Cedar Grove Methodist Church was established circa 1892 by a small congregation in rural Tattnall County. I first photographed it three years ago. It’s located near the old Employee’s Clubhouse of the Rogers State Prison (formerly known as the Georgia State Penitentiary). The building is presently owned by my good friends, Janisse Ray and Raven Waters, who are leading an effort to save it for future generations. Janisse is best known for her writing (Ecology of a Cracker Childhood; Wild Card Quilt; Drifting into Darien, among others), but she’s also a champion of community and for giving rural communities a voice they might not otherwise have.
Repairing the roof is the most crucial fix that’s needed now, as structural damage is becoming a real threat. Windows will also be needed. Cedar Grove was abandoned in 1975 and though efforts were made to revive it in the early 1980s, there just weren’t enough members to do so.
The earliest burial I was able to locate in the adjacent cemetery was that of Johnnie Harden, who died in 1891. Most burials date to the 1920s.
Thanks to Peggy Anderson and Laurinda Norris for the identification and information.
Saw the beautiful headstones and recognized the last name. Turns out they’re my great great great grandparents. Strange how fate works sometimes. Wish we knew more about this beautiful church and the people who were apart of it.
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We would like to speak to the people who own Cedar Grove Methodist Church. We live in the pretty exact replica in Wheeler county that used to be Erick Christian Church.
I just wanted to say that these are amazing photos. Is that what’s left of a piano in one of the photos?
Thanks, Martha! Yes, that is an old piano.
If this was a Southern Baptist church, information might be available for some history from the Georgia Baptist Convention. The photos are haunting and beautiful. Thank you for your amazing work. Some of the photos sadden me, but all take me back to my childhood in southeast Georgia.
Thanks, Laurinda.
I believe this is the Cedar Grove Church, baptist. The Cedar Grove Church Cemetery behind the church has 49 graves with names Brown, Butler, Carter, Collins, Cook, Eason, Hackle, Harden, Harris, Lindsay, Medlin, Murphy, Parker, Rooks, Sharpe, South, Stewart, Swain, Thomas, and Walker. Just a little further up Cedar Haw Rd is the Widincamp family cemetery with 10 graves. These are enclosed in a pasture. The names here are Widincamp, Drawdy, and Yeomans.
Unfortunately, I don’t know much beyond this, but you can contact Carol A. Anderson, (no relation to me) at 879 Joy Bluff Rd, Reidsville, Ga. 30453, or email carola@kencable.net. She has been documenting graves for some time now.
Hope this helps. I really enjoy getting your photographs. Keep up the great work. They are all wonderful!!
Thanks, Peggy! So glad to finally learn something about this nice old church.
Beautiful lines. I love your photographs.