Report: Methodist Conference Votes to Close Down Simpsonwood

Citing ongoing operating losses, the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church voted to close the 227-acre Simpsonwood Retreat & Conference Center in Peachtree Corners.

The 2,000-member organization made the decision Wednesday in Athens during its annual conference, the Gwinnett Daily Post reported.

An attorney for the Methodist group said the conference is in discussions to sell the property to Gwinnett County as a park.

Read more on the Post

The property was once owned by Miss Ludie Simpson, who deeded it over to the United Methodist Church so it would remain as she requested, "to keep the land so that all people could enjoy God's beautiful creation."

Last year, Patch reported a Gwinnett County judge ruled that the restrictive covenants that governed how the pristine land that fronts the Chattahoochee River could be used had expired. That opened the door for the UMC to sell the property.

in April, magistrate judge ruled neighbors had no standing in the private property case, the Post reported.

Check out these Patch stories on Simpsonwood:

• Simpsonwood Property Could Become a County Park
• Meeting on Simpsonwood Property Sale Draws Large Crowd
• Fate of Simpsonwood Retreat Now in Methodists Hands
• When Simpsonwood is gone, it’s gone forever
• Simpsonwood Retreat Property Up For Sale
• Update on Simpsonwood Retreat & Conference Property Sale
• Simpsonwood Property Sale: A Case of Broken Trust?
• Simpsonwood, a Pristine Oasis in Peachtree Corners
• Concerns for Simpsonwood Conservancy