More than a dozen descendants of the Rev. Charles E. Rich gathered in the Old Courthouse last month to honor the legacy of a local circuit preacher who led multiple Baptist congregations during the formative years of Union County.
Several generations of family members from across North Georgia attended Dec. 13 to dedicate a portrait of Rich in recognition of his life and contributions as a prominent member of the Blairsville community with a tremendous passion for spreading the word of God.
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His portrait and biographical information now reside in the venerated Religious Room of the Old Courthouse, where other local religious leaders from the past are celebrated.
The Old Courthouse is dutifully maintained as a heritage museum by the Union County Historical Society. Accepting the donation was new Historical Society President Mike Cook, with the society’s own Presley Rich in attendance as a familial descendant.
Among the direct descendants present, representing the oldest living generation – Rich’s grandchildren – were siblings Joyce Minor, Sarah Reeves, Ben Hulsey and Julius Hulsey, and their first cousin Jim Conley, the longtime current mayor of Blairsville.
None of them ever personally knew Rich, who died at the age of 50 over 100 years ago. But that made the dedication all the more special, showcasing the deep respect Rich earned in his day and that he continues to command so many years following his death.
“I can’t tell you folks how glad I am you’re here,” Conley said to his surrounding family members. “And I’m just grateful to the Historical Society for wanting this portrait to be a part of their religious inventory.”
The portrait is actually a slightly smaller reproduction of the original that Conley inherited from his beloved mother Estelle. His cousin Julius asked to borrow the portrait several years ago, from which he had a copy made and placed in an antique frame similar to the original.
It’s a beautifully reproduced photograph, colorized and set in an oval wooden frame with bubble glass. Stamped below the picture is a small metal plate inscribed with Rev. Rich’s dates of birth and death: Oct. 25, 1868 – April 25, 1919.
According to a biography compiled for the occasion by Rich’s great-granddaughter Missy Mitchell, the preacher accomplished much in his 50 years, entering the ministry after earning his ordination at Harmony Church, known today as New Harmony Baptist Church.
Rich preached at about a dozen churches over time. He even began churches, like Union Baptist on Georgia 180 – originally Hood’s Chapel – and as a circuit preacher, he shared the Gospel from the pulpits of First Baptist, Philadelphia Baptist, Choestoe Baptist and elsewhere.
The preacher also helped to start the Blairsville Collegiate Institute, which at the time was the only advanced education available to local students beyond grade school. Rich served as a founding member, a teacher and eventually a principal there.
“He was passionate about his missionary work, and he was passionate about education,” Mitchell said. “You will find him involved in all of the schools in their early stages (because) he was an educator to supplement his income as a preacher.”
On top of being a preacher and schoolteacher, Rich was a dedicated family man, and though his income was meager – sometimes as low as 50 cents from each church – he managed to take care of his wife and two children while maintaining a happy home amid hardship.
The portrait dedication celebrated these things and more, taking on the air of a joyous family reunion. People swapped old stories, caught up after years of absence, and generally enjoyed one another’s company amid the backdrop of a courthouse museum gloriously decorated for Christmas.
“We just all wanted to come here today and present the picture to the Historical Society, and also this wonderful history of Charlie Rich,” Julius Hulsey said. “Even though none of us knew him, we are extremely proud that he was our ancestor and meant a lot to the community in his day.”
Family members attending the dedication were Ben Hulsey, Bo Conley, Presley Rich, Ann Conley Miller, Robby Patterson, Jim Conley, Julius Hulsey, Sarah Hulsey Reeves, Joyce Hulsey Minor, Hadley Hulsey Duncan, Missy Minor Mitchell, Havilyn Hulsey Towns and Ashley Renee Pyke.
