Credit:NYSCU, 2002

Rockwell Universalist Church

Mulberry, Georgia

Built: 1181
One-room wood-frame church with no ornamentation
Greek Revival styling

Most of the early Christian Universalist Churches were organized in rural areas. Perhaps Universalism was better suited to those rugged, free-thinking rural folk than were the more rigid Calvinist denominations.

The Rockwell Universalist Church is just that, a rural church organized in 1839 in the small Georgia settlement of Mulberry in Jackson County (now Barrow) through the missionary work of itinerant preachers. A marker claims that the Rockwell Church is the second olden Universalist church in the state. The church, as did many rural Universalist churches, struggled during its early years, perhaps becoming almost defunct during the Civil War. In any event, the church was reorganized in 1867 by a Dr. Andrews, and still meets.

In the beginning the church met in a brush arbor and then later on the first floor of the two-story local school. The second floor served as the Masonic Hall. In 1881, church members and other volunteers came together, donating time and materials to erect the current building. In the beginning the church was called, “The First Universalist Church of Johnson County. However, when the new church was dedicated, it was renamed Mulberry Church. In 1920 it was again renamed. This time “Rockwell Universalist Church” in honor of the Rockwell School where the members had once worshipped. During the Civil War the school had become a recruiting post and a Justice Court.

A founding member of the church was John G. House, the local Justice of the Peace and the School Master.

Over the years, many Universalist State Conventions were held at the church. According to oral history, before the convention could meet the church had to rush to finish the ceiling and other interior features. All the lumber was donated by one of the members.

The church is located in the Winder, GA area amd was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.

Images: Randy Clegg (Historic Rural Churches of Georgia)

Bibliography
Historic Churches of Georgia [External Link]


[Church history may be updated as new information comes to light.]