Old Church, built in 1841, was the first chapel of Emory College and a Methodist church in Oxford that served as a pulpit for scholar-preachers. It stood at the center of Southern Methodism when the issue of slavery split the church in 1844, contributing to the succession of Southern states. During the Civil War it was used as an infirmary, and it remained a regular place of worship until 1910. It was recognized as a historic landmark by DAR from 1932 to 1936, hosted the final session of the Annual Conference there in 1949, and stood within Oxford when it was designated a historic Heritage Landmark of the United Methodist Church in 1972. In 1974, the Oxford Historical Shrine Society, Inc., assumed responsibility for the property on city land, and in 1975 the Oxford District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Closed for major restoration from 1966 to 1999, it was rededicated on June 18, 2000.