There are a few remaining reminders of the rich heritage of this historic community in the form of three churches - Mount Zion United Methodist Church, Jerusalem Baptist Church and Bethel AME Church.
The churches in georgetown have played an important role in the history of Georgetown, and the city has always held a special place in the hearts of those who belong to religious groups. For example, Georgetown was once home to the world’s first collegiate Catholic school and is today the site of an important debate on religious liberty.
Mount Zion United Methodist Church, founded in 1816, is the oldest of the three and is still home to many of its long-time members. Glois Johnson, 81, is one of those long-time members and she commutes from her Colesville, Maryland home each Sunday for worship service.
The congregation also hosted the first congregation-based winter shelter in 1994, which continues to be a valuable resource for local residents in need of shelter during the colder months. For two weeks each winter, about 10 residents from around the community spend their nights in the sanctuary.
Bethel AME Church, the second oldest of the three and a landmark in the community, was founded in 1865 near the end of the Civil War when emancipated African Americans left Duncan United Methodist Church in South Carolina. Reverend Augustus T. Carr, licensed by the Duncan Methodist church, led the new congregation.
Grace Episcopal Church, established in 1857, was built as a chapel for the laborers and craftsmen of the Georgetown waterfront. The church was originally designed to accommodate the needs of this community, and its unique suspended steps were erected to allow horse drawn carriages to easily deliver their passengers to the front door.
As the population of Georgetown grew in the late 1880s and early 1900s, Swedes began to move into town, seeking work at the expanding Gilbert & Bennett wire mill. During the heyday of the mill, several church organizations were formed to serve the newly arrived immigrants and their children, as well as local communities in Georgetown and throughout the surrounding area.
These efforts were a success. The Swedes made a positive impact on the neighborhood, bringing with them an incredibly diverse cultural heritage.
For many of the immigrant families, the church was their safety net as they settled in their new homes and neighborhoods. As a result, the community became a vibrant, diverse and thriving place to live and work.
Eventually, the community began to incorporate the various religions into its daily life. The church was the center of the town’s social and political activities, as well as a place for the community to gather.
The church in georgetown has grown so rapidly that the original building could no longer hold all of the congregation. It was decided to build a larger church to house the growing number of people.
The present structure was constructed in 1908 and enlarged in 1928, but the original church, which still stands in the rear of the churchyard, has been restored and is now a museum. In addition to displaying artifacts from the history of the church, it is now a place for the community to worship and celebrate. Check out this post for more details related to this article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Christianity.