Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-07-10
HistorIc Old Wesley chapeI.


ss0riufnal Wesley chapel" There were two
chimneys in the picture presented IN tne
issue alluded 10. and have a very soOo
reason for saying that Original Wesley
chapel was building without a CHM
ney- .A.-
soon after the organization OF this
Methodist church IN Atlanta Rev. VII
liam Henry Clark. g local preacher ana
citizen OF DeKalb county, had regular
appointment at Wesley chapel once
month
From his home near Lithonia It was
full Is or Il miles 10 Atlanta II was MS
custom TO come as far as decatur on
Saturday night. then travel the SIX or
seven miles TO Atlanta, returning nome
after preaching.
accompanied him and a member Of
his family TO the meeting house on one OF
these early occasions. ] was Dit OF
girl. but always ready for little trip OF
this sort Whether IL was In the spring
or fail OF ISL / am not able 10 say Out
on Saturday night IL rained ana next
morning Il was raw and clustering. We
V-are certainly cold enough after that six
or seven miles ride facing the north wind
20 seek fire. There was no place TO make
a FIRE in the church, or we would nave nao
one without a doubt There were half
inch cracks in the floor and we simply
shivered through the sermon. which was
good one as recollect. My feet old not
recover from that blizzard day for year
or more No. there was no fireplace, no
stove. nothing to warm by at all we
never saw a fireplace or a warm room
until we drove back TO Decatur (to my
houel. where we had q warm dinner and
a splendid wood fire in a capacious old
fashioned chimney place with shining
brass andirons TO hold the glowing logs
] said 10 myself there Is no place Ike
AZ after n ~ u mile
drive to and from a church with no
Mace TO warm your freezing feet during
the time Take on the chimneys in that
ancient picture for there was no fireplace
or stove in Original Wesley chapel,
because I had positive experience as TO
the cold. It was a poor looking fabric
that held the first congregations, to be
sure. with it's rough slab seats.
I remember being IN Wesley chapel the
a at a Sunday service during the war
0or lust afterwards maybe). when no
ffced some household plumber slowed
away in one corner, not far from the pull
Dit. Somebody said a good sister lodged
there every night and rolled up her pal
let on preaching days. The building at
4baf time was a great barn-like struct-
IRE that faced only one street. and was
nearly opposite to the home OF Judge
Fzzard. nv old Decatur friend. who had
moved 10 Atlanta when the town was
small. but always ready to expand.
Somebody should furnish you a photo
OF that building. because IL was churcn
where some OF the finest preachers In the
United States delivered some OF the finest
sermons ever heard In its limits.
Hlshop Marvin preached that never-to-
r,a-forrotten sermon on The Church the
Bride OF Christ" in that old Wesley
ChapeI building. at an annual conference.
Bishop Pierce gave the Atlanta people
some OF his finest sermons IN the same
Mace. I remember going TO hear Dr.
scott one Sunday night, while he was pas
Tor. when he drew a line between nice
theatres and the bad ones. II was my
usual habit TO stow away IN mind the
sermons I listened to when from home
and then relate or review them over
again 10 a home audience.
1 received the sermon OF Dr. Scott TO
the best OF my ability after my Atlanta
visit. and was brought up standing when
this question was put TO me: Did the
doctor say you might 80 to theatres be-
fore he finished7" and TO save my life I
could not answer the question. I am
pretty sure. however. that should not
have been afraid OF his discipline" (on
account OF attending theatres after that
sermOn) II had belonged TO his congre-
CATION
The beauty. wealth and fashion Of At
lanta attended Wesley Chapel in those
DAYS. There was never a church In At
Lanta or in Georgia. II my memory serves
me right, where the congregation was
better loking. better dressed or more in
teIIigent in the days preceding and sue
ceeding the civil war. Big preachers
liked 10 III its pulpit and big folks were
glad TO sit IN its pews- DR.. Scott and DR..
Harrison 1--WE had DR.. Huston, tool. would
take z holiday once in a while and rusti-
cate few days with us in Old Cass. now
Barlow We knew a good deal Of the out
side OF Old Wesley Chapel IN those earlier
days. much more than in later days. of
church and pastors
OF course, II Is understood that church
can be inconveniently crowded when the
marts Of trade and the noise thereof get
too close to the sacred edifice, but II
seems a pity that Atlanta must pull down
this great big consecrated building and
move away 70 a Quieter spot. There are
traditions and memories connected with
that spot Of ground which enter into the
homes and lives OF thousands Of families
scattered all over the state and elsewhere.
But such Is lifel
II was a long step from that rude cabin
IN the forties. with rough floor. full OF
cracks, TO the present stately edifice over
whose erection DR.. Harrison spent some
anxious years OF his life, and we may
hope the successor 10 First church on
the fragrance Of sweet memories that will
become an everlasting perfume to those
who are endeavOring 10 transmute the old
church into the new.
I have in mind an experience that befell
me in the year 1854 in front Of old Wesley
chapel. that will recall. although know
] shall jump from the sublime to the
ridiculous at one bound in telling about IL.
We were warned that we must vacate
Cherokee. Ca. after the battle at Mis-
siOnsry Ridge. General Joe Johnston S
officers at Dalton were by no means sure
that they could stay there after winter
broke and General Sherman began %
move southwark. So we hunted a refuge
place near Macon and also began to move
necessaries. to plan for a crop and fix up
for sudden exit from the old home.
Some time in February. 1854 / went down
10 Atlanta TO get a car load OF household
effects transferred from State road box
car TO another. as we were unable 10 pass
the cars through for some reason at that
time.
The winter had been long and severe.
Continuous rains and freezes and terrible
mud made streets and roads almost i'm
passable. There were brick sidewalks In
Atlanta from the depot until you reached
Wesley chapel. AS I went, afoot, from