Located just behind the courthouse, this church with its beautiful and unusual copper dome is a real architectural gem for Quitman and South Georgia.
Quitman Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
I photographed this old country store, which sits beside a field on Troupville Road, in 2010. For five years I wondered about its identity and fate. Grant Mishoe wrote to say it was still owned by descendants of the family who built it and it’s still standing. From the late 1800s until it closed it sold dry goods and various sundries, from boots to jeans and feed to turpentine.
Several historic signs were still present. There was a thermometer for some sort of snake oil [i.e. quack medicine] for the kidneys, as well as insurance signs from the Southern Agriculturist and several for Dental Snuff.
Liberty Baptist is one of the few surviving examples of an antebellum church structure in Southwest Georgia. Though nearby Grooverville Methodist is thought to be antebellum, as well, it’s privately owned and not listed, to my knowledge.
The historic marker placed by the Georgia Historical Commission in 1956 notes: Between 1837-1841 the Baptists in this section were stirred on Missions, Sunday Schools and ministerial support. In 1841 the Ocklochnee anti-Missionary Baptist Assn. passed a ruling to dismiss members believing in the “new fangled institutions of the day.” Disagreeing, Sister Nancy Hagen asked for her letter from Mt. Moriah Church and, at her request, was excommunicated. With Elisha Pack Smith, R. T. Stanaland, James I. Baker, Mrs. Sarah Ann Groover, Mrs. Mary Smith, Mrs. Amanda Denmark and Sam Whitfield, she organized this church. The first pastor was Elder R. J. May. Mt. Moriah Church ceased to exist long ago.
The sanctuary is smaller than the outside view of the church would indicate, but it makes great use of the available space.
Boxed pews were a common feature in most churches of this era, and though there aren’t double front doors as is common with Methodist churches, women and men were likely segregated.
The balcony seen above and in the following images is the slave gallery. I’ve photographed several churches with slave galleries, mostly near the coast, and they are generally larger there.
The slave gallery was accessed by a small interior staircase, accessed by a separate door. [visible at the left side of the exterior in the first image].
National Register of Historic Places
I was unable to get a better shot of this church as it’s surrounded by a fence and very aggressive dogs. It’s now privately owned, and since there has been vandalism in the area before, I understand the desire to protect it. Though on a different road, it’s virtually next door to Liberty Baptist Church. The historic marker placed by the Georgia Historical Commission in 1966 reads: This church had its beginning in 1832, on the plantation of William H. Ramsey, about 4 1/2 miles Southwest of here. There being no Methodist services in the vicinity at the time he and his family moved to this area, Mr. Ramsey built a brush arbor near his home and there held Bible study and worship services. Later he joined with other Methodist families and built a log church 31/2 miles South on the road to St. Marks. They named this church, Lebanon, and some time during the 1840s it was made a regular monthly appointment. In 1856, it was decided to move the church to Grooverville, a more central location, and Malachi Groover made a deed of gift to one acre of land – the present site – to Richard Ramsey, M. W. Linton and W. R. Joiner as Trustees. Mr. Linton sawed the lumber and the carpenters from his plantation built the church edifice. The name of the church was then changed from Lebanon to Grooverville, and it became the largest on a circuit originally composted of Grooverville, Prospect, Hickory Head and Beulah. Three grandsons of Wm. H. Ramsey, the founder of this church, became Methodist ministers in Georgia conferences.
As of 2016, the aggressive dogs were removed from the property in an alleged animal hoarding/welfare case. I sincerely hope that this means good things are in store for the poor dogs and for the future of this historic structure.
Thanks to Debra Horton for the identification.
Thanks to Terry Hewett for identifying the house, and the awesome ’57 Chevy. Justin Payne reports that this house was destroyed by an arsonist in 2018, possibly one of several around Morven and Quitman. Justin’s mother Genelle Teal Payne grew up in the house. He shared the following:
After speaking with my mother, she told me some interesting history about the house. It was originally built in 1891 by one of the Simpson family and was actually a bar. In the early 1900’s it was converted into a Victorian style home (with gingerbread exterior trim and floor to ceiling windows) by the Peets family (I think it was the Peets family if I understood my mother correctly). The Teals purchased the home in the early 1950’s and from the 1950’s until about 2015 the house underwent numerous renovations while my grandmother, Bessie Mae Teal was still alive. One of our cousins was in the process of renovating the house when it burned. During the renovation they discovered many of the original architectural details including hand-hewn heart of pine floor boards and an extra fireplace no one knew about.
…around the time the house was converted from a bar to a home there was actually a man murdered in the front yard of the home. A Mr. McAllister (she said he went by his nickname, Cat) had too much to drink one night during a poker game at the house and felt he was cheated by one of the Simpsons. McAllister left and then returned with a gun and was told not to cross through the picket fence that use to be in front of the house or Simpson would shoot him. McAllister ignored the warning, opened the gate and Simpson shot and killed him through front window…
Morven is the oldest community in Brooks County. Though the post office wasn’t designated as Morven until 1853, pioneer settlers had already established a store and post office in the nearby settlement of Mount Zion as early as 1826.
I believe this building also housed a general store at one time, on the first floor.