The retired life has been very good for my wife and me. We have a lot of time to pursue many hobbies and try to make the most of it. One of our hobbies is traveling. We love to travel! Okay, I know many of you do as well, and while it’s not a universal pleasure, it’s nonetheless a fairly ubiquitous pursuit. A subset of our travel involves taking day trips here in Georgia, typically to smaller towns and more rural areas.
A couple of the major draws for us are historic rural churches and cemeteries. It’s kind of an offshoot of a longer-term genealogy hobby. We both have some older roots here in Georgia, even though we grew up in different states. So, we have an interest in finding some of the burial locations of our ancestors. Over time, this morphed into a hobby of visiting older cemeteries and churches in general.
Which leads me to this picture. We were on a day trip on May 21, 2020, that took us to the farthest point of Wrightsboro, Georgia. Along the route, we stopped at several other locations, including this small rural historic church in Taliaferro County. A joy to see in person, the picture captured the moment and stands as a reminder to us of the fun we had that day.
Antioch Baptist Church was founded in 1886 by a group of former slaves from southern Taliaferro and northern Hancock counties. Renowned for its Gothic Revival architectural style, it contains imposing towers that flank a wide doorway. This style is uncommon in rural Georgia. The current building was constructed in 1899 by local craftsmen using local materials.
While no longer holding regular services, the church remains a landmark. Every August, descendants of the original congregation hold a reunion to honor their heritage. Efforts are currently underway to preserve its historic integrity. More information can be found by visiting the Historic Rural Churches of Georgia website.
Have you ever visited this church? What is one of your favorite rural churches in Georgia?
2 responses to “A Georgia Historic Rural Church”
Visiting old cemeteries is a walk through history. The one in Jacksonville, Oregon, is one of my favorites. It tracks the practices in a different time. For instance, there is a Chinese section, a Jewish section, a white section, and I think a black section. And the dates of birth and death are sometimes tragically short. So many infant deaths. Makes you wonder about each one’s life.
Thanks for the comment. I haven’t visited that one in particular. But I’ve seen many that segment that way. We were recently involved with a project at a cemetery close to where we live. Ground radar was used to determine the location of a bunch of unmarked graves thought to contain the bodies of slaves. A fascinating undertaking (no pun intended) of which to be involved.
I’ve seen Jewish sections at many cemeteries (if not most). But don’t recall seeing a Chinese section. Very interesting.