McBee Chapel

Front inscription

This church is notable for its unusual octagonal form. It was built by John Adams for workers at the nearby McBee’s Factory, a complex owned by Vardry McBee (1775-1864), the industrialist often called “the father of Greenville.” Workers were required to attend services here, in a chapel McBee organized in 1841 for them and their families.

McBee Methodist Church

McBee hired Adams, a mechanic and carpenter, to build his factories and other buildings. This church, first served by Methodist circuit riders, was one of several which McBee built or gave land or money to build. With a capacity of about 150, its octagonal form seated more worshippers in a smaller space. The church was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.