In the 1950's Henry County would have been considered 'country', with farms and dairies dotting the countryside. Houses were wood-frame; roads were mostly mud, with Hwy. 42 being one of few paved roads and it was two-lanes.
Television sets were a rare commodity. People occupied their leisure time reading, visiting, Sunday picnics and an occasional 'trip to town' (Atlanta).
The county did not have any congregations of the Church of Christ. Therefore, members of the Lord's church, living in the Fairview community, had to drive 20 or more miles to worship.
Ray and Jewell Cooper lived in the brown house across Swan Lake Road in those days and worshipped with the Kirkwood church in DeKalb County. Bro. John 0. Dillingham was Kirkwood's minister and was ever ready to do 'mission work' in Georgia. While visiting with the Coopers, Bro. Dillingham felt the Fairview community would be fertile ground for establishing a meeting place.
Ray and Jewell, after much prayer and discussion undertook the building of a meeting place for the Lord's church. The property the present church is on belonged to Ray and this is where the two of them, along with Wyman and Mary Frances Clark, constructed a cement block church building.
This first building took over a year to complete, with the four laboring every opportunity they had and when able to buy materials; sometimes, a few blocks at a time. None of the amenities we take for granted today, were available in the first building, i.e., central heating and air conditioning, inside restrooms, water fountain and baptistery. The church thrived, people began visiting and then became a part of the congregation.
Some of the congregation of the 1950's are still here - Ben Born, Wyman and Mary Frances Clark, Barbara Musslewhite Cooper, Darrell S. Cooper, Gertrude Musslewhite and Sonny Vaughn.
As time went on classrooms, restrooms and baptistery were added. The block building started 'splitting at the seams' and Fairview was blessed with the building of today, along with a parsonage and annex. Later the parsonage was no longer needed and was moved to Swan Lake, making room for much needed additional parking.
In 1959, the number of Sunday morning worshippers were 60 and under; in 1962, the number on Sunday morning grew to about 150 to 225.
Many ministers have come and gone at Fairview, some through death and others leaving for other areas. Many of the names would be familiar to you.
2005 was known as the year of a major exodus. Most of the congregation left to establish the Oakhill congregation east of McDonough, to be nearer their home and better serve their community.
Fairview has had many hills and valleys in the past, but the last 10 years have been steadily climbing and we have enjoyed more hills than valleys. May Fairview continue to strive to be 'Acceptable in God's sight'.
Those of you who attend now are a part of Fairview's history and we hope that you will be a long and fruitful part.
Dedicated
The history of the Fairview Church of Christ is dedicated to the 'pioneers' who had the foresight, faith and love for our Lord and community to push forward through all obstacles to make the house of worship a reality and to all that have and will worship at Fairview. May we always fear the Lord, keep His Commandments, love one another and the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ be with us always as we strive to do 'HIS WILL'.
FAIRVIEW HISTORY
As written by Mary Frances Clark (revised, August 16, 2015)
Original block building - circa 1950's