If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
2 Chronicles 7:14 (NIV)
The first meeting was held at Pleasant Grove in October, 1829, under a brush arbor. A few months later, the people decided to build a camp ground on this spot. When the area was cleared off, the grove was so beautiful that it was "Pleasant Grove."
Matthew McCorkle gave a deed on March 26, 1830, for 24 acres of land to a group of nine trustees and their successors for the sum of $60.00. The trustees were Arch Brown, Jack Starnes, William Irby, Peter Wolfe, Michael Polk, Robert Howey, Robert G Howard, Thomas Winchester, and John Lawson. In 1885, a deed was given for four more acres by J.C. Bates. Present acreage is approximately 40 acres.
The contract for building the arbor was give to John Rape. Mr. Rape had agreed to do the work $125.00 This was enough money to complete the arbor, even in those days, so his neighbors helped him to complete it.
Prior to the Civil War there were more than 200 tents on the grounds. Most of them were built of pose and hewed logs. They had chimneys built of poles or board and the cookig was done fireplaces. the lights were candles made by the women.
In the beginning there were five ervies in the arbor each day, the last one conintuing until about eleven o'clock.
Interest in the camp meeting began to lessen around 1900 and in 1902 the trustees ordered the camp meeting closed. All tents were torn down and moved away except on log tent, which remained on the grounds until 1992. After the camp had been cosed for about ten years, the Rev. Henry Byrum becam interested in reopening the camp meeting. He encourged this through newspaper articles. People became inspired and began building tents again on the old campground. Baxter F. Howie built the first tent. By 1935, there were 71 tents on the grounds. After 1977, the number of tents on the grounds was 89, and this number remains the same today.
During 1987-1990, restoration was done on the arbor to replace and repair deteriorating timbers on the outside perimeter, and the roof was covered with wooden shingles. More than $60,000 was spent on this restoration project.