Dunwoody United Methodist Chapel (circa 1941)

1548 Mt. Vernon Road, Dunwoody, GA

The Dunwoody United Methodist Church began in 1899 as an inter-denominational Sunday School whose members met at the Dunwoody schoolhouse for the first four years. At that time, the Dunwoody School was where the current Dunwoody Library now exists.

As the congregation grew, so did the need for a permanent place of worship. So, in 1903, four men met at Cephas Spruill’s blacksmith shop at the corner of Chamblee-Dunwoody and Mt. Vernon Road and made plans for a new church. The four were: John Cates, who donated the land for the new chapel, and three members of the Spruill family: Stephen, J.C. and Henry. This original wood frame chapel was built that year in 30 x 54 x 14 foot dimensions for a cost of $500. It was located across Mt. Vernon Road from where the current chapel, built in 1941, exists today.

In 1935, Euil Spruill and a team of workers broke ground on what would become the site of the current brick chapel, on the north side of Mt. Vernon Road and behind Nandina Lane. Will Donaldson, son of WJ Donaldson, whose circa 1870 farm is now called the Donaldson-Bannister Farm, did the masonry work. Will and his sons Fletcher and Fred had to drive to Stone Mountain, which in those days was a long drive, for the granite.

In the mid-1950’s, an addition was built in the back of the chapel and a cover added over the front door.

The building is still used today as a Chapel and for children’s Sunday School classes.