Mechanicsville United Methodist Church
This church was organized in 1871 by Black families who settled in this area after the Civil War. In 1872, members John Jenkins and Daniel Gass paid $50 to acquire the 2-ac. church site. First known as Mechanicsville Colored Church, the congregation later adopted the name Philadelphia Methodist Episcopal Church.
Members first met a brush arbor by the original church cemetery, near Lake Ashwood. They built a wooden church here in 1911. It was rebuilt in 1922, when members adopted the name Mechanicsville Methodist Church. A new church was built in 1961. The congregation joined the newly merged United Methodist Church in 1968.
31-20Lee County
Where it stands. 184 Lake Ashwood Rd., Sumter vicinity, Sumter vicinity