Sometime in 1856 or early 1857 the citizens of the Fairview Community in Oconee County made the decision to establish a "General Church."  Trustees were named, and on April 23, 1857, one of them, John R.M. Cannon, deeded two acres of land, described as being on the East side of the public road from Oconee Station to Pendleton Village, to be used as a church lot.  (This is now in the Fairview Community, just off SC Highway 188 on Ebenezer Road).

The trustees included, in addition to Mr. Cannon, William H. Stribling, Robert Maxwell, Jr., Gustavis A. Taylor, and Robert A. Steele, Jr.

The deed was very emphatic that the church building was to be available to any Christian denomination,  that it was to be shared by the ministers and denominations that wanted to use it and that no denomination was to have any preference over any others.  One narrative indicates that Mr. Cannon chose to support a "Union" Church because he and his wife were of different denominations.

In 2000, the two acres on the east side of the road has a Sanctuary immediately off the road, an activities building on the north side of the Church, a cemetery beginning immediately behind the Church and spreading East and a  picnic shelter on the North edge of the cemetery,  approximately 50 yards from the Church.

Later written accounts hold that the picnic shelter sits on the site of the original church, begun sometime in 1857.  The building was built of logs and furnished with home-made long benches with no backs, an organ, and a fireplace used for heating.  This building burned late one Sunday afternoon in 1893 after a singing.

A new, small square wooden building was built on the site of the current church and continues to serve as the main portion of the present Sanctuary.  In May of 1911 the  Ladies Aid Society of Fairview Church Community was formed, and their first project was to build an extension at the east end to provide space for a pulpit.  Carpet was ordered from Sears and Roebuck at $.33 per yard for the pulpit floor.  The new pulpit was constructed in West Union by a Mr. Callis, whose daughter, Mrs. Bob McMahan and her family, were members at Fairview.

The second major project of the Ladies Aid was to add wings on each side of the church.  The next project was to add a front entrance or vestibule with tower, and later a concrete entrance.   At some point the building was painted, inside and out, by the husbands of the Ladies Aid.

The pews in the current Church were purchased from the Seneca Presbyterian Church in 1917 or 1918 as they built a new church.

a rock retaining wall was built across the front and sides of the church to reduce washing and erosion.  Rocks for the wall were dragged from a creek near the home of Lina McMahan.  When these original walls were replaced,  the rock was used to build the chimney in the current picnic shelter.

In 1960 a 16 x 42 foot addition divided into two rooms was added to the rear or eastern end of the church with a basement underneath.

The pews that are currently in the church were purchased in the early 1960's.  The old ones from the Presbyterian church
were sold to members of the church and community who wanted them.
 

The earliest church records currently available are  the minutes of a church conference held on September 27, 1899, called by H.H. Merritt.  Names mentioned in those minutes include Lena Dawson, Mrs. Dora Stringer, Andrew Miller and W. R. Shockly, the church secretary.  Reverend Duffie called the next conference for July 14, 1900, and JJ. Spinks called the next on April 12, 1903.
There are two early, undated rolls of the church membership.  The earliest had 24 names with an additional 17 names who were apparently added later.  Family name include:  Alexander, Biggerstaff, Barron, Berkett,  Brucke, Crenshaw, Dodd, Duckett,  Fischer, Hannon, Harden, Hughs, Knox, Lawson, Linstadt, McMahan,  Mears, Merritt, Miller, Morgan, Reid, Shockley, Stringer,  Taylor, White and Whitmire.

The second roll adds the names of Baldwin, Burton, Findley, Glazener, Hall, Johnstone, McKinzie, Mills, Morris, Scurry, Smith, Stribling and Roland.  Total membership was 91.

The third roll was dated 1908 and shows a total of 74 names.  Families who were listed but not included in the first two rolls were Bellott, Kestler, Mauldin and Maxie.

The Church Conference, called by Reverend Burnett on January 26, 1913, indicated that there were 90  members on the register at that time.

 Ministers at Fairview Church
 

1905      O. M. Abney
1910      J. I. Spinks
             Coke D. Mann
1913      J.O. Burnette
              Rev. Whitten
1915      W.T. Belvin
1918     Otis A. Jeffcoat
             N.G. Ballenger
             J. L. Mullinax
1920     G. C. Leonard
            Rev. Duffie
            C. L. McClain
            R.R. Doyle
1925    G. W. Burke
1926    D.C. Gregory
1927    H.H. Merritt
1929    I. E. (O.E.) Gunter
1931    Horace E. Gravely
1935    J. M. Culbertson
1937    H.R. Jordan
            Claude Evans
1945    R. C. Emory
1947    J. F. Farr
1948    B. M. Hartsell
1954    L.O. Foxworth, Jr.
1955    Gerald Williams
            Franklin Hartsell
            Rev. Frasier
1957    H. M. Cox
1961    R. L. Vickery, Jr.
1964    Donald J. Hope
1968    J. D. Brady
1970    James E. Hampton
1976    Perry Sanders
1980    Pat Goodwin