County of church: Carroll County
Location of church: Church St. & North Ave., Villa Rica
Built: 1905
Sold in 2012
Architectural Style: High Victorian Eclectic
Sub-Style: Gothic Revival
"206 North Avenue, Villa Rica
Villa Rica First United Methodist Church
1905 (per tax records)
Style: High Victorian Eclectic
Plan type: Corner Tower
"Architectural Description
Masonry structure with palladium windows and stained glass; corner tower with steeple; front
and side gables; rear windows are 8/6; decorative masonry trim around Gothic windows; corner of
structure has a masonry design; dentil work along gables; front door is wood with eight panels,
and is probably original.
"Additions and Alterations
Possible addition on back.
"Outbuildings
There are separate buildings that belong to the church, but they were not recorded, as they are
newer and have no historical significance.
"Architectural Integrity
The church is a good example of an early twentieth century Victorian Eclectic, and retains many
of its original features, such as the palladium stained glass windows. Tax records 1905,
corresponds to date in Villa Rica United Methodist Church history, which states that construction
began in 1905, and building was first occupied in 1906.
"Contributing or Non-Contributing
Contributing.
"Surveyed by Steven Eubanks, Center for Public History, UWG, June 15, 2009." ~ - City of Vila Rica Historic Inventory Assessment, Phase 1, page 190
"First United Methodist Church of Villa Rica —Although historic documentation is sketchy, it is believed that the Methodist Church built their first building, a log cabin, in 1830 making them the first church in the city. Around 1845, a wooden church building was built. When Hixtown moved and Villa Rica was created, the church elected to build a new white frame church. It was constructed in 1886 on the current church site. The old church was abandoned in 1890. The construction on the current church began in 1905 and was first used in July 1906." ~ City of Villa Rica History
North Avenue is visible on all the available Sanborn maps, but it began as called Villa Rica. The
Sanborn maps and the tax records are consistent. Once the road merges with Elm Circle (College
on the Sanborn maps), it became a dirt road and was not paved until sometime after 1933.
According to the tax records, the oldest house on North Avenue dates to 1868 with many of the
other houses built around the turn of the twentieth century. There were a few houses built in the
1940s, close to the Methodist church, and a few more built in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s.
Architectural types found on this street include American Small Houses, New South Cottages,
Bungalows, and Ranch Houses. The Methodist church, according to the tax records, was built in
1905 in the Gothic Revival style and is still occupied and used as a church today." ~ City of Villa Rica Historic Preservation Committee