The Grace Calvary Episcopal Church also known as the Grace Church in Clarkesville, GA, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Service times:
Sundays — September 1— May 31:
8:00 a.m. — 9:00 a.m. — Holy Eucharist
9:15 a.m. —10:00 a.m. — Holy Eucharist
10:00 a.m. — 11:00 a.m. — Christian Education for all ages
11:15 a.m. — 12:15 a.m. — Holy Eucharist with Choir
Nursery provided beginning at 9:15 a.m.
The first major resort in the mountains of North Georgia was Clarkesville. The town was founded in 1823 shortly after a treaty with the Cherokees, placing the area outside Indian Territory. Very quickly, it became a village of hotels and boarding houses for the well-to-do families who wanted to escape the intense heat and danger of fever during the summers in Charleston and Savannah. The summer families who came to Clarkesville did so for an extended period each year, sometimes for as long as six months.
The Rev. Edwards Neufville of Christ Church, Savannah, was the Chairman of the Standing Committee at that time, and he rendered a first hand report on the conditions and opportunities for development in northeast Georgia. The need for a church to serve seasonal Episcopalians in the community was met in 1838 when a missionary, E.B. Kellogg from New York, joined with three local families to establish a mission. The date of the first services was October 28, 1838. During the summer of 1839, a large congregation attended services held twice monthly in the Methodist Church building. A Sunday School, with 42 pupils, was held in the local school house on Academy Square. On April 15, 1839, vestrymen Richard W. Habersham, Jr. and George R. Jessup applied for parish status in the state of Georgia. Subscriptions to build a church were called for and $1,335 was raised. Thirty names appeared on the list. The lot for the church was purchased on June 7, 1839 from James Brannon for $100. Donations of lumber and stone were given to begin the structure.
On May 4th and 5th, 1840, the 18th Annual Convention of the Diocese of Georgia was held in Clarkesville. At that time there were only six parishes in the state; Christ Church, Savannah; St. Paul’s Church, Augusta; Christ Church, Macon; Trinity Church, Columbus; Christ Church, St. Simons; and Grace Church, Clarkesville.
The major purpose of the convention was to elect the first Bishop of Georgia. The Church in Georgia had spread so rapidly since the first parish in Savannah had been established in 1789 that it was impossible for the Bishop of South Carolina to continue Episcopal duties in both states.
Mrs. Edward Neufville wrote to her brother: “The convention opened and all of the usual business transacted very harmoniously; today the Bishop question comes on, and as the deepest interest is felt by all parties I presume it will be highly interesting. I will leave my letter open so I can give you account of it when we return from church…. We are anxiously looking out for the St. Simons Delegate this morning as it seems important he should here… The Delegate did not arrive but the election took place this afternoon, and Mr. Elliott, if he will accept, will be our Bishop. The election was unanimous and although there was some little discussion yet it was in a peaceable manner, and the utmost good feeling prevailed.” The Reverend Stephen Elliott, Jr. was installed as the 37th in succession of American Bishops.
The convention was held in the Methodist Church as completion of the Grace Church building had been delayed due to a drought, which prevented operation of the water-powered sawmill on the Soquee River. The sanctuary was finished and consecrated on October 10, 1842, by Bishop Elliott, who reported it to be “a very neat wooden building, with bell tower, prettily located and an ornament to the village.”
For the next few years the church thrived. Many of the summer visitors built homes in the area and provided a more stable support for what was essentially a seasonal church. Some of the earliest members of the church were Richard W. Habersham, Jr., George W. Phillips, John R. Stanford, Samuel A. Wells, John S. Dobbins, Dr. P.M. Kollock, and Jacob Waldberg.
Several missions were formed in the county for seasonal use, one in the Tray Mountain area and Holy Cross Chapel, located on New Liberty Road, which was completed October 13, 1853. This 1.5 acre property belonged to the Kollock family. The Reverend William Eston Eppes, a member of the family, was minister of Grace from 1862-1895. His home, Sunnyside, still stands near the chapel site. An organ was installed in the chapel in 1886, a baptismal font in 1887, and in 1889, a fair was held to raise funds for improving the building and grounds.
Many of the large summer residences were located in this area and a monthly service was held here for those who did not want to make the long journey, over the primitive roads, to Clarkesville. A cemetery was created around the Chapel and some members of the congregation were buried there, including Rev. Eppes and his wife, Augusta Eppes. When the fortunes of the area declined, Holy Cross was closed and later dismantled. The font was relocated to Grace Church.
The fortunes of Grace Church changed at the end of the Civil War. The supporting families were now destitute and many of them did not return for their seasonal visits after 1865. A few parishioners sold their holdings in Savannah and Charleston and settled in their former summer homes on a permanent basis. These few families kept the church alive well into the twentieth century.
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