tracking down historic rural churches

Powelton Methodist Church, Hancock County, GA

On a recent drive home from Amelia Island, I took a detour across eastern Middle Georgia. It was an intentional detour, although much of it was without a GPS signal on narrow, winding roads that weren’t marked on my falling-apart, folded-paper map. It was a beautiful drive through forests and farmland in some of the state’s least populated counties and I always enjoy a new route—even when an already 7-hour trip stretches to 10, as this one did.

I was looking for a church, found many others along the way and, naturally, had to stop to check them out. (There is no shortage of small country churches in Middle Georgia, or any part of Georgia, for that matter.) I was searching for Powelton Methodist Church in Hancock County. As it turns out, I have driven past this old church several times—but always heading south, when it is nearly hidden from view on an unpaved side road.

Built in 1830 on the site of an earlier church building (believed to have been constructed around 1803), Powelton Methodist Church is a small, simply designed, wooden structure—nicely proportioned, with double front doors (one for men, another for women) and a metal roof. It sits atop single, upright slabs of fieldstone—unusual for churches in this area, though it seemed to be holding up well for a nearly 200-year-old foundation. I’ve only seen photographs of the interior—beautiful in its simplicity and craftsmanship—and was disappointed that I was not quite tall enough to peer through the side windows. (Note to self: Take a small step ladder next time so I can see inside.)

Photographing the front of the church proved to be challenging, as the view from one side was blocked by large oaks and the other was looking directly into the late-afternoon sun. It would photograph better in morning light and even better on a misty, overcast day, so now I have an excuse to return. Even when things are less than ideal for photography, scouting can be every bit as exciting. I wandered the grounds, checked out the cemetery and made a few photographs with both my iPhone (shown here) and medium-format camera (still languishing in my computer) while hanging out with a brood of bright-orange cicadas.

Powelton Baptist Church, Hancock County, GA

Just a few hundred yards north was Powelton Baptist Church (1786) and just a stone’s throw up the road into Taliaferro (sounds like “Tolliver”) County was Antioch Baptist Church, which was founded and built in 1886 by a group of former slaves. One of the most photographed rural churches in Georgia, Antioch has deteriorated considerably since I last drove this route and has been placed on the Georgia Trust Places in Peril list.

Antioch Baptist Church, Taliaferro County, GA

From the time of their founding, these and other small rural churches served as the heart of their communities—meeting not only local spiritual needs, but often educational and judicial needs, as well. Over the last 50 years, many closed their doors as populations shifted to nearby cities where jobs were more abundant—though many rural churches continue to hold services throughout the state and the South. Active or retired, they are key to conveying a sense of place in these rural communities, some of which are little more than ghost towns these days.

The non-profit organization, Historic Rural Churches of Georgia, formed by Sonny Seals and George Hart in 2012, has been documenting historic rural churches throughout the state. They have an interesting website and blog, and have published a stunning, full-color book of photographs and histories of nearly 50 churches. Another excellent resource is The Forgotten South, a blog about historic and abandoned places in the South, written by Kelly Gomez. She regularly criss-crosses southern backroads looking for old churches, farmhouses, cemeteries, schools and ghost towns.

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Upcoming workshops:

An Intimate Portrait of Place: Santa Fe + Beyond

Santa Fe Workshops, Santa Fe, New Mexico. July 22-26. No place in this country has a richer, more unique history and culture than Santa Fe and northern New Mexico. In this workshop, we will step back in time to discover some of the region’s Native American, Hispanic and Anglo roots—visiting cultural landscapes and historic sites ranging from ancient ruins, cliff dwellings and pueblos to historic ranches, churches and the charming, walkable neighborhoods of Santa Fe.

An Intimate Portrait of Place: Coastal Maine

Maine Media Workshops, Rockport, Maine. October 7-11. Midcoast Maine will serve as our classroom as we look at what gives a geographic location a unique sense of place and how to convey that through images. We’ll photograph not only the landscape, but also designed and built environments. We’ll explore habitats such as the rocky shoreline, meadows, estuaries and woodlands, as well as working harbors, towns and historic sites.

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