After a year of research, paperwork and determination, Paces Ferry United Methodist Church in Buckhead sealed its place on the National Historic Register of Georgia Sept. 26.

A bronze plaque was raised to mark this distinction on the lawn of the church, which sits on a hill just across from where Mount Paran Road dead ends at Paces Ferry Road.

The project to recognize the 134-year-old historic site formally was headed by the Colonial Dames 17th Century Thomas Johnson chapter, who also gathered donations to pay for the plaque.

“The chapter has been enthusiastic and supportive of this plan from the beginning,” said chapter president Lynn Bracky.

Originally established as Pleasant Hill Methodist Church in 1877 with leadership from the Rev. W.J. Rolader, the church also served as a private school. The first teacher was Ida Williams, who established a Carnegie Branch Library in Buckhead and later had a local library named in her honor.

The majority of the church’s original structure remains intact along with a cemetery believed to contain graves of Confederate and Union army soldiers including William Brown, who donated the land for the church.

“The one room white clapboard church with two red doors stands firmly on its hill as a constant reminder of our rural past,” reads the plaque.

Today the 32-member church still holds regular Sunday services and events under the leadership of its lay minister, the Rev. Steven Unti.

“We’re delighted to have this honor. We think the recognition has been a long time coming,” said Unti. “We expect it to draw even more attention.”

Grace Sanders, the chapter’s chairman of marking and preservation of historic sites and a Buckhead resident, took this project under her wing because of her personal affection for the building, grounds and congregation.

“I fell completely in love with the church when we did our Great Day of Service,” she said, recalling Peachtree Road United Methodist Church’s event 12 years ago. “It was all grown up with bushes the size of trees and much work needed to be done. Through the years my love and admiration for it has grown.”

This is the chapter’s first historical marker. Ms. Sanders, who enjoys genealogical research, said collecting the data was tedious but fascinating.

“It is amazing what all goes into putting a wonderful marking ceremony together,” she said. “The marker will be there forever for all to read and that is what is important.”