also manufactures, sells, and markets other non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups ...

. The current building was built in 1903 using granite from

Stone Mountain Stone Mountain is a quartz monzonite dome Inselberg, monadnock and the site of Stone Mountain Park, east of Atlanta, Georgia. Outside the park is the small city of Stone Mountain, Georgia. The park is the most visited tourist site in the state o ...

for $161,000. The current name was adopted in 1968 after the Methodist Church and the

Evangelical United Brethren The Evangelical United Brethren Church (EUB) was a North American Protestant church from 1946 to 1968. It was formed by the merger of the Evangelical Church (formerly the Evangelical Association, founded by Jacob Albright) and the Church of th ...

merged.

References

External links

Official website
{{Atlanta landmarks History of Atlanta Methodist churches in Atlanta Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Georgia (U.S. state) National Register of Historic Places in Atlanta