Dunton Chapel Methodist Church

Front inscription

Dunton Chapel Methodist Church can trace its origins to 1870, when Rev. J.R. Rosemond began preaching in the home of Milton Hardy. The church was built c. 1878, but has undergone many renovations, including being brick veneered in 1937. Originally known as the “Church of Gaffney,” it was named Dunton Chapel in 1888 to honor Dr. Lewis M. Dunton, presiding elder of the Greenville District of the M.E. Church (1879-82).

Reverse inscription

The first school for African American students in Gaffney was opened at Dunton Chapel Methodist Church in 1899 under the direction of Rev. R.C. Campbell. By 1920 it remained as one of only ten schools in the county that served African American students. A public night school serving adult students was also operated at Dunton Chapel. The grade school remained in operation into the 1920s.