A little background on the birth of our Great LITTLE CHURCH;

     The Birth of a Church is usually an exercise of faith and obedience to spread the Gospel. But Macon Counties Louisa Chapel United Methodist Church in Patton Valley has another root to its beginning: an expression of love and of promises kept that has deep meaning to its congregation.

     When Thaddeus Manning Greene (b. June 3, 1843) married Temperance Louisa Shook (b. Dec. 8, 1844), daughter of David Shook , Jr. and Parthena Joyce Shook, he promised her father he would never take Louisa away from her denomination, Methodism.

     That was a promise Thad kept twice. While they lived in Haywood County, Thad built Louisa Chapel Methodist Church in Clyde, NC where his wife attended services although he was a member of the Baptist congregation of Pleasant Hill Church.

     In September 0f 1905, Thad and Louisa moved to Macon County where Thad purchased 175 acres from Kope Elias for $2,750.00. In 1909, Thad and his five sons built a Methodist Episcopal Church and named it for Louisa. Thad later sold to Louisa Chapel Trustees for $150.00 (1½ acres) as recorded in deed book E-3, page 377, Macon County Courthouse. In Macon County, the couple continued to attend separate Churches of their respective denominations; Thad attended Franklin Baptist Church where he remained a member until his death.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a picture of the 1st Louisa Chapel built in 1909. The "new" Church is under construction in back left.

 

     In 1955 the “present” Church building was erected, complete with two Sunday School rooms. Another renovation was completed in 1970 when the Church’s exterior was bricked and expanded to include three classrooms, two restrooms, and a basement.

     A notable point in Louisa Chapel’s history is the building of the Church Fellowship Hall in 1986-1987. A group of Church members conceived the idea while camping on Standing Indian. Individuals supported the plan with financial pledges and the Administrative Board presented it to the congregation whose members supported it with unified efforts. The men of the Church supplied all of the labor to construct the Fellowship Hall while the women provided meals. When the Church was dedicated May 17, 1987, the entire debt on the building had been satisfied.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a family picture taken in, I have no idea!

 

The Narthex was a project that was looked at for years. The 2008 Board of Trustees decided it was time. They presented plans to the Ad-Council, who voted to go ahead with the project. With the dedication of the Church members and a small loan the Narthex was built. The Narthex was dedicated during the Centenial Celebration (Oct 4, 2009) to the Glory of God, Free of debt.

 

 

 Here is our GREAT LITTLE CHURCH today!