Near Whitney in St. Clair County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)
Union United Methodist Church
St. Clair County
Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, September 12, 2020
1. Union United Methodist Church Marker
Inscription.
Union United Methodist Church. St. Clair County. In 1815, Revolutionary War Veteran Captain Edward Beeson received a grant for this land for providing provisons to Andrew Jackson's Tennessee Militia. In 1830, Beeson and other community members constructed a log church here. In 1885, William Spruell Beason deeded the property to the Methodist Episcopal Church of the United States. the church built a new frame structure in 1885 to replace the old log church. The new building also served as a subscription school, which meant the community paid and boarded a teacher to educate forty students at the church. The church burned in 1919 and was rebuilt with lumber milled on the site by the Hinton, Staton, Rickles, Bowlin, and Beason families. Electric lighting was added in 1944 and a coal-burning stove was used until 1965. In 1939, the church merged with the Methodist Episcopal Church South. Attendance diminished and services were discontinued in 1977. In 1981, the Beason family formed Union Cemetery Association and the North Alabama Conference deeded the church to the group in 1982. The Association continues to maintain the property and uses it for reunions, weddings, funerals, and music programs. It has served as the polling place for Slate Union Precinct for many years. , Listed in the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage in 1978
In 1815, Revolutionary War Veteran Captain Edward Beeson received a grant for this land for providing provisons to Andrew Jackson's Tennessee Militia. In 1830, Beeson and other community members constructed a log church here. In 1885, William Spruell Beason deeded the property to the Methodist Episcopal Church of the United States. the church built a new frame structure in 1885 to replace the old log church. The new building also served as a subscription school, which meant the community paid and boarded a teacher to educate forty students at the church. The church burned in 1919 and was rebuilt with lumber milled on the site by the Hinton, Staton, Rickles, Bowlin, and Beason families. Electric lighting was added in 1944 and a coal-burning stove was used until 1965. In 1939, the church merged with the Methodist Episcopal Church South. Attendance diminished and services were discontinued in 1977. In 1981, the Beason family formed Union Cemetery Association and the North Alabama Conference deeded the church to the group in 1982. The Association continues to maintain the property and uses it for reunions, weddings, funerals, and music programs. It has served as the polling place for Slate Union Precinct for many years.
Listed in the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage in 1978
Erected
Click or scan to see this page online
2017 by Union Cemetery Association.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Churches & Religion. A significant historical year for this entry is 1815.
Location. 33° 53.515′ N, 86° 18.281′ W. Marker is near Whitney, Alabama, in St. Clair County. Marker is on Beason Cove Road, 0.1 miles east of Curt Hinton Drive, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 396 Beason Grove Rd, Steele AL 35987, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, September 12, 2020
2. Union United Methodist Church Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on September 18, 2020. It was originally submitted on September 18, 2020, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 416 times since then and 66 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on September 18, 2020, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. • Mark Hilton was the editor who published this page.
