Sandy Springs Methodist Church – Anderson County, S.C.

History: From 1828 until 1879, Sandy Springs was the center of great spiritual camp meetings in the South. From the middle of September until the first snow as many as three hundred Anderson County residents at a time would gather to take part in the “good time” camp meetings, topray, and to “hear the Gospel preached and shouted with authority.”

Photographs courtesy of Bill Segars.

About 1800 the community had been settled by pioneers, mostly Methodists, who had picked the spot because of the spring bubbling out through white sand (unusual in this area of red clay hills) which furnished cool, clear water and gave the town its name. In those days a natural source of good drinking water was vital to the location of a homestead or a community. The fifteen acre tract for the camp ground was bought from Samson Pope for forty-five dollars in 1828, being selected mainly because of its nearness to an ample “sandy spring” and to the Methodist church building. The original log church built in 1803 stood until the 1860s when it was replaced with a wooden structure. The log church was at the north corner of the Camp Ground and there were lots around the area where some families ‘tented’ during the entire length of the meetings.

Instead of being the usual brush arbor, the Sandy Spring arbor had a shingled roof.

Camp meetings having given way to “tent meetings” and “revivals” during the past generation, the grounds became the property of W.K. Moore who was the postmaster for some twenty years (1947-1968) and also a major of Sandy Springs in 1940 when the small town gained wide notice as having two mayors (the other being Sam Smith) who, having been elected by equal ballot, continued to serve jointly, ably, and amicable without pay to save further election expenses. (Source: Anderson County Sketches, The Anderson County Tricentennial Committee, 1969.)

In the early days of the nineteenth century camp meetings were a popular form of revivals and they were held not alone by Methodists, but by Baptists and Presbyterians as well. The Methodist churches of Ruhamah and Providence were famous for their camp meetings. Those at Sandy Springs have made the most lasting impression on the community. In 1828 the Methodist congregation at that place bought from Sampson Pope fifteen acres of land for 45 dollars, the same upon which the Methodist Church now stands. It was at once neatly laid off in small lots contained in three rows surrounding a center square on which an arbor was erected. Fifty cents was paid for the privilege of putting up a tent on one of these lots, and after a time permanent shelters of of wood were erected. In 1838 Edward Jefferson Britt hewed out the timber and built an arbor in which to hold the camp meetings. They continued until 1897. The present church was built in 1868, and a flourishing town has grown up around the old house of worship.

It was at Sandy Springs that Orr’s Regiment of Rifles was organized July 1861. And there for many years after the war was over the survivors help their annual reunions. With that regiment during the war was almost every man of the Sandy Springs neighborhood who could shoulder a gun.

The great Sandy Springs camp meeting began on the third Sunday in September, and continued abut two weeks. Very many people became converted at these big revivals. There were four preaching hours every day and Mr. Satterfield, a Christian who felt that if he could neither preach nor pray, he could call the people to service, for many years sounded the trumpet which summoned the people to worship. (Source: Traditions & History of Anderson County by Louise Ayer Vandiver.)

Additional Links:

1. Sandy Springs Methodist Church Graveyard Index
2. Sandy Springs Methodist Church Graveyard
3. You’ve Got Mail: Sandy Springs Post Office Celebrates 100 Years
4. Col. James Lawrence Orr, Sr.
5. 1st Regiment, South Carolina Rifles (Orr’s)

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