Page 52 - Spring 2021

A lone hymnal sits open on the wooden podium at Salem Methodist Church. Men and women used to enter the sanctuary separately through two doors. Courtesy Scott MacInnis with Historic Rural Churches of Georgia
Salem was located at the south end of the county, roughly 10 miles southwest of Watkinsville. The village used to be a part of Clarke County, like the rest of Oconee, until the latter was created from the former’s southwestern portion in 1875 by the Georgia General Assembly.
The town’s land was purchased from the Cherokee tribe around 1800 by an ancestor in the Hester family, and the town was incorporated into then-Clarke County in 1818, the last of thecounty’sthreetownstodoso.
However, the mostly Scotch-Irish settlers had been coming into the area from the Appalachian region since the Revolutionary War ended, and many had been given land grants from the new government. Salem’s plat was executed on July 4, 1820, and the church was established that same year.
Salem contained about 24 squares or blocks, including a central public square of about 6.5 acres. It was a popular stop along the stagecoach route in the area that went from Greensboro and Madison up to Watkinsville’s Eagle Tavern and Athens.
It had a variety of buildings for settlers or visitors: the church, a courthouse, jail, academies for boys’ and girls’ learning, two hotels, at least 20 houses, several boarding houses and seven bars.
The Salem academies were established with the support of Salem Methodist Church and were large schools.
“People from all over the state sent their children to the Salem academics because it was known for such good learning,” said OconeeTourismMarketingAssistantJoannHubert.“Ifyouwere going to pay for it, you wanted to make sure your child went to the best.”
Salem Methodist Church was established in 1820, and Samuel and Elizabeth Hester deeded nine-tenths of an acre to the church trustees for a grand total of $1, according to a 1951 report in The Oconee Enterprise.
The church was once a part of the Watkinsville circuit, which included churches from Clarke to Jackson counties. Sunday preachers were circuit riders. Hale’s account mentioned that
PAGE 50 | OCONEE THE MAGAZINE | SPRING 2021
Courtesy Scott MacInnis