Sweet water Baptist Church , Gwinnette County, Georgia. Below mentions Green Berry, Benjamin, Aisley and Bodi Waldrop. Lawrenceville, Georgia >          Lawrenceville's history is closely tied with the history of > Gwinnett County itself.     All of the business of the county was moved to > this location in 1820, and a temporary courthouse was erected.         > William Toweres was the surveyor who laid out the courthouse square, with > the four streets bordering the square named for distinguished men, Pike, > Perry, Clayton and Croghan (now spelled Grogan).   The next four streets > were named for trees, Oak, Chestnut, Sassagras and Pine.  William Maltbie > suggested the name for the town itself. > >         The original town commissioners were James Wardlaw, Hugh B. > Greenwood, James McClure, John Gaddess, Sr., and Pascal Brooks, who had the > authority to pass bylaws and regulations necessary to maintain the streets, > springs and police.  They were appointed to serve until the first election > in January 1823. > >         After Lawrenceville was incorporated in 1821 the population began > growing, and businesses relocated to the new county seat.   In 1829  > Lawrenceville had forty dwellings, ten stores, ten machine shops, three law > offices, three doctors, one academy, one Methodist church, one Baptist > church and one Presbyterian church. > >         Among the first lawyers in the town were Philip Alston, 1821; N. L. > Hutchins, 1823;  John G. Parks, 1823; E. W. Chester, 1825; and James C. > Martin, 1829, who lost his life in the Creek Indian War. > >         Early physicians in Lawrenceville were Dr. Philo Hall, Dr. Bangs, > Dr. Jesse Lowe, Dr. Wildman, Dr. John W. Maltbie and Dr. T. W. Alexander. > >          Edward Featherstone and Asahel R. Smith were among the first > merchants in town. > >         In 1832 ten acres were set aside northwest of Lawrenceville for the > Lawrenceville Academy.  The trusteess were:  William Maltbie, Elisha Winn, > E. W. Chester, Thomas W. Alexander, Charles W. Rawson, John Mills, William > Richardson, Richard Seay, Robert S. Adair and Isham Williams. > >         The Lawrenceville Female Seminary was incorporated by the General > Assembly in 1837, and a two story brick building was erected by Daniel > Killian in 1838 (now the Gwinnett History Museum). > >         In 1893 a public school system was created in the town, and a new > building was erected.  Mrs. Ronald Johnston was the first superintendent > and Mr. Miller, Mr. Davis, and Mrs. Bessie Exum were the first teachers. > >         The <A HREF="http://gwinnett-online.com/FAIRVIEWPC/history.htm">Presbyterian Church of Fairview</A> was organized August 9, 1823 by > the Rev. Remembrance Chamberlain.  The charter members were Mary A. Isley, > Margaret Beattie, Mary Reid, Isabel Jackson,  Catherine Montgomery, Phillip > Isley, George M. Gresham, James M. Gresham, William Montgomery, James C. > Reed, W. J. Russell, Samuel Reed, and Thomas Beattie. > >         The Lawrenceville Methodist Church was established around 1823 when > Rev. W. J. Parks was appointed at the South Carolina Conference to serve > the Gwinnett mission.  It is not known when the first building was erected > on the Old Cemetery lot.  It was followed by a second building which was > used from 1854 to 1891, when a larger building replaced it.  It burned in > 1902 and the brick building was erected. > >         Lawrenceville Baptist Church was organized May 2, 1840 of members > who had split from the Redland Baptist Church over policy decisions.   The > charter members were James P. Simmons, A. Bloodworth, William Sanders, G. > W. F. Lamkin, Sion Evans, S. Bloodworth, Alindima Lamkin, Mariam Pool, > Katherin Evans, Mary L. Skelton, Cyntha Evans, and Emeline, a slave.  Their > first pastor was S. B. Churchill. > >         A building committee was appointed in 1850, consisting of Anthony > W. Bates, Jno. J. Davis, and James P. Simmons, and the church was completed > in 1854.  Until the building was completed, the  Baptists worshiped with > the Presbyterians.   In 1887 a new building was completed on South Clayton > Street, and additions continued through the years. > >         Walnut Grove Baptist Church was  organized in 1872 with seven > charter members:  Manaley Haslett, Mary McConnell, Hannah A. Bailey, > William Haslett, J. C. McConnell, A. J. Abbott, and B. J. Bailey.  The > first building was erected in 1874, the second in 1885, and the third in > 1959. > >         McKendree Methodist Church, located northwest of Lawrenceville, was > organized in 1883 and named after Bishop McKendree.  One acre of land was > donated by Mrs. Martha Wellmaker and one by M. B. Montgomery, and the first > meeting house was erected in 1884.  The present church was built in 1884. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ***************************************************************************************************************************************** > >          Sweetwater Primitive Baptist Church was organized  on December 8, > 1824 in the Wells school house by Tyre Landers and G. B. Waldrop.  The > following were charter members:  Frances Landers, Clarissa Woodruff, Sara > Morgan, Elizabeth Niblet, Precilla Woodruff, Mary Hedrick, Hannah Spradlin, > Heziah Lawrence, Sarah Schamblee, Margaret Minchem, Cynthy Barnett, Editha > McDaniel, Elley Davis, Nancy Hendrix, John Hendrix, Elizabeth Doneyhoo, > James Donehoo, Thomas Mason, Prodence Wells, James Wells, Bodie Waldrop, > Benjamin Waldrop, Alsey Waldrop. > >         The first building was erected in 1824 and  replaced in 1909.  The > first minister of the church was James Hale, who served 16 years > consecutively, and an additional 12 years two years later. > >         Located on Pleasant Hill Road between Duluth and Lawrenceville, > near the corner of Cruse Road, the church today is used as Sweetwater > Memorial  Chapel.  The cemetery is relatively well maintained, and several > graves are decorated with small Confederate flags.  The Eli Landers house > is seen directly behind the cemetery. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ***************************************************************************************************************** > > > Views of Lawrenceville > <A HREF="http://patsabin.com/gwinnett/sweetwater.htm">Sweetwater Primitive Baptist Church and Cemetery</A> > <A HREF="http://patsabin.com/gwinnett/landers.htm">Eli Landers Home Place</A> > <A HREF="http://patsabin.com/gwinnett/courthouse.htm">Old Gwinnett County Courthouse</A> > <A HREF="http://patsabin.com/gwinnett/femaleseminary.htm">Lawrenceville Female Seminary</A> > <A HREF="http://patsabin.com/gwinnett/lvillepres.htm">Old Lawrenceville Church</A> > <A HREF="http://patsabin.com/gwinnett/victorian.htm">Victorian Home</A> > <A HREF="http://patsabin.com/gwinnett/clayton.htm">Clayton Street from the Courthouse Square</A> > <A HREF="http://patsabin.com/gwinnett/crogan.htm">Crogan Street</A> > > > This history is a work in progress.  I will be adding more information and > photographs, so be sure to check back frequently and reload or refresh! > Sources: > History of Gwinnett County, 1818-1960, Volume II, by James C. Flanigan, > copyright 1959 >   >   > > <A HREF="http://patsabin.com/gwinnett/index.htm">Back to Gwinnett County History</A> > > > <A HREF="http://patsabin.com/">Back to my REMAX of Atlanta-Gwinnett Home Page</A> > > © 1999,2000 Pat Sabin- >