Nolley Memorial United Methodist Church

submitted by Robert King

submitted by Patricia E. Ezell. Photo of the Nolley Methodist Church
Hwy 84, Jena, La Salle Parish, La.
Approximately 1911- late 1940’s
Mollie Ezell Heard and Miss Rowena Ezell

Jena, LaSalle Parish, LA
Sources:(1) A Brief History of Nolley Memorial United Methodist Church, Jena,
La, compiled by Nelda Tarver and Brenda Wright, 1999.
(2)History of La Salle Parish, La., "Nolley Memorial United Methodist
Church", by La Salle Parish Genealogical Association,pgs, 120-121, c1989,
Curtis Media Corporation, Dallas, Tx. (3) Vicki Drewett Buckhalter of Jena,
La., (vbuckhalter@centurytel.net)
Submitter: Patricia E. Ezell (pezell@satx.rr.com)

Nolley Memorial United Methodist Church is named for Rev. Richard P. Nolley, an early nineteenth century Methodist circuit rider minister. He is said to have lost his life in 1814 while attempting to swim his horse across the freezing waters of either Ford's Creek or Hemphill Creek in Catahoula Parish (present day La Salle Parish). The Hemphill Creek Congregation was formed in the late 1700's or early 1800's shortly after Spanish land grants were made to Isaiah Slater, Thomas Doggett, Charles McBride and Matthew Stone. Some of the early families in the Church included, John Doyle, Elias Carter, Matthew Wilson, Henry Kiper, Uriah Vincent Whatley and William Henderson Turnley, as well as the Breithaupts, Forsythes, Colemans, Boddies, Hopkins, Kendricks, Bakers, Roberts, Pentacosts, Blackmans, Butlers, Davis and Warwicks.

Over the years, the name of the congregation has changed as has the building location. The first church building was erected on the east bank of Hemphill Creek just north of the main road in what is known as Old Jena. This was just under the hill from the old Cannon residence, which is now part of Philip Henry's yard. Across the road was the parsonage. Just behind the present day Bellevue Baptist Church was the Jena Seminary.

A new building was constructed in 1895 due to the flooding in the creek bottom. The building was located in Old Jena on land donated by Dr. B.L. Thompson, father of Mrs. Louise Cobb. A contract was entered into with Jim Coleman (father of Mrs. Sena Honeycutt, Edgar Coleman and Dr. J.A. Coleman) to furnish the materials and direct the construction of the new building which was completed in 1894. In 1903 the name was changed to Richmond Nolley Methodist Church.

Some of the names of families noted in the records for the circuits at that time were Bobbitt, Barr, Butler, Whatley, Yancy, Bennett, Thompson, Coleman, Coon, Honeycutt, Walker, Long, Boddie, Anders, Davis, Drewett, Warner, Baker, Turnley, Wade, Allen, Roberts, Breithaupt, Sheppard, Kendrick, Bradford, and
many others.

As the congregation grew, approximately 1 1/2 acres of land was acquired from R.M. Renfrow in 1910. In 1911 an addition 3 acres were acquired from Mr. Buchanan and the L & A Railroad. A new church was constructed in 1911 in the area of the present day parking lot near Highway 84. In 1949, the congregation moved into the present day structure. The current name, Nolley Memorial United Methodist Church was adopted in 1968 to coincide with the merging of the Methodist Church with the Evangelical United Brethren Church.

The cemetery is located behind the present day Nolley Memorial United Methodist Church on Hwy 84 in Jena, La. The cemetery was begun approximately in 1911. The first burial may have been that of Houston S. Morris, who married Nettie Torry on Jan 13, 1895. The cemetery is well maintained, and is quite large. The updated listing of the cemetery found on the La Salle Parish Archives website is current as of 2002 and was made from a series of visits by the submitters, who read the tombstones, reviewed obituaries and researched family histories known to these writers. In researching some of the names it appears that some of those interred were not members of the Methodist Church. It is therefore speculated that at one time the cemetery was open to other members of the community.