Primitive Baptist Churches: Oak Grove, Smyrna, High Bluff, Pilgrims Rest, Wayfair, Bethlehem and Sardis

Lately, I have been focused on structures and one of the structures that has caught my eye is the Primitive Baptist Churches.  So as it goes I find one, then someone tells me about another one in a remote area with very vague directions and I find it.  To learn that there are quite a few others in my area.  Well I hate to collect things, cause once I start I want them all, of course I want to find all the Historic Primitive Baptist Churches in my area.  It has been a fun adventure as most are remotely located, meaning dirt roads which are a favorite of mine and vague directions which are always a challenge.  I have tried to do some research on the churches and have learned that as a group they are very much the same.  Minimalist; simple wood structures, usually with three doors, one in the front, one in the back and one in the middle sometimes with a small overhang covering the door.  All windows are shuttered, some have glass, most don't, the only time the shutters are opened is when there is a service.  The interior is as minimalistic as the exterior, a pulpit in the center on the longest side of the building, hardwood, uncushioned and unadorned benches are to the left, right and center of the hardwood pulpit.  The roof is open rafters with an addition wood strip running down the center of the left side of the church with nails on it, this served as a hat rack.  It is my understanding that the left side of the church is the "men's seating" so also on the left side of the church there are holes in the floor in front of the benches reportedly for tobacco chewing.  The right side of the church was for women and the center benches were for the unbaptized and visitors. 
I think what I love most about these churches is the simplicity, no fancy wall hanging, no expensive stain glassed windows, shoot in most cases no electricity, if you were lucky you remembered to bring a hand fan.  The focus was on the scripture.  Nothing else.  Although, there aren't any fancy adornments; that is not to say that there is a lack of workmanship.  They are simply beautiful, many with rough sawn oak.  Any way, let's get to the good part; I would like to share some of my photos of the churches I have found:

 The first one is Oak Grove Primitive Baptist Church on Raybon Rd in Brantley County.  I don't know when this church was founded, it seems to be one of the newer structures but beautiful nonetheless.

 Notice the pulpit in the center and the hat racks on the left and center isles.

 Another similarity is a hand pump located nearby each church and in most cases a privy.  I followed the small path to the out building. 

 At first privacy seems a must from the outside, but inside is a different story, this is a unique three seater.

 One more similarity, is cemeteries, they all have one.  This one seems to date back to the early 1900's.  While photographing this structure two cowboys, literally on horseback came by and we chatted and they told me about Smyrna Primitive Baptist Church in Lulaton and gave me directions.

 This church is located on a dirt road not far from the County Solid Waste Station with a cemetery that holds the final resting place of many veterans from the Civil War and Spanish American War.

The pulpit viewed from the right side and hat racks on the left.

 

 Some markers in the cemetery of Confederate Soldiers.

 Viewed from the right, from the cemetery.  This church was founded in 1824 and moved to this location in 1889.  The property was donated by the James Highsmith Estate.  The Church disbanded in 1990.

High Bluff Primitive Baptist Church was founded in 1819 and is still active, it is among the oldest continuing congregation.  It is the largest Primitive Church I have found yet and more modern with the addition of a handicap ramp and hand rails.  The cemetery is absolutely beautiful and is the final resting place of Lydia Stone the Queen of the Okefenokee Swamp.

This church has two doors on the side.

 The pulpit is in the center and some cushions and hand fans are stashed away waiting for service.

 This Cemetery has some very large and extravagant monuments and family plots. 

 And some of the simplest grave markers, like the wooden hand carved picket fence surrounding this family plot.

The Bethlehem Primitive Baptist Church is in Bachlott on a dirt road out in the country.  This church was founded in 1842 and disbanded in 1991.  There is also a well pump, appears to be remnants of a privy, which looks like overgrown snake country to me, so needless to say there is no picture of it and of course a cemetery.

 

 The inside is so pretty, there is glass in some of the windows, neatly kept and so serene.  As I walked around, I noticed something on the pulpit, money bunched up from previous visitors, I am thinking to help with the immaculate upkeep on this roadside treasure.

The covered well pump.

  This cemetery also had wooden grave markers for family plots and what was obviously a child's resting place.  There were also markers from the confederate soldiers.

 The next church I visited was Pilgrims Rest off Old Waynesville Road.  I don't really know anything about this church another than the front doors were wide open and welcoming.

 Shuttered window.

 Neat as a pin inside, no glass in the windows and I imagine it can get quite drafty in the winter time.

 Here is a close up of the holes in the floor on the men's seating side for the tobacco chewers in the crowd.

 On the back side of the building there is a well pump and the Pilgrims Rest Cemetery is to the right, 

What I do know about this place is that my brother in law Joe is buried here and that he is in a quiet and peaceful setting.  The gates of the cemetery date to 1878

 Charlton County is home to one of the oldest primitive churches in the area and that is the Sardis Primitive Baptist Church.  It was constituted in 1821 and moved to its current location in 1840. 

 I don't have photos of the inside but it is beautiful rough sawn oak.  You can see the blade marks in the wood.  I caught it one day while the shutters were open and returned another when it was all shuttered.  It is in a lovely setting up on as rise above the cemetery with facilities in the back and a well pump.

 One of my favorites is the Wayfair Primitive Baptist Church in Cox, also listed as the Hardshell church.  My favorite because it took me forever to find it.  This is located just outside a hunting club, so the road side sign says private keep out, but the hunting ground is just past the church....a little misleading.  Check out the foundation appears to be the original logs.

 

 The inside is as charming as the others, it has glass in some of the windows but from the look of it could be quite drafty also.

 This church is also reversed with the men on the right and ladies on the left.  It also has holes in the floor.

 Another View and last but not least the privy out beside the cemetery.  This was a to seater.

One other major similarity of these churches is that they are unlocked and open to the public.  If anything there is a hook and eye latch on the outside to keep the door shut.  They are so welcoming and willing to share their beauty and simplicity; yet so difficult to find out their history.  I wish I was more of a historian, but I am learning more and more every day and it keeps life interesting.  There is so much local history and so much Beauty that Surrounds Us, I am often overwhelmed and not sure where to go next.  Until next time....stop and slow down and take notice to the Beauty that Surrounds Us.