Allendale in Allendale County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Swallow Savannah Methodist Church
This church is first organized c. 1815, when members met in a log house 2. mi. S that was adjacent to a sheet of water known as "Swallow Savannah," the church's namesake. Local preacher John McFail was likely instrumental in the church's organization. Through the 1800s, members used several sites along Old Augusta Road including a church built on land given by Dr. Cornelius Ayer and dedicated in 1848. The cemetery remains there.
The church was part of the Black Swamp Circuit until 1855, when the Allendale Circuit was formed. In 1880, members made plans to move to Allendale, then a growing railroad depot town. A white clapboard church was built at this site after Lawrence Williams donated the land in 1890. That building burned in 1942 and was replaced by the current church, which was dedicated in 1946. The Fellowship Hall was built in 1961.
Erected 2019 by South Carolina Department of Archives and History; sponsored by Swallow Savannah United Methodist Church. (Marker Number 3-17.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Religion & Religious Structures. A significant historical year for this entry is 1815.
Location. 33° 0.503′ N,
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Regionally, this marker is in the Lowcountry. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Deep South. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Happy Home Baptist Church (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); Town of Allendale (approx. 0.4 miles away); Allendale Co. Jail / Chain Gangs (approx. half a mile away); Old Allendale (approx. 2.6 miles away); Bethlehem Church (approx. 5.2 miles
Credits. This page was last revised on May 31, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 31, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 8 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on May 31, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
