Located at the intersection of McCarty Church Road and Hwy. 11-E, Jonesborough, Tennessee.
GPS location: 36.17.31N 82.3051W
In 1821 Philip McCardle (whose granddaughter, Eliza, married Andrew Johnson, future President of the United States) deeded one acre of ground to Henry Ruble, Isaac Hair, John G. Ruble, and Robert Paine, trustees, to be used for a Methodist Episcopal church and cemetery; subsequently a log structure was built on the site. The log church building was also used as a school for many years. Originally, the church was known as McCardle’s Meeting House, but over the years the name became “McCarty.” In 1866, a frame church building was erected. During the early years, ministers held services at the church on the first Sunday of each month. Trustees of McCarty Methodist Church in the late 1890’s were William R. Murr, George W. Murr, John Cloyd, L.W. Simpson, Aaron Croyle and Charley Stayer. Surnames found on the church roll during the 1880’s and 1890’s include: Armentrout, Brown, Moore, Marsh, Ling, Longmire, Long, Lovegrove, Jones Croyle, Cloyd, Miller, Murr, Patton, Stayer, Simpson, Rogers, Pritchard, Mongold, Collins, Self and Simmerman.
Reference: History of Washington County Tennessee 1988, by the Watauga Association, p.80.
In front of the church is a large monument with the following inscription:
McCARDLE
THE BIRTHPLACE OF
ELIZA McCARDLE
1810 – 1876
WIFE OF
PRESIDENT
ANDREW JOHNSON
PHILLIP McCARDLE
FAMILY GAVE THE LAND
FOR THE CHURCH
AND CEMETERY 1821
MARKER PRESENTED BY
McCARTY UNITED METHODIST CH.
LEESBURG RURITAN CLUB
SARAH HAWKINS CHAPTER OF DAR
1976