The New Hope community was first settled in 1833. The New Hope Presbyterian Church was established by area pioneers on September 17, 1870, under the direction of Rev. George P. Richardson, on land given by Isham W. Thomas. A Civil War veteran, Thomas moved to this area in 1866. The first sanctuary, a small one-room log cabin, was also used for the New Hope Public School. The cemetery was established in August 1870 with the burial of John Gattis and contains nearly 400 burials, many unmarked.