Sand Valley was founded in 1875.
In 1961 when Weiss Lake was formed by Alabama Power, the church had to be "raised" in order to avoid becoming part of Weiss Lake. The cemetery adjacent to the church also had to be raised. Headstones were photographed, and soil was applied to raise the cemetery & church. Photographs were used to replace the headstones. Sand Valley survived the building of Weiss Lake, and it still alive today.